We’re always looking for nifty and affordable hacks to help us around the house. When it comes to our gardens or lack thereof, you can find all sorts of trending DIY tutorials that make life in the garden blooming. Thank goodness for the internet, am I right? If you’re looking for a way to spruce up your precious plants and garden, look no further. Baking soda is here to save the day. This common household cleaner/ingredient is known for its numerous helpful properties and it’s an extra plus that its super affordable. Here are 15 astounding uses for baking soda in the garden.
1. Say goodbye to cabbage worms
These small but mighty pests are known for chewing up the garden. Cabbage might not even be in your garden and somehow these little guys find your beloved plants. Thankfully all you need to do is mix an equal amount of flour and baking soda. Then all you do is dust the mixture all over the affected plants and you won’t have to see any more cabbage worm nibbles on your leaves.
2. Help get rid of mildew
Mildew is a common struggle in the gardening world. When humidity is high, mildew likes to make a home on our plants which can rot them and ultimately damage the whole garden. But to put an end to mildew growth all you need is to mix a tablespoon of baking soda and 2 and a half tablespoons of horticulture oil in a gallon of water. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray it all over your plants to protect them against mildew growth.
3. Make compost less stinky
Composting has become more and more popular over the years. While it benefits our environment giving us a lovely green thumb it doesn’t smell the greatest. Thankfully there’s an easy way to make that gnarly smell go away. You simply add a light layer of baking soda on top of your compost pile and it soaks up the odor and also helps the acidity levels. Make sure to not sprinkle too much baking soda on top of it will slow down the natural composting process.
4. Check the level of pH in your soil
Instead of spending way too much money on a specific soil testing kit, you can test your soil with baking soda. You can find out how acidic or alkaline your soil is by following this simple experiment. 1st: grab two samples of soil each one cup from your garden and place them into different containers. 2nd: you’ll get a 1/2 cup of vinegar and a 1/2 cup of baking soda. 3rd: pour the vinegar into one of the samples of soil. If that bubbles the soil is above pH 7, which means it’s alkaline. 4th: If it did not bubble, you’ll pour the baking soda and 1/2 cup of water into the second soil sample. If that bubbles your soil is below pH 7, which means it’s acidic.
5. DIY pesticide
Store-bought pesticides are extremely damaging to our environment. Even though we don’t want pests and critters eating at our gardens using harmful poison to get rid of them just isn’t the way to go anymore. Thankfully, you can make your own safe pesticide using baking soda! You’ll need to mix a tablespoon of olive oil, two tablespoons of baking soda, and a few drops of liquid soap into a gallon of water. Put that mixture into a spray bottle and apply it to your garden every 3 days and it will keep all of those pesky pests away.
6. No more ant piles
No one is a huge fan of stepping foot in an ant pile especially if it’s in your own backyard. But there is a simple way to get rid of those little ant piles. All you need to do is make a mixture of 5 teaspoons of baking soda, 5 teaspoons of confectioners sugar, and a teaspoon of water. Pour the mixture on top of any anthills and the ants will be attracted to the sugar but the baking soda is fatal to them. You can also add a little bit of vinegar on top of the mixture to make it more effective.
7. Fungi be gone
When there’s a fungus among us it can totally harm our plant babies. Thankfully baking soda strikes again with another useful way to help us get rid of unwanted fungi. Just mix 4 teaspoons into a gallon of water and use that mixture to water any infected areas of your garden. You won’t see any more fungi in your garden with this nifty mix!
8. Clean up the decor
If your someone who loves collecting garden decor you know those decorations need a little sprucing up every now and then. Those clay figurines and bottle arrangements get covered in dirt and grime. But baking soda is the perfect way to clean that decor right up. All you need to do is simply sprinkle baking soda on top of the decorations and wipe it off with a warm damp cloth. Your garden will be looking sparkly and new with this tip.
9. Wipe down house plants
House plants need some extra TLC since they collect so much dust. Yes, plants need a little wipe down to grow healthy. So baking soda is a perfect way to keep your plants leaves looking better than ever. Just mix a little bit of baking soda and warm water together and use a paper towel to wipe the leaves down. Your plants will thank you.
10. Get your tomatoes a little sweeter
Tomatoes are an easy and thriving thing to grow in your backyard. They grow to be a bit sweeter when they’re in soil that is less acidic. So in order to make your soil a little more alkaline, you’ll want to lightly pour baking soda onto the soil and it will absorb naturally. When your tomatoes are ripe and red they should taste much sweeter and more tart.
11. Bouquet pick-me-up
Freshly cut flowers are beautiful to display in our homes but they usually don’t last that long. But there is a way to give those blooms some extra life. Simply add a pinch of salt and a pinch of baking soda to the flower vase water and you should be able to enjoy those flowers a little longer.
12. Keep your blooms bright
Flowers bring so much joy to a garden but sometimes flowers just don’t bloom as beautiful as they should. It turns out certain flowers thrive in alkaline water and there’s an easy way to get your soil more alkaline. All you need to do is mix baking soda into the watering can and water them with that mixture. When these babies bloom they should be brighter than ever.
13. Kill off the crabgrass
Random patches of crabgrass are such a nuisance to our gardens and sidewalks. Although they look harmless these little weeds can overcrowd our plants and suffocate them. But there’s an easy way to keep the crabgrass away for good. Just soak the weed with water and mix baking soda with water so it turns into a paste. Then you’ll spread the paste onto the patch of crabgrass and Ta Da! You shouldn’t have to deal with those weeds again.
14. Keep those garden walkways sparkly
Stone garden walkways are so enchanting but over time they get covered with dirt and weeds. If your walkway is looking more drab than fab you might need some cleaning tips. You can mix two tablespoons of baking soda into a quart of warm water to clean the scum off of your walkway. You can add a bit more baking soda for a heavy-duty clean up. Grab a brush and get scrubbing for your new and improved walkway!
15. After all the gardening fun it’s time to scrub these filthy paws
Gardening is one of the most rewarding hobbies but cleaning up afterwards isn’t always the easiest. Thankfully baking soda is always here to save the day! Just wet your hands and then cover them in baking soda for squeaky clean hands. Using a toothbrush to scrub hard to reach areas also helps get those dirty hands sparkling again.
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