I have no idea of the 'proper' ammounts, but I brew my alfalfa tea in a 32 Gal rubbermade garbage can.

my tea recipe includes:
12 cups of alfalfa pellets
1/2 cup of epsom salt (every other brew, only)
1/2 cup of blackstrap mollasses (sugar to feed the bacteria microherd)
1 can of beer (to feed the fungal microherd)
1/2 cup of seaweed (to add trace elements)
1 clothespin (for your nose!)

Like I said, I have no idea if any of these amounts are 'correct', but then again, I'm not sure my roses know either. :>)

Are you sure you NEED epsom salts?

If you don't really need it, it could do more harm than good.

Jeri

Epsom salts is magnesium right? it certainly perked them up when I used it last year.But no, I haven't done a soil test.

You really should, if you're going to use things like that.

To have not enough of some of those elements is bad. But to have TOO MUCH can be worse.

Years ago, we were told to add epsom salts -- it is actually magnesium sulfate. We did so.
Later, we learned that in our specific situation, they were not desirable, as our soil already had more magnesium than it needed. We DO use soil sulfur.

Jeri

Here is a link that might be useful: A good article on epsom salts

I never start with a recipe of stuff. Too hard to evaluate results. Go with the alfalfa pellets, they may do everything you need!

Epsom salts is magnesium sulfate MgSO4. Both of the elements magnesium and sulfur are essential for plant growth and yes numerous studies have shown that magnesium sulfate can benefit roses. The best way to know if it will help is to do a soil analysis to see if adding epsom salts will help but the general rule is that if you add a little bit it wont hurt and it may help.

Years ago sometime rosarian and general know-it-all Martha Stewart recommended that you add a full cup of epsom salts when ypu plant a rose. This she said was her secret. Of course a cup is far too much and you don't generally need epsom salts in New England and everyone knows about epsom salts anyway.