Do you sometimes use baking soda to deodorize your fridge or get rid of a bad smell in your room? Well, did you know that baking soda can also be used in gardening?
It has a ton of great uses in the garden, and today we’re going to talk about a few of them. It can help you get rid of certain pests, keep the compost smell at bay, and do a lot of other things.
Here, we’ll show you how to use baking soda in your garden and share some of the amazing benefits it can offer.
1. Weed Killer
You can use a baking soda and vinegar mixture to create a weed killer.
To make this weed killer, mix 1 cup of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and a gallon of water. Pour this mixture over the weeds, making sure to get it on the leaves.
You can also sprinkle raw baking soda on weeds between pavers.
2. 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 gently wipe down plant leaves.
This will remove any dust, allowing your plants to absorb more sunlight.
3. Test Soil pH
As cheap as it is, you can use baking soda as a soil tester.
All you need to do is add some soil to half a cup of water, and then add 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.
4. Clean Garden Furniture
To give your outdoor furniture a good scrub, mix half a cup of baking soda with one gallon of warm water and a tablespoon of liquid soap.
Use a sponge to dip into the solution and gently scrub the item. Finally, rinse it off with clean water.
5. Keep Down Compost Smell
One downside to composting at home is that sometimes the piles can get a bit smelly. That’s where baking soda comes in! It can help reduce the smell of compost.
Just sprinkle some over your compost bin or pile, and then mix it in with a shovel.
6. Help With Soil Acidity
Adding some baking soda to your garden soil will buffer its acidity, making it more hospitable for those plants that aren’t big fans of acidic soils.
In other words, plants that benefit from baking soda are those that grow well in alkaline soil. All you need is 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. Mix it up and pour it around the plant’s base.
7. Clean Bird Bath
Bird baths can easily accumulate dirt, grime, and even mold, but you can use a solution of baking soda and water to clean them.
Sprinkle some baking soda in it and scrub away. This will help break down grime and clean away mold.
Once you’ve scrubbed the bird bath clean, rinse it out with fresh water. Then fill it up with clean water for the birds.
8. 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.
Simply dissolve 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a gallon of water and use it to water your plants. The baking soda helps reduce the acidity of the soil, allowing the plant to absorb more nutrients from it.
9. Sweeter Tomatoes
When you add a sprinkle of baking soda to the soil around tomato plants, it lowers the acidity, and the tomatoes become sweeter.
To try it out. Sprinkle some baking soda around your tomato plant seedlings and water them well. Do this again when the plants have grown halfway.
10. Fertilizer
You can use baking soda alongside other products to give plants a boost.
To use as fertilizer, mix 1 tsp. Epsom salt with ½ tsp. household ammonia and 1 tsp. baking soda in a gallon of water. Water your plants with the solution.
11. Get Rid of Ant Hill
One easy way to get rid of an ant hill is to mix baking soda with vinegar and pour it on the mound. This remedy works great as a homemade outdoor ant killer.
12. Eliminate Gnats
You can also use baking soda to get rid of gnats. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda with a teaspoon of liquid soap in a cup of water.
Spray the mixture directly onto the gnats. The solution will kill them.
13. Kill Cabbage Worms
This is also an excellent home remedy to take care of cabbage worms.
Combine the same amount of baking soda and flour and use the combo to dust your plants. This will kill the worms.
14. Kill Silverfish
Mix some baking soda with some honey in a cup of water, and it will act as a pesticide and kill any silverfish.
Add enough of the ingredients so it forms a paste. Use this in areas where you’ll find silverfish.
15. Get Rid of Slugs
If you’ve ever had to deal with pesky slugs in your garden, baking soda might be just what you need.
If you put it directly on slugs, it will kill them, so sprinkling it around their favorite spots will kill the ones that crawl through it.
Be sure to sprinkle it on top of the soil and not mix it in.
16. Get Rid of Roaches
You can also get rid of roaches using baking soda. Just mix equal parts baking soda and sugar and place it in areas where you’ve seen roaches.
The sugar will lure the cockroaches in, while the baking soda will take care of them when they consume it.
17. Treat Sunburn
Baking soda has a neutralizing effect on the skin and helps restore the natural pH balance [1]. Just mix some baking soda with a bit of water and gently rub it onto your skin.
You can also add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bathwater for a soothing soak. If your sunburn is particularly bad, you can make a paste out of baking soda and apply it directly to the affected areas.
Of course, be sure to apply sunscreen when you go out in the sun to avoid getting burned in the first place! Baking soda should only be used as a treatment, not a preventative measure.
18. 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 some water and spray it on the leaves of your plants.
It’s also useful for attacking existing fungal infections. You can mix a tablespoon of baking soda, one tablespoon of liquid soap, and a gallon of water into a spray bottle.
Apply this DIY fungicide directly to the affected plants.
19. 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 here is that baking soda is alkaline and will help neutralize and balance the water’s pH levels [2].
Having your water at a neutral pH will help to keep your blossoms looking vibrant and fresh for longer!
To give fresh-cut flowers an extra boost, try adding one tablespoon of baking soda to a quart of water. This solution will help keep the flowers looking great.
20. Clean Clay Pots
You might want to give your clay pots a good cleaning from time to time, and baking soda can come in handy. All you need is to make a paste with baking soda and water.
Gently scrub the mixture into your clay pots, allow it to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse them off with clean water. This will help to remove any dirt buildup and also get rid of moss.
21. Kill Crabgrass
Crabgrass can be a major 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, you’ll need to 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.
Takeaway
Baking soda is an inexpensive and easy-to-use remedy for the garden. By adding it to your garden routine, you deter some pests and help keep certain plants healthy, among other things. Give it a try and see for yourself how well it works!
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