Is Epsom Salt Good for Peace Lily?

You can use Epsom salt diluted in a gallon of water to improve the peace lily plant. Magnesium and sulfur residing in Epsom salt improve a plant’s nutritional intake and make its foliage green.

Adding magnesium sulphate to peace lily can help eliminate yellow and curly leaves. 

Chemically, Epsom salt is known as magnesium sulphate, one of the best organic fertilizers to enrich your plant.

Prominent for its green foliage and white blossoms, the peace lily is grown to purify the air and add aesthetic appeal to your indoors.

Like human peace lily plants need food & medicine. While water and fertilizers are food, Epsom salt is medicine for peace lily.

Unlike edible plants, peace lily doesn’t need to be fertilized extensively. Conduct a soil test before adding magnesium sulphate to the growing medium.

Yellowing of leaf veins, curling and early leaf fall are signs of magnesium deficiency.

Adding Epsom salt will improve the photosynthetic ability of the peace lily and eventually contribute to the healthy growth of the plant.

Is Epsom Salt Good for Peace Lily – Benefits

Epsom salt can indeed be beneficial for Peace Lilies when used sensibly.

This natural ingredient can provide nutrients like sulfur and magnesium to your soil, encouraging green foliage, healthy growth, and better nutrient uptake.

Apart from this, Epsom salt can encourage abundant flowering, enhancing the visual appeal of your Peace Lily.

But, excess use of Epsom salt can result in nutritional imbalance and root damage.

To avoid such a situation, you should follow recommended dosages and consider alternative care practices alongside Epsom salt application to maintain your Peace Lily’s overall well-being.

1. Magnesium Makes Foliage Greener

Magnesium found in Epsom salt is known to increase chlorophyll production and encourage green foliage.

This study states that a deficiency of Mg can result in poor or yellowing of leaves.

Magnesium is the central core of chlorophyll molecules, and adding it activates a specific enzyme that contributes to green leaves.

Mix one tablespoon of Epsom salt in a gallon of water and spray it with peace lily leaves.

2. Epsom Salt Eliminates Yellow Leaves

This report states that due to deficiency in magnesium and sulfur, plants undergo stress and won’t be able to utilize nutrients available in the potting soil.

This is why a deficiency in these nutrients can result in yellowing and early fall of peace lily leaves.

Add diluted Epsom salt solution once a month to make peace lily plant look vibrant.

3. Avoids Peace Lily Leaf Curling

Magnesium deficiency can result in interveinal chlorosis in plants. This means leaf veins stay green, but other leaf regions turn yellow.

It first affects lower peace lily leaves, and sulfur deficiency makes the leaves curl upwards.

Adding Epsom salt can help to eliminate these deficiencies, and you’ll be able to revive your plant.

4. Improves Nutritional Intake of Peace Lily

High magnesium and sulfur levels in Epsom salt contribute to photosynthesis and improve plant’s ability to absorb macronutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus from the growing medium.

Thus, adding Epsom salt will indirectly contribute to the healthy growth of the peace lily plant.

5. Encourage Blooming

Applying Epsom salt is known to encourage blooming in peace lily plants.

Add two tablespoons of Epsom salt to a gallon of water and spray it once a month. It eventually promotes healthy growth and encourages plants to produce blossoms.

6. Epsom Salt can help to get rid of snails and pests

Epsom salt can effectively deter snails and pests from your peace lily plant.

Sprinkling Epsom salt around your plants can act as a natural pest repellent. Snails and certain pests find it uncomfortable to crawl over the sharp and abrasive texture of the salt crystals.

But remember that this method may not work for all pests, and it’s essential to reapply the Epsom salt after rain to maintain its effectiveness.

Also, excess use of Epsom salt can result in over-fertilization of peace lilies.

How to Use Epsom Salt for Peace Lily?

Epsom salt is a compound of sulfur, oxygen and magnesium. This naturally occurring mineral is known to benefit plants by making them bushier.

Note: Use Epsom salt on peace lily after confirming that the soil is deficient in magnesium and sulfur.

