Ordinary baking soda is not only suitable for household use. It also works very well in the garden. Here it can help you in many ways, from killing pests and weeds to improving the condition of your plants . It does not harm humans, plants or any beneficial insects, including bees. However, its use has its own rules, which are definitely worth following.
Soda spray against pests
It’s a very simple use of baking soda in the garden, but you can safely treat the leaves of your houseplants with the baking soda solution. Spraying should be repeated several times at intervals of 3 to 4 days. And how to prepare it? Mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 liter of warm water. Then add another 1/2 teaspoon of oil to the mixture and mix and shake well again. Are you looking for a more effective recipe? Then mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 2 liters of warm water.
Add a few drops of detergent (preferably natural) or 2 ml of laundry soap to the resulting solution. Mix and shake everything well and apply on the leaves until they become infected. No more pests will have a chance. It is best to spray plants in the late afternoon , because it is at this time that solar radiation decreases sharply, the air temperature drops and the wind, which appears so frequently during the summer, often stops. Therefore, the spray will be able to act on the leaves undisturbed until the morning.
Baking soda against plant diseases
A baking soda solution will also help you in the fight against fungal plant diseases. This is, for example, powdery mildew, mold or brown spots on the leaves. And how to mix a natural soda remedy? Use half a teaspoon of baking soda. Mix this in 1 liter of warm water and add 5 ml of liquid detergent. Mix, shake and apply to affected plants every other day for two weeks.
Baking soda and herbicide
Baking soda is also excellent as a herbicide in hard-to-reach places, such as tile gaps or sidewalk joints. Simply cover the weeds that grow here with baking soda. It significantly limits their further growth and can even eliminate them completely with repeated application . Baking soda doesn’t work as quickly as chemicals, but it’s definitely gentler on your garden, so it can be used more than once if needed.
Baking soda against ants
Ants usually play a very useful role in the garden, but they do not always settle in a place that suits us. So if you want to chase them out of a place, simply spray their anthills with baking soda every day. You’ll see them move in soon. And how do you make sure they don’t settle where you don’t want them? Simply plant flowers and herbs around the beds to repel them. And which ones to achieve?
Ants do not smell anything, for example:
- Marjoram,
- parsley,
- lavender,
- sagebrush,
- dill,
- chervil,
- mint,
- basil,
- onion,
- garlic
- and corduroy.
Wash the leaves with baking soda
The leaf surfaces of all houseplants should be washed regularly so they can absorb the sunlight and nutrients they need to live their best. Use a weak solution of water and baking soda (1 teaspoon per liter of water). It cleans all the leaves thoroughly and gives them shine, and as a bonus it also disinfects the surface and kills all the invisible bacteria and pests on them.
Natural fertilizer for tomatoes.
The edible tomato, also eggplant ( Solanum lycopersicum, syn. Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. ) is popular mainly for the sweet taste of its fruits, and baking soda can solve this. It is enough to sprinkle the top layer of soil on the flower bed. After that, the tomatoes must be watered very abundantly so that it dissolves perfectly and fertilizes them. You will see that you have never eaten such good tomatoes before.
Baking soda will extend the life of cut flowers
And another imaginative use of baking soda in the garden: it can prolong the life of cut flowers. Your favorite bouquet from the garden will last much longer in your vase. And how to apply it? Take about half a teaspoon of baking soda, pour it into a vase of water and mix well . Soda in water slows down the wilting of flowers and therefore prolongs their overall lifespan. However, baking soda is not the only agent that can extend the life of flowers in a vase.
You can also use apple cider vinegar and sugar, for example. Sugar is a natural food for all plants, and vinegar effectively prevents the multiplication of bacteria. And you can also bet on aspirin. And in what quantity? Half a tablet is enough for a medium-sized vase. We recommend crushing it well, this way it dissolves better. And how does aspirin benefit plants? It suppresses the growth of bacteria in the water and changes its pH to a more acidic one, which most cut flowers clearly indicate.
How do you use baking soda outside the home?