Baking soda, that timeless pantry essential, also serves as an excellent natural cleanser for your home and can be incorporated into your beauty regimen. Were you aware of its usefulness in gardening as well?
Here are 9 ways you can utilize baking soda in your garden:
1. Deter Pests
To deter ants, roaches, and slugs from your garden, sprinkle baking soda onto your soil using a flour sifter. (Just make sure to steer clear of your plants!) This is a safe method to encourage beneficial insects while bidding farewell to the ones causing you trouble.
2. Eradicate Crab Grass
If crabgrass is invading your lawn and persisting from spring to fall, there’s a solution lurking in your cupboard. Begin by moistening the crabgrass patch with a watering can, then generously sprinkle it with baking soda. (Ensure the surrounding grass is unaffected.) This unwanted weed will be a thing of the past within a few days.
3. Prevent Fungal Infections
Dealing with powdery mildew or leaf spots on your lovely plants can be exasperating. Try this natural remedy:
HOW TO DO IT: Combine 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 2-3 drops of liquid soap in 1 liter of water. Spray the mixture onto the afflicted plants. Baking soda helps neutralize acidity and prevents fungal development.
4. Combat Weeds
Restore the allure of your sidewalks by pouring baking soda into crevices where weeds emerge. Baking soda alone can eradicate small weeds and hinder new growth.
5. Enhance Tomato Flavor
Elevate the taste of your garden-fresh tomatoes with baking soda!
Sprinkle a small quantity of baking soda around your tomato plants to lower soil acidity. (Reduced acidity equals sweeter tomatoes.) Just be cautious not to let the baking soda touch the plants.
6. Cleanse Bird Baths
Wipe away dirt and stains from your bird bath using a moistened cloth and baking soda. Then, rinse with cool water for a clean and inviting spot for your feathered friends to bathe.
7. Revitalize Compost
Is your compost heap causing concern among your neighbors? To neutralize odors, scatter baking soda around it (or within the bin).
8. Preserve Cut Flowers
Mix a teaspoon of baking soda into a vase filled with water to prolong the freshness of your freshly cut flowers.
9. Sanitize Soiled Hands
Baking soda, a natural deodorizer, is ideal for cleansing grimy, hardworking hands sans the harsh chemicals present in other cleansers.
Sprinkle baking soda onto your palms, add water, scrub, and rinse thoroughly.