Most potting soil mixes are rich in magnesium, and peace lily plants won’t need much of this nutrient.

However, if you notice the lower leaves turning yellow and the peace lily foliage losing its colour, add Epsom salt to the lily.

Epsom Salt Council recommends mixing two tablespoons of Epsom salt into a gallon of water monthly for houseplants.

If you’re watering your plant frequently, add 1 tbsp of magnesium sulphate to a gallon of water.

You can use it as a spray of leaves or water at the base of a peace lily plant.

Pros and Cons of Using Epsom Salt for Peace Lily Plant

Using Epsom salt for Peace Lily has several benefits, as listed above.

• It provides magnesium, which keeps your peace lily plant’s leaves vibrant and green, making it look beautiful.
• Magnesium housed in Epsom salt improves Peace Lily’s ability to absorb essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron, promoting overall plant health.
• This naturally occurring product encourages photosynthesis and contributes to the blooming of peace lilies.
• If your plant’s leaves turn yellow due to magnesium deficiency, Epsom salt can quickly restore health.

Cons

Adding Epsom salt to sufficient soil can impact a plant’s ability to absorb calcium intake.

Let me clarify: Epsom salt is a partial pack of nutrients your plant needs. It can only benefit plant soil with a deficiency in magnesium and sulfur.

But it would help to consider other essential plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Incorrect or over-application can result in salt build-up and stunted plant growth.

How Often do you use Epsom Salt on Peace Lilies?

Once in a month.

Conduct soil tests to identify the nutritional needs of the peace lily plant.

Most plants, including peace lily, need essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to thrive.

Most plant soil is often rich in magnesium, so you don’t have to add it frequently.

If you notice a deficiency of magnesium or sulfur, then mix one tablespoon of Epsom salt with a gallon of water and spray it on the peace lily plant.

Use this solution once a month.

Alternatives to Epsom Salt 

By now, you must have understood that Epsom salt is used to eliminate magnesium deficiency.

To avoid Epsom salt, you can use kelp meal, manure or compost to fix magnesium deficiency.

Apart from this, NPK-rich fertilizer also contains magnesium as a secondary nutrient.

Below mentioned are alternatives to Epsom salt.

• Add fresh manure to the compost pile to enrich the peace lily after decomposition.
• Fish emulsion
• Kelp meal
• Organic mulch like dry leaves, wood chips and compost add essential nutrients to the soil.
• Liquid seaweed extract is derived from seaweed and contains micronutrients, vitamins, and growth hormones that benefit plant health.

What is the Best Fertilizer for Peace Lily?

Peace lily plants need balanced fertilizer to thrive.

As indoor plants don’t receive significant sunlight compared to plants in the backyard, they don’t need to be extensively fertilized.

You can make your homemade fertilizer to enrich the peace lily plant.

Peace Lily Care Guide

To have a successful, peace lily plant, you should take care of the following things:

• Peace lily needs indirect sunlight, so choose a location in your room that gets bright and indirect light exposure.
• Water peace lily plant when you notice the top soil surface is dry. Avoid overwatering the peace lily plant; it eventually results in root rot.
• You should maintain adequate humidity to have a healthy, peace lily plant. Mist peace lily leaves with water to increase humidity levels.
• A potting soil mix of peace lily should be well-drained and nutrient-rich.
• Fertilize peace lily with well-balanced liquid fertilizer once a month.
• Removing yellow leaves encourages plants to produce new leaves. Prune the peace lily plant to keep it looking healthy.
• Maintain an ideal temperature between 65 to 85F.
• Avoid watering or fertilizing peace lily in winter, as the plant undergoes dormancy in colder seasons.

Conclusion

Epsom salt is prominent in making plants bushier and improving the nutritional intake of the plant.

You can use Epsom salt to peace lily plant, but experts recommend conducting soil tests first.

Adding this natural ingredient to magnesium-rich soil can inhibit calcium intake and result in over-fertilization of peace lily.

Mix one tablespoon of Epsom salt with a gallon of water and spray it on the peace lily plant.

Use Epsom salt solution only when you notice magnesium deficiency in peace lily.