Gardening is one of the best physical activities you can do, as it comes with countless physical and mental health benefits. Plus, the fresh, homegrown produce is much higher quality than what we buy at a grocery store, and the taste is simply incomparable.
However, did you know that baking soda can be your magic wand in the garden?
This versatile agent is your best friend when it comes to the whole house, as it is an incredible kitchen ingredient and a great cleaning and beauty care product.
Baking soda, instead of synthetic chemicals, is a safer and more economical way to care for your garden:
1. Insect repellent
- To keep critters away, mix one tablespoon of olive oil, two tablespoons of baking soda, and a couple drops of liquid soap with a gallon of water. Spray it in the garden every three days. Gently spray this mixture in the garden every three days to keep insects away.
- Mix flour and baking soda in equal amounts and sprinkle any produce that grows with cabbage worms, and it will destroy them.
- Mix 5 tablespoons of baking soda with the same amount of powdered sugar and a tablespoon of water, and pour the mixture into anthills. Add a little vinegar and you will reduce the ant population around the garden.
2. Fungus, mold and weeds
- To get rid of fungus in the garden, mix 4 teaspoons of baking soda with a gallon of water and apply the mixture to problem areas.
- To protect fruits and vegetables from mold, spray them with a mixture of one tablespoon of baking soda, 2.5 tablespoons of horticultural oil, and one gallon of water.
- To get rid of weeds, especially crabgrass that grow between the cracks in walkways, moisten the area and add a thick layer of baking soda into the cracks to create a paste.
3. Compost and soil
- To test the pH of the soil, you will need half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of vinegar. Next, obtain two soil samples and place them in separate containers. Pour vinegar into one of the samples, and if it bubbles, its pH is above seven or alkaline. If not, add baking soda with half a cup of water to the other sample, and if it bubbles now, it is acidic.
- To decrease the strong smell of compost, sprinkle just a little baking soda on top of the pile.
4. Taste and appearance of plants
- Tomatoes are sweeter when grown in less acidic soil, so sprinkle a little baking soda on the soil around them.
- To encourage begonias, hydrangeas, and geraniums to bloom, water them monthly with a unique tonic made with two quarts of water and one tablespoon of baking soda.
- To make your lilies, irises, geraniums and daisies grow healthier and brighter, before watering them, add a little baking soda to the water.
5. Cleaning
- Use baking soda to clean your garden decorations. Wash them with a liter of warm water and two tablespoons of baking soda. Dip a brush into the mixture and scrub the stains.
- Baking soda is also great for cleaning garden paths. When they get overgrown with weeds and get dirty, wash them with the same mixture and they will be beautiful again.
- Clean and deodorize garden tools with baking soda.