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I am so not a gardener. I want to be. But it definitely doesn’t come naturally. You would think so considering my Gramma and mom are great at it. But no. So I am determined when we finally get settled into our new house we will have a great garden. {Probably next season}. I am soaking up the gardening advice and tips now so hopefully I will be better prepared. Here are two great tips:
This tip is from my Mom. Put Epsom salts and sugar into each hole with your plant. It makes them grow larger, leafier and greener. It worked for me on my peas last year. So give it a try
I use about 1 Table spoon in a 1 to 1 ratio. But I don’t really measure it. You can also dissolve 1 Tablespoon into a gallon of water and use it to water your plants.
This next tip is for your gardening tools. Do you ever leave your tools out and then get yucky and rusty.
Put them in a container of sand. The sand helps keep them clean, dry, and free of rust or corrosion. It also gives you a place to put your tools when you are done.
Hope these tips help a little bit. And we will see how my gardening attempts come out next season. Wish me luck!!
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Do you think this would work for houseplants?
I learned this trick from gardening lady at lowes last year. Put in all my hanging plants and the flowers are so much more colorful. Has to be Epsom salts! NOT table salt. It perks the plants right up.
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I was a little skeptical of the epsom salt tip because I remember learning in history class how conquering armies would salt the soil of their enemies in order to ensure that nothing grew. But, a quick google search shows that your mom is onto something. The Epsom Salt Council says that the magnesium and sulfer in epsom salts make plants germinate faster and grow thicker and leafier. Thank you (and your mom) for the great tip! Here’s the URL for the epsom salt council: http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/garden/
Dee,
Thanks so much for sharing that with me!!
Salt and epsom salts are two completely different things.
Do you know the optimal ratio of salt-to-sugar?
its a 1 to 1 ratio. According to my mother
What is the ratio of salt to sugar?
it’s a 1 to 1 ratio. According to my mother
One to one..but one what? 1 tsp, 1 tbs., 1 cup..??? Or does that change based on the size of your plant?
Thanks for the tips — can’t wait to try these out! Following you now via Linky.
So like 2 tbs of salt and 2 tbs of sugar per hole in ground? for s quart size container?
Thanks for the tips. I always heard that if you mixed some oil with your sand it would help keep your tools from rusting also.
I guess just any oil that is not harmful will work. Have a Great day1
I’ve heard the same– a quart of mechanical oil per 5 lbs of sand. The oil helps to prevent corrosion, while the sand cleans the tools.
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Thanks for the tipabout the salt and sugar. I’m actually starting my planting tomorrow. I will definitely try this. Thanks.
Nice to meet you.
Jacque
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Add a little oil to that sand and it helps keep the rust away. My hand tools are in an old window box full of sand and my bigger tools are kept in an old garage can about half-full of sand. Everything is clean, sharp and rust free!!
i was wondering about the sugar causing an ant problem or does the epson salt prevent that?
I wondered about the sugar drawing ants also….didn’t see (or missed) a response to that question.
If you put oil in the sand, it keeps them looking great.
I love these tips. Can I pin them to pinterest?
Just wondering about AMOUNT on sugar & epsom salt????
The ratio is 1 to 1 for the salt/sugar. How much do you put in each hole when planting and, can do also just put some around exsisting plants?
Quoting the post- “I use about 1 Table spoon in a 1 to 1 ratio. But I don’t really measure it. You can also dissolve 1 Tablespoon into a gallon of water and use it to water your plants.”
We have been putting epson salts in the hole when we plant tomatoes. It makes the tomatoes sweeter and much less
acid. I have also heard that making a solution of epson salts and water and spraying your green bell pepper plants
makes them produce all summer long. This we are trying this year. But the tomatoes we have used that for many years.
Ok, this has been asked several times with NO answer. HOW MUCH, ie: WHAT IS THE QUANTITY OF EPSOM SALTS & SUGAR??? There is a big difference between a tsp, a cup, a whole bag…what is the amount used?
She stated that information in the post. Quoting the post: “I use about 1 Table spoon in a 1 to 1 ratio. But I don’t really measure it. You can also dissolve 1 Tablespoon into a gallon of water and use it to water your plants.”
For those of you who don’t seem to understand what this means-you use 1 approximately TBLS of the mixture per hole. So for one hole you’d need about 1/2 Tbls sugar and 1/2 Tbls salt. To make it easier I’d premix however much salt and sugar you think you’ll need (in a 1:1 ratio…ie 1 cup sugar and 1 cup salt) and then just use a tablespoon to scoop some into each hole.
thank you for this info…I wasn’t sure if we used the water version when we planted our newly planted greens. But now I see we use the salt/sugar dry but can re-water during the summer with water and Epsom salt mixture. Can’t wait to try!
I had a gardener tell me that adding a tsp of epsom salt with some Asmacote (fertilizer)in the hole before you plant or sprinkle around the planted plant works great also.
I use epsom salt,powered milk ,1010 & sodo.Plus compost.
I’ve never heard of powdered milk in gardening. What does it do?
You mentioned in the original post that you purposely left a few tomatoes without the combination. Did you notice a difference worth speaking of?
you know that old saying; “a day late, a dollar short”? I just found your blog today and yesterday I planted a flat of periwinkles and other plants. So I read in your post that you can water with the solution too. That might be easier that digging them up and tossing the s&s in the hole
ya think?
I love the idea of the sand box for gardening tools, I’ll be using that tip for sure.
Cute blog!
My granny had two green thumbs and 8 green fingers to go along, her backyard was amazing and her house plants looked like they came for the land of the giants. Of course I was small back then and you know how everything is bigger when your little, but there is no mistaking that she was gifted in the gardening dept.
Seriously, if I could pick my gifts/talents, that would be it. I’m working on it and helpful hints like yours help me get to my goal that much quicker!
Blessings,
Cindi
Cindi @ Rustique Art recently posted..kitchen cabs going dark
If you pour 1/2 can of lightweight oil over the sand then as you insert the implements they are both scrubbed clean and rustproofed.
I think I’ll try it . Iread that it also is a good bug repellant .have you seen it to be true?
I’ve heard this too. I always guessed that it would be because if you’re plants are healthy you won’t have pests, or so they say. I’d love to hear other’s thoughts on this
This is great information. I have a website for planting, harvesting and preserving. It’s is new, but I am not new to gardening. We just moved in and next year will be our big year for raised beds. Can’t wait.
Those tips are fantastic, please thank you your mother for me. Tomorrow I will try to water my plantes with the sugar ant salt.
I’ve heard of sugar for grass, I may try this mixture instead
Love this idea and can’t wait to share with my husband who LOVES gardening! Have a couple questions though? Is this safe for house plants and do you find that the sugar attracts ants?
Does using the salt and sugar on houseplants attract ants?
I wanted to be a gardener for so long. Got married at 30, three years later, in 1985 our son was born. It was 23 years later before we bought the home we have now and started our first vegetable garden. Now I’m addicted to home gardening.
I am going to have to give epsom salts a try this year and see how well it works for me.
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Great tips and a loud “good luck” to you. I hope your day is off to a great start. Blessings…Mary
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pesky birds, squirls eating from fruit trees an berriesor the garden ? hang a blank or old shinny cd. It spins an deflects the sun. Works great. I use fishing line which is light weight an dosent weigh down plant.
I get the Epson Salt but I dont get the sugar. Why the sugar what dose it do?
mix 1 tablespoon amonia + 1 gallon water mix water african violets , you get double the size !