Sasha CampbellDo you sometimes use baking soda to deodorize your fridge or eliminate a bad smell in your room? Did you know that baking soda can also be used in gardening?
It has many great uses in the garden; today, we will discuss a few of them. It can help you get rid of certain pests, keep the compost smell at bay, and do many other things.
How to Use Baking Soda in Your Garden
Below, we will highlight the benefits of using baking soda for gardening.
1. Weed Killer
You can use baking soda and vinegar to create a weed killer.
To make this weed killer, mix 1 cup of baking soda with two tablespoons of white vinegar and a gallon of water. Pour this mixture over the weeds, making sure to cover the leaves.
You can also sprinkle raw baking soda on weeds between pavers.
2. Test Soil pH
Baking soda can also be used in a DIY test to determine soil pH.
All you need to do is add some soil to half a cup of water and half a cup of baking soda.
If it fizzes, the soil is acidic, with a pH lower than 7. If there’s no reaction, the soil is likely neutral.
To test the soil for alkalinity, use vinegar.
3. Clean Garden Furniture
Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with 1 gallon of warm water and 1 tablespoon of liquid soap to scrub your outdoor furniture.
Dip a sponge into the solution and gently scrub the item. Finally, rinse it off with clean water.
4. Keep Down Compost Smell
One downside to home composting is that the piles can get smelly. Baking soda can help reduce the compost’s smell.
Just sprinkle some over your compost bin or pile, then mix it with a shovel.
5. Help with Soil Acidity
Adding baking soda to your garden soil will buffer its acidity, making it more hospitable for those plants that aren’t big fans of acidic soil.
In other words, plants that benefit from baking soda grow well in alkaline soil.
You need only one tablespoon per gallon of water. Mix it up and pour it around the plant’s base.
6. Clean Birdbath
Birdbaths can easily accumulate dirt, grime, and mold, but they can be cleaned with baking soda and water.
Sprinkle some baking soda in it and scrub away. This remedy will help break down grime and clean away mold.
Once you’ve scrubbed the birdbath clean, rinse it with fresh water and fill it with clean water for the birds.
7. Encourage Plant Bloom
Baking soda can also be the answer if you’re looking for more blooms. However, this only works in gardens with plants that do well in alkaline soil.
Dissolve 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a gallon of water, then use it to water your plants.
Baking soda helps reduce soil acidity, allowing plants to absorb more nutrients.
8. Sweeter Tomatoes
When baking soda is sprinkled on the soil around tomato plants, it lowers the acidity, making the tomatoes sweeter.
Sprinkle baking soda around your tomato plant seedlings and water them well. Repeat this process when the plants have grown halfway.
9. Get Rid of Ant Hills
One easy way to get rid of an anthill is to mix baking soda with vinegar and pour the mixture onto the mound. This remedy works well as a homemade outdoor ant killer.
10. Eliminate Gnats
You can also use baking soda to get rid of gnats. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of liquid soap in 1 cup of water.
Spray the mixture directly onto the gnats. The solution will kill them.
11. Kill Cabbage Worms
Baking soda is also an excellent home remedy for cabbage worms.
Combine equal parts baking soda and flour, and dust your plants with the combo. This remedy will kill the caterpillars.
12. Kill Silverfish
Mix baking soda with honey in a cup of water, which will act as a pesticide and kill any silverfish.
Add enough of the ingredients to form a paste. Use this in areas where silverfish are common.
13. Get Rid of Slugs
If you’ve ever had to deal with pesky slugs in your garden, you might need baking soda.
Putting it directly on slugs will kill them, but sprinkling it around their favorite spots will kill those crawling through it.
Be sure to sprinkle it on top of the soil and not mix it in.
14. Get Rid of Roaches
You can also use baking soda to get rid of roaches. Mix equal parts of baking soda and sugar, and place the mixture in areas where you’ve seen them.
The sugar will lure the cockroaches in, while the baking soda will take care of them when they consume it.
15. Treat Sunburn
Baking soda neutralizes the skin and helps restore its natural pH balance [1]. To use it, mix baking soda with water, then gently rub it onto your skin.
Add ½ cup of baking soda to your bathwater for a soothing soak. If your sunburn is inflamed, you can make a baking soda paste and apply it directly to the affected areas.
Of course, apply sunscreen when you go out in the sun to avoid getting burned! Baking soda should be used only as a treatment, not as a preventive measure.
16. Prevent Mildew
Adding baking soda spray to your garden plants can help prevent mildew and other fungal diseases.
Just mix a few teaspoons of baking soda with water, then spray it onto your plants’ leaves.
It’s also helpful in attacking existing fungal infections. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of liquid soap, and 1 gallon of water in a spray bottle.
Apply this DIY fungicide directly to the affected plants.
17. Keep Cut Flowers Fresh
Keeping cut flowers looking their best is a breeze when you add baking soda to the water they’re kept in. The secret is that baking soda is alkaline and helps neutralize and balance the water’s pH [2].
Having your water at a neutral pH will help keep your blossoms looking vibrant and fresh for longer!
Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 quart of water to enhance the appearance of fresh-cut flowers.
18. Clean Clay Pots
Baking soda can also help clean clay pots. To achieve this, make a paste with baking soda and water.
Gently scrub the mixture into your clay pots, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, and rinse them with clean water. This method will help remove dirt buildup and moss.
19. Kill Crabgrass
Crabgrass can be a significant nuisance in any garden, so much so that getting rid of it can become an almost full-time job. This is where baking soda comes in handy.
First, wet the patch where the crabgrass is. Next, sprinkle the baking soda directly on the wet crabgrass, and you should start to see results within a few days.
20. Houseplant Cleaner
You can also use this product as a cleaner for your houseplants.
To clean your houseplants, mix a teaspoon of baking soda with pure water. Use the baking soda water to wipe down the plant leaves.
This solution will remove dust, allowing plants to absorb more sunlight.
Takeaway
Baking soda is an inexpensive and easy-to-use remedy for the garden.
Adding it to your routine can deter some pests, help keep certain plants healthy, and more. Give it a try and see for yourself how well it works!
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