Everyone knows this: Hardly have weeded weeds with great effort than they sprout again and overgrow beds and lawns. Magnesium sulfate and apple cider vinegar are two commonly mentioned home remedies that are said to be helpful in the fight against weeds. In this article, we examine whether this is indeed the case.

A soil test should be carried out before using magnesium sulfate

What is magnesium sulfate?

It is an odorless and colorless substance that is also known under the trivial name Epsom salt because of its characteristically bitter taste. It is commercially available as a fine powder or in crystalline form. As a fertilizer, magnesium sulfate provides only the nutrients magnesium (15 percent) and sulfur.

Is Epsom Salt and Apple Cider Vinegar Mixture Good for Weed Killers?

A mixture of vinegar and salt is often recommended as a weed killer. However, the salt mentioned in this context is table salt and not magnesium sulfate.

Vinegar kills off weeds because it penetrates and destroys the cell membranes of the plant. However, you need a relatively high concentration for this effect to occur reliably.

The disadvantage: Vinegar not only damages weeds, but also all surrounding plants and soil organisms. For this reason, you should refrain from using apple cider vinegar to kill weeds.

Epsom salt: Valuable lawn fertilizer

The necessary mowing permanently removes nutrients from the lawn. It is therefore important to regularly supply the green carpet with nutrients. In a densely grown green weeds such as dandelions or chickweed have almost no chance to spread.

If the magnesium levels in the soil are too low, the lawn suffers from a magnesium deficiency as a result. Typical of this are the leaf brightening known as chlorosis. The grass no longer looks lush green, but yellow. Over time, the dense surface gets holes in which weeds can settle.

Fertilize with Epsom salt

You can apply Epsom salt from April. You should carefully cut out all weeds in the lawn beforehand.

  • You can dissolve the Epsom salt directly in water. Add about 2 percent magnesium sulfate to the irrigation water.
  • Alternatively, sprinkle the crystals or powder and soak it in thoroughly.

tips

A soil sample is recommended before applying magnesium sulphate. Often there is not only a pure magnesium deficiency, but also other nutrients are missing. After a soil sample, you can then fertilize in a targeted manner.

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