15 Ways to Use Baking Soda in Your Garden
If you are familiar with green living, baking soda is a part of your life. It is a fantastic green cleaner, with dozens of uses around the house. You may not have realized that baking soda can be used in the garden too! It should be one of the top tools you utilize throughout the growing season. Here are some ways you can use baking soda in your garden.
1. Non-Toxic Fungicide
Eventually, you’ll need a fungicide, but the ones sold in the stores are full of nasty chemicals. Applying those chemicals to your vegetable plants mean your family might be ingesting them. Baking soda is a natural, non-toxic fungicide. Mix four teaspoons of baking soda in one gallon of water. This mixture is much cheaper and contains fewer chemicals than other fungicides.
2. Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is tough to battle, especially on squash and cucumber plants. It can ruin your entire crop. To create a spray to treat and prevent powdery mildew, mix one tablespoon baking soda, one tablespoon vegetable oil, and one tablespoon dishwashing liquid into one gallon of water. Spray your plants weekly when it is overcast!
3. Soil Booster
The quality of your soil is very important; it determines the ultimate success of your plants. If your plants prefer alkaline soil, baking soda is your best friend. All you need to do is mix one teaspoon of baking soda into a gallon of water. Use this mixture on your plants. It’ll keep your plants in the soil they prefer.
4. Homemade Soil pH Tester
Testing your soil is important, but who wants to purchase a soil tester? Not you! Instead, wet your soil and apply a handful of baking soda. If your soil begins to bubble, then you can be sure your soil has a pH level of 5 or under! That is simple and saves you money.
5. Discourage Weed Growth
No one enjoys battling weeds in their garden. Weeds suck vital nutrients from your plants, or they can make your landscape look like a jungle. Try pouring baking soda into the cracks in your sidewalk or patio. Apply baking soda in your garden to those pesky weeds. Doing so will kill off weeds and stop others from growing.
6. Sweeten Up Your Tomatoes
A creative way to use baking soda is to use it to sweeten up your tomatoes if you prefer sweet tomatoes. All you need to do is sprinkle baking soda on the soil around your plants. Make sure you aren’t sprinkling the baking soda on the actual plants. It works by lowering the acidity level of the soil, which will lower the acid in the actual tomato fruits. Learn how to grow High Yield Tomato Plants: 50-80 lbs per Plant
