ORGANIC FARMING COURSE AGRO-ECONOMY
7 1 FERTILIZER – 7.18 - EPSOM SALT – FOR TOMATOES + PEPPERS SWEATER TAST
Have you ever tried Epsom Salt
in your Garden? You can use it as a soil amendment before seeding to give your
garden a powerful boost from the start. Magnesium aids in seed germination and
helps to strengthen cell walls, leading to more and stronger seedlings. For
best results, use 1 cup of salt per 100 square feet of tilled soil or mix 1 – 2
tablespoons into the soil at the bottom of each hole before dropping in seeds
Tomatoes should be fed Epsom
salt twice as often as other plants. Also, because tomato vines are prone to
calcium-deficiency (blossom end rot), most tomato fertilizers contain calcium
which will compete with magnesium for root absorption. Therefore, foliar
feeding is the more efficient method for delivering magnesium to these plants.
Water tomato vines with dissolved Epsom salt – 2 tablespoons per gallon of
water, every 2 weeks.
Peppers are another popular
garden plant with a higher-than average fruit to plant size ratio. Because of
this, they should also be fed magnesium every two weeks to achieve higher
yields of larger fruits. For hot peppers, over-watering can lead to fruit with
less heat, thus the soil amendment method may be preferable in this case.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt for every foot of height around the drip
line of your pepper plants once per week.
Plants that aren’t getting
enough magnesium can be identified by their yellowing leaves. This is because
magnesium is an essential component in the production of chlorophyll. Sprinkle
Epsom salt around your plants to achieve healthier foliage. About 1 tablespoon
per 12 inches of height once a month will benefit the plants in your vegetable
garden, as well as any trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses you want to green up.
Leaf curling may also be
caused by magnesium-deficiency in plants. Again, add Epsom salt to the soil
around the base of the sick plant. Alternately, for faster absorption you can
mix 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt in a gallon of water and apply directly to the
leaves.
Have you ever wondered why
your neighbours’ rose bushes are fuller than yours and sport so many more
blossoms? It is highly likely that the answer is Epsom salt. Not only does it
help roses to produce larger blossoms in greater numbers, but it also aids in
the growth of new canes from the base of the plant. And of course, Epsom salt
increases chlorophyll production meaning darker leaves.
For maximum benefit, roses
should at the least be fed with Epsom salt at time of planting, then again at
the first sign of new growth, and once more when the flowers are in full bloom.
Bare root roses may also be soaked in water containing dissolved Epsom salt
before planting.
You really can't use too much
Epsom salt in your garden. Magnesium sulphate is pH neutral, so it won’t harm
your soil. The crystals break down into water, magnesium, and sulphur – three
components which are beneficial in some way to most plants. Epsom salt is safe,
easy to apply, and works fast to correct a variety of problems and increase the
overall health of your garden. As if that weren’t enough, Epsom salt is also
inexpensive making it one of the most perfect tools for the health-conscious,
responsible gardener.
KOZI YA KILIMO HAI KILIMO-UCHUMI
7 1 MBOLEA –
7.18 - CHUMVI YA EPSOM – KWA NYANYA + PILIPILI UTAMU WA SWATER
Je, umewahi kujaribu Epsom Salt kwenye Bustani yako?
Unaweza kuitumia kama marekebisho ya udongo kabla ya kupanda ili kuipa bustani
yako uimara wa nguvu tangu mwanzo. Magnésiamu husaidia katika kuota kwa mbegu
na husaidia kuimarisha kuta za seli, na kusababisha miche zaidi na yenye nguvu.
Kwa matokeo bora, tumia kikombe 1 cha chumvi kwa kila futi 100 za mraba za
udongo uliolimwa au changanya vijiko 1 - 2 kwenye udongo chini ya kila shimo
kabla ya kudondosha mbegu.
