Many people tout aspirin as the miracle cure for all human ailments. Many gardeners tout baking soda as the miracle cure for your garden.
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It is said that baking soda offers s plethora of benefits from killing fungi to being a freshener for your compost.
Consider this.
· Use baking soda to test the pH level of your soil. Put some soil in a small container and wet it with distilled water. Sprinkle baking soda on top. If the baking soda bubbles, then you have acidic soil with a pH level that is probably below 5 (7 is neutral).
· A baking soda spray kills powdery mildew. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda to one tablespoon of vegetable oil and one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap. Stir the mixture into a gallon of water. Pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle and spray plants that you suspect has powdery mildew once weekly. It is best to apply on a cloudy day because the hot sun combined with the concoction may cause some burning of the plant. This recipe can also be used to battle blackspot on roses.
· Use baking soda to rid your vegetable garden of cabbageworms. Mix equal parts of baking soda and plain flour and dust the plants. The mixture will kill the worms when they eat the plants. You may have to apply more of the substance after a heavy rain.
· Use baking soda to make tomatoes sweeter. Lower the acid level of the soil to sweeten your tomatoes. Sprinkle baking soda on the soil around the tomato plants (don’t get any ON the plant). The soil absorbs the substance and helps to reduce acid levels.
· Sprinkle baking soda on slugs to rid them from the garden. Baking soda makes them dry up and die.
· Use baking soda to get rid of grass or weeds growing between the stones of your walkway. Pour a generous amount of baking soda between the cracks to kill weeds and prevent new ones from growing. You may have to pull out the larger weeds and grass clumps yourself. Do this every few months to prevent the weeds from growing back.
· Use baking soda to kill grab grass. First spray water on the weed then sprinkle baking soda on it.
· Use baking soda to keep cut flowers fresh. Fill the flower vase with water, then add a teaspoon of baking soda.
· Use baking soda to keep your compost pile fresh. Spread baking soda around the compost pile (or in the compost bin) to eliminate odor.
· Use baking soda to get rid of gnats. Mix four teaspoons of baking soda with one teaspoon of biodegradable soap and one gallon of water and mix. Spray the affected plants and soil.
