How to Use Baking Soda in the Garden – 10 Ideas for Your Outdoor Space

Do you know how to use baking soda in the garden? Sodium bicarbonate is a mild lye made from the simplest elements that won’t do any harm to either the gardener or the green spaces. Therefore, this product can be used even during the period of active fruiting of vegetable and berry crops.

Maybe you use it quite often if you’re a keen at home baking or you as an eco-friendly cleaner. It is a versatile biodegradable substance that serves us well for various household chores. Although baking soda is made of one ingredient, it is a combination of carbon, sodium, hydrogen, and oxygen. The composition appears as a white powder, odorless, and with a bitter, slightly salty taste. Solid at room temperature, baking soda dissolves easily in water.

When it comes to using baking soda in the garden, it is invaluable in the fight against plant diseases and pests and not only! Look at these clever uses for baking soda in the garden!

What Do You Need to Know Before Using Baking Soda in the Garden?

Having in mind the alkaline properties of sodium bicarbonate, when preparing solutions, you should not use metal containers. In addition, the dishes in which the soda solution is prepared must be clean – without a coating of fertilizers or other products.

When preparing a soda solution for your garden, do not use hot water. In addition, the valuable properties of soda are lost 3 hours after the powder is dissolved in water, so the you need to use the solution immediately after preparation.

How to Use Baking Soda in the Garden As a Fungicide?

Baking soda in the garden is used primarily as a fungicide. Its abilities to fight parasitic fungi of plant species have been known for many years, and people quite often use it to fight powdery mildew or mildew. Mix 4 teaspoons of baking soda with a gallon (3,8 l) of water. Keep in mind that if too concentrated the mixture can burn the leaves of your plants.

Fighting Weeds with Baking Soda

Many people have beautiful garden paths and every year they face the same problem – weeds that cannot be removed and constantly appear through the gaps. You can easily get rid weeds with the help of baking soda. To do this, you need to dissolve 1 lb (0.5 kg) of powder in a bucket of water and pour it over the weeds. They will dry out in a few days.

Use Baking Soda as a Non-Toxic and Completely Biodegradable Herbicide

You can get rid of crabgrass (lat. Digitaria) by sprinkling it directly with baking soda, as long as you are careful not to damage the surrounding plants.

Soil Acidity/Alkalinity Indicator

To roughly determine the type of soil on the site, you can take a sample of soil from a depth of 6 inches ( 20-30 cm), add water to make it muddy and sprinkle it with sodium bicarbonate powder. If the soil is acidic, the soda will react with it – it will begin to hiss and foam, just like when interacting with table vinegar.

Balance the pH of Soil

While we are on the subject of soil pH, you should know that acidic soil can affect the flowering of your plants and help the development of weeds. Some flowering plants like begonias and geraniums like very alkaline soil and will die in acidic soil. How to balance the pH? Using baking soda, of course!

How to Use Baking Soda to Get Rid of Pests

Are caterpillars attacking your cabbages? Do you notice ant infestation? Well, it is good to know that a lot of parasites hate baking soda. Simply scatter baking soda in the garden, where necessary to get rid of ants and for caterpillars – mix equal parts of soda and flour and sprinkle evenly over the soil and on the plants.

Fight Slugs and Snails

If you have problems with prolific slugs in the garden, you can easily destroy the little critters by sprinkling them with a little baking soda.

Neutralize Bad Odors from Composters in the Garden

If you have a composter in the garden, you can reduce the smell by adding some baking soda in it. It perfectly absorbs a variety of unpleasant odors and you can use it to refresh your garbage bins as well.

Clean Garden Furniture with Baking Soda

You can clean plastic or wood garden furniture as well as planters with a mixture of half a cup of baking soda, a tablespoon of dish washing soap and a bucket of warm water. This is an easy way to prepare outdoor furniture for the new season, isn’t it!

Remove Lime Deposits from Terracotta Pots in a Natural Way

Calcium deposits that form over time on clay and terracotta pots can be easily removed by immersing them in a solution of warm water and baking soda. Leave them for a few hours and use a brush to remove any remaining spots.