Baking soda is one of those household supplies that has a million uses. It can be used around the home for various purposes ranging from cleaning to cooking to odor removal. You’ll be glad to know that it has several uses outside the home as well.
If you like to garden, baking soda could be your new best friend! Here are some ways it can help.
1. Find Out Soil pH
Preparing your soil and checking it regularly is an important part of keeping your plants healthy. The right pH is a great way to start. Since baking soda is alkaline it can act as a makeshift indicator. Here’s how:
- Take a sample of soil and make it slightly muddy.
- Pour some baking soda into it.
- If the mixture starts to bubble, your soil is acidic.
- Alternatively, if you pour vinegar into your soil and it starts to bubble, the soil is more alkaline.
2. Suppress Odor From Compost
Sprinkle some baking soda over your compost pit to suppress any unpleasant odors. The process of decomposition produces acids which cause the odor. The baking soda neutralizes the acids and removes any unpleasant smells.
3. Fixes Acidic Soil
If your soil is too acidic, it can prevent the healthy growth of certain garden plants. If you need your soil to be less acidic and more on the alkaline side, baking soda provides a quick solution.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with two liters of water.
- Spray this solution over your soil.
4. Prevents Mildew
Mildew is a form of fungus that develops as a whitish film on top of your plants. It can weaken your plant and prevent effective photosynthesis by covering the surface of the leaf. To prevent mildew, use the following home remedy. A little bit of liquid soap helps the solution to cling to the surface of the leaves. This same formula prevents the occurrence and spread of another fungus called blackspot.1
- Take one gallon of water.
- Mix in one tablespoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of liquid soap.
- Spray this over the plants as a preventative measure.
5. Acts As Pesticide
Baking soda can help prevent insects from harming your plant. Here’s how to use it:
- Mix together baking soda and a 1/3rd of a cup of cold pressed cooking oil.
- Use two teaspoons of this mixture to one cup of water.
- Add the water to your sprayer.
6. Kills Cabbage Worms And Slugs
Two of the most annoying pests to gardeners can be easily got rid off by using baking soda.
To Get Rid Of Cabbage Worms
- Mix together equal parts flour and baking soda.
- Dust this mixture onto affected plants like cabbage, broccoli, and kale.
- In 1–2 days the worms die after eating the leaves.
To Get Rid Of Slugs And Snails
- Sprinkle baking soda directly on top of the slugs.
- For snails, sprinkle the baking soda on the soft parts.
- If those are not exposed, sprinkle it into the shell of the snail.
- The baking soda works like salt and dries them out.
- Drop the dead slugs and snails into your compost pit.
7. Help Flowering Plants Flourish
Certain varieties of flowers such as daisies, hydrangeas, and geraniums thrive in alkaline soil. See them bloom beautifully by helping them along with baking soda.
- Dissolve a small amount of baking soda in the water used to irrigate them
- To keep cut flowers fresh for longer, mix a little bit of baking soda into the water in the vase.
8. Grows Sweet Tomatoes
Sprinkling a little bit of baking soda at the roots of your tomato plants makes the soil less acidic. As a result, you end up with sweeter, less tart tomatoes.
9. Kills Crabgrass
This annoying weed can have tough roots that are hard to pull out completely. Kill them by pouring baking soda on top, straight from the box. The weed should die within a few days.
10. Prevents Weeds In Cement Cracks
Sprinkle baking soda in the cracks in the patio or sidewalk to prevent weeds shooting up through them. This prevents overgrowth and keeps your garden looking neat.
11. Cleans Hands
Finally, if you garden, you know just how much dirt collects on your hands and underneath your fingernails. Simply scrub your wet hands together with some baking soda to remove any dirt and mud
Cautionary Note
- Always do a patch test with any solution of baking soda on any part of your garden
- Try to avoid spraying directly on flower stalks or buds
- Make sure your solutions are in the right proportion. A strong solution can end up “burning” your plants.
Now that you know how amazing baking soda can be in the garden, ditch the expensive and harmful chemicals for a safer, more natural alternative.
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