Nyanya zinapaswa kulishwa chumvi ya Epsom mara mbili
zaidi kuliko mimea mingine. Pia, kwa sababu mizabibu ya nyanya inakabiliwa na
upungufu wa kalsiamu (kuoza mwisho wa maua), mbolea nyingi za nyanya zina
kalsiamu ambayo itashindana na magnesiamu kwa kunyonya mizizi. Kwa hivyo,
kulisha majani ndio njia bora zaidi ya kusambaza magnesiamu kwa mimea hii. Maji
ya mizabibu ya nyanya na chumvi ya Epsom iliyoyeyushwa - vijiko 2 kwa lita moja
ya maji, kila wiki 2.
Pilipili ni mmea mwingine maarufu wa bustani wenye
uwiano wa juu kuliko wastani wa matunda kwa saizi ya mmea. Kwa sababu hii,
wanapaswa pia kulishwa magnesiamu kila baada ya wiki mbili ili kufikia mavuno
ya juu ya matunda makubwa. Kwa pilipili hoho, kumwagilia kupita kiasi kunaweza
kusababisha matunda yenye joto kidogo, kwa hivyo njia ya kurekebisha udongo
inaweza kuwa bora katika kesi hii. Nyunyiza kijiko 1 kikubwa cha chumvi ya
Epsom kwa kila futi ya urefu karibu na njia ya matone ya mimea yako ya pilipili
mara moja kwa wiki.
Mimea ambayo haipati magnesiamu ya kutosha inaweza
kutambuliwa na majani yao ya njano. Hii ni kwa sababu magnesiamu ni sehemu
muhimu katika utengenezaji wa klorofili. Nyunyiza chumvi ya Epsom kuzunguka
mimea yako ili kupata majani yenye afya. Takriban kijiko 1 cha chakula kwa kila
inchi 12 za urefu mara moja kwa mwezi kitafaidi mimea kwenye bustani yako ya
mboga, pamoja na miti, vichaka, maua na nyasi zozote unazotaka kuweka kijani
kibichi.
Kukunja kwa majani kunaweza pia kusababishwa na
upungufu wa magnesiamu katika mimea. Tena, ongeza chumvi ya Epsom kwenye udongo
karibu na msingi wa mmea mgonjwa. Vinginevyo, kwa kunyonya haraka unaweza
kuchanganya vijiko 2 vya chumvi ya Epsom kwenye galoni ya maji na kuomba moja
kwa moja kwenye majani.
Umewahi kujiuliza kwa nini vichaka vya waridi vya
majirani zako vimejaa zaidi kuliko yako na huchanua maua mengi zaidi? Kuna
uwezekano mkubwa kuwa jibu ni chumvi ya Epsom. Haisaidii tu waridi kutoa maua
makubwa zaidi kwa idadi kubwa, lakini pia inasaidia katika ukuaji wa miwa mpya
kutoka chini ya mmea. Na bila shaka, chumvi ya Epsom huongeza uzalishaji wa
klorofili ikimaanisha majani meusi zaidi.
Kwa manufaa ya juu, roses inapaswa kulishwa na
chumvi ya Epsom wakati wa kupanda, kisha tena kwa ishara ya kwanza ya ukuaji
mpya, na mara nyingine tena wakati maua yanachanua. Mawaridi ya mizizi tupu
yanaweza pia kulowekwa kwenye maji yaliyo na chumvi ya Epsom iliyoyeyushwa
kabla ya kupanda.
Kwa kweli huwezi kutumia chumvi nyingi ya Epsom
kwenye bustani yako. Sulphate ya magnesiamu haina pH neutral, kwa hivyo
haitadhuru udongo wako. Fuwele huvunjika na kuwa maji, magnesiamu, na salfa -
vipengele vitatu ambavyo vina manufaa kwa namna fulani kwa mimea mingi. Chumvi
ya Epsom ni salama, ni rahisi kutumia, na hufanya kazi haraka kurekebisha
matatizo mbalimbali na kuongeza afya kwa ujumla ya bustani yako. Kana kwamba
hiyo haitoshi, chumvi ya Epsom pia ni ya bei nafuu na kuifanya kuwa mojawapo ya
zana bora zaidi kwa mtunza bustani anayejali afya, anayewajibika.
