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

7. Get Rid of Gnats in Soil

Gnats can overrun your soil, especially if you experience a prolonged season of wetness. In one gallon of water, mix four teaspoons of baking soda and one teaspoon biodegradable soap. Spray the soil or plants that are affected by the gnats.

8. Cabbage Worms

Cabbage worms can destroy an entire crop of cabbage, kale, broccoli, and cauliflower like it was a buffet! An infestation can be quite frustrating. To help eradicate the cabbage worms, mix equal parts flour and baking soda. Then, dust all of your affected plants and repeat as necessary. These worms particularly enjoy leaves!

9. Clean Off Your Hands

After a long day in the garden, your hands are going to need to be cleaned. If you rub and scrub your hands with wet baking soda, all of the dirt will disappear. Make sure to rinse your hands off well!

10. Keep Fresh Cut Flowers Longer

Fresh cut flowers tend to die quickly. To keep them fresher for longer, try this simple trick. Use two quarts of water and a tablespoon of baking soda into the water. The mixture should be changed every few days for optimal results.

11. Kill Crabgrass

Crabgrass is frustrating! If you want to get rid of it, try pouring a heavy amount on the weeds. You should notice a difference within two to three days. Make sure that you don’t get too much on your actual grass because it can kill your grass just as easily!

12. Kill Slugs

Are slugs eating and destroying all of your plants? If so, you just need a bit of baking soda to kill off garden wreckers! Take some baking soda and spread over the area where the pests are destroying your plants. Before you know it, all of the slugs will be gone! However, make sure you clean it off your plants.

13. Get Rid of Compost Smell

Compost can be stinky, which is a sign that something is wrong. If you have a stinky compost, all you need is a bit of baking soda! Add it to your compost pile and wait. The smell will disappear before you know it. Baking soda works by reducing the acid buildup.

14. Battle Ants

Ants can overtake your garden quickly. If you want to take the battle to the ants, mix powdered sugar and baking soda in equal amounts. Add a bit to the area where you notice the ants. The powdered sugar attracts the ants, and the baking soda will kill them as they munch!

15. Clean Plant Leaves

Some people prefer to keep houseplants inside, but those leaves can get dirty. Leaves need adequate sunlight to survive and thrive. Keep these leaves clean by wiping them with a soft cloth and diluted baking soda and water. It is a gentle, yet effective, cleaner.

Baking soda is an effective and budget-friendly tool for your garden. However, you need more in your basket than just baking soda. Using it too often will decrease its efficacy over time. You’ll find that you have to use more of the baking soda to get the effect you desire.

However, you absolutely should kill baking soda in your mixture of tools to battle back pests, weeds, and diseases. Instead of turning to chemicals, baking soda is natural, non-toxic choice that you will love!