I have used epsom salts on my entire garden and lawn in the past. I mixed a box of it with my regular fertilizer then spread it as usual. It has magnesium in it and really does help give the plants' leaves a nice dark green color. The plants were all very healthy. Try it - you'll like it! ;-) Or, at least your roses will like it.

Denise,

What size box of epsom salts for what size lawn and garden? What is your usual fertilizer? I wouldn't like to overdo the salts, nor put it on so thinly that the epsom salts wouldn't help, or use a fertilizer that was not compatible. Thank you for your help!

The mix that has worked amazing results for me comes courtesy of another very talented gardener,Jeanne, also in Texas, called her "alfalfa tea":
Take a 5 gallon bucket and put in either 4 cups or 1/3 full of Alfalfa Pellets..these can be bought at your local Feed Store sold as cattle food or rabbit fool..just ask for alfalfa pellets and they'll know what you need..then fill up with water..stir it daily..I put my bucket in the sun for faster fermintation..once you notice it starting to stink which is generally from 5-7 days then add 4 cups of Epsom Salts...stir well and apply..remember to always stir prior to using because the alfalfa "gunk" settles at the bottom..when it starts getting low..add more water,alfalfa and stir and start over..

This really does make a difference in encouraging new shoots on roses, I've seen it double the output on mine...you can use the alfalfa meal that some nurseries carry in their organics section if a feed store is not nearby.

terry

Terry,

This is a new one for me! I'll get some alfalfa pellets at our local Bean & Feed, and give it a try. Between the advice you and Denise have given me, Falls County may have to change its name to Rose County! Thanks for your help.

Unless you have a soil analysis indicating you need to add magnesium or sulfur, epsom salts is a waste of time and money with roses or with anything else.

In your case, cow or steer manure has all the magnesium and sulfur your plants might need, even if your Falls County soil didn't already contain enough. (And, BTW, epsom salts doesn't reduce the pH of the soil as some would have you believe.)

On the other hand, alfalfa tea (or just a dusting or sprinkle of dry alfalfa on the soil) will tickle the heck out of your roses. Alfalfa contains a growth hormone (tricontanol) and can work wonders in the garden.

Field,
We have a soil test in process, haven't gotten the results yet. It seems that the alfalfa thing may be the way to go. Our roses are doing quite well now, but we want them to continue to be happy. Thank you for the tip, and the explanation of why alfalfa works.

Gail Gardener,
Wow! What pictures and what a beautiful garden! And thank you for telling the "recipe" per rose. I think I'll try your method in the spring on half the roses, and do some alfalfa tea on the rest. Non-scientific experiment, but the roses will benefit.

Gail - Your rose garden is beautiful!

Marlingardener - Field is a rose expert and has some good advice.

I have used the epsom salts with good results in my lawn and garden. I mixed one box (I think it was sold in a milk carton type of container at the time, but now it is sold in the ziplock bag packaging.) of epsom salts with a 25 pound bag of fertilizer. Look at how nice Gail's garden looks in the post above.

Last year I bought a hybrid tea rose known as the Always and Forever. It produced 3 beautiful blooms on it. So I wasn't too sure if it would survive the winter even though I covered it with burlap. If anything it survived and when I read about the Epsom salts I sprinkled some around in a circle around it. I then let the rain soak it into the soil. When I finally got around to cutting one to display in my apartment. I swear that not only it but the other 2 I got on the plant are bigger than the 3 it had last year!!!! They said it is used for Valentine's Day and I can see why. Now if I was to buy this type of rose from a florist I bet it would cost a pretty penny if it was this size. In fact the rose was so big I don't think it would fit in my rose bowl!!!

That is one gorgeous rose!

The joke used to be "One handful of epsom salts for the rose bush and another in the bath tub for the rose gardener to soak in." Works for me! ... :-)

Get your soil tested and see if there is magnesium deficiency. If there isn't (and such deficiencies are rare) epsom salt won't do nuts. Lots of people tend to regard the stuff as some magic sauce for plants. It isn't. In fact, an OD of magnesium can cause other problems, as magnesium can interfere with uptake of other nutrients.