Baking soda can be useful in gardening in a variety of ways. (Symbolic image) © Imago
In spring, the garden season begins. Now there are tons of gardening enthusiasts to work and straighten. What role the home remedy baking soda can play here.
Frankfurt – Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) in its full name, is already a real all-rounder in the household. It is used as a leavening agent in baking or as a cleaner in cleaning. The edible form is usually found in the supermarket with the baking ingredients under the names baking soda, baking soda or baking soda.
But less well known is the useful effect of the white powder in the garden. This is because if it is mixed with water, carbon dioxide is released. A fabric that can be useful to garden enthusiasts in many ways. However, only the edible variant should actually be used here, reports the science magazine Geo, among others. Baking soda, on the other hand, has a destructive effect on plants.
Fungal infestation in the garden: baking soda against powdery mildew and gray rot
According to Geo, baking soda can be used as a natural fungicide in the treatment of fungal diseases such as powdery mildew or gray rot. Fungal diseases in the garden can spread quickly and affect other plants. Therefore, they should be stopped as quickly as possible and in an environmentally friendly manner.
Pests in the garden: baking soda against aphids and weeds
To get rid of aphids in the garden, the use of baking soda is a comparatively ecologically justifiable option, Geo reports. Baking soda is also an effective and natural home remedy for combating weeds.
Weeds, i.e. wild plants that, from a gardener's point of view, grow in a place where they do not belong, disturb the aesthetic sensibility of many garden lovers. Here, sprinkled baking soda powder can kill the weeds thanks to its destructive effect. Another possibility is to use it as a soda-water mixture.
| Use case | Recipe |
|---|---|
| Fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and gray rot | Dissolve two to five tablespoons of baking soda in half a liter of water and spray on the diseased parts of the plant several times a day. |
| Aphids | Dissolve two tablespoons of baking soda in a liter of water and apply to infested plants. |
| Weed | Boil a tablespoon of baking soda in a liter of water and, cooled, spray several times on the weeds. Keep a distance of ten centimeters from crops. |
| Green coating | Two tablespoons of baking soda per liter are mixed with boiling water. Apply the solution to the surfaces and leave on overnight. The next day, brush and rinse with clean water. |
| pH | To test if the soil is acidic, baking soda powder is sprinkled on a watered area. If bubbles form, the value is above 5, i.e. in the acidic range. |
| Source: Geo.de |
However, there is also reason to be cautious when it comes to dosing baking soda in the garden. Because "too highly concentrated, the baking soda is more likely to harm the plants and lead to leaf burns," explains Maren Brennig, plant protection consultant of the Saarland Chamber of Agriculture (LWK) to the editorial network Germany. From their point of view, a maximum of five grams of baking soda should be added to one liter of water. "That's about a teaspoon," says the expert. The home remedy should therefore only be used with caution and deliberation.
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Baking soda in the garden: remove green coating
Green flooring is the term used to describe algae and moss that grow on bricks and paving stones. They give the stones a green shimmer, which is rarely desired by garden enthusiasts. If garden paths are infested, they also turn into dangerously slippery tripping hazards when wet. To remove green coating, baking soda is mixed with boiling water.
Baking soda in the garden: determining and increasing the pH value
According to Geo, baking soda can also be used to carry out a simple pH test in the soil of the garden. To do this, the place in question is moderately watered and sprinkled with baking soda powder. When small bubbles appear, the acid contained in the soil reacts with the baking soda. This is then an indication that the soil is acidic and the pH value is below 5. If, on the other hand, nothing happens, it can be assumed that the pH value of the soil is above 5.
This information can be very helpful in the garden, as some plants need alkaline substrate – i.e. no acidic soil – for healthy growth. According to Geo, some baking soda can be added to the irrigation water. This is because when sodium bicarbonate reacts to an acidic soil, its pH increases.
Baking soda in the garden: what to keep in mind
When using baking soda in the garden, however, it should be noted that the Plant Protection Act includes a ban on paved or otherwise sealed surfaces. An infringement can therefore be punished with a fine. (na)
