This natural product can be a real ally for the garden and vegetable patch. Here’s how to use it properly.
If you have a garden and a vegetable garden, you certainly know that certain diseases can ruin your plants. Fortunately, there is a product well known to gardeners that can have a significant impact on the health and growth of your crops, and that can save your tomato plants by fighting against a good number of diseases such as mildew, powdery mildew, rust, black spots…
This is baking soda. It’s much more than just baking powder. It is a product with multiple domestic uses, but also very useful in the garden. Many gardeners use this economical and environmentally friendly product for a variety of reasons.
In the garden it can become a real ally for your tomatoes. Baking soda has the power to regulate the pH of the soil, a great benefit for those whose garden does not have the ideal soil. Tomatoes prefer slightly acidic to neutral soil, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. If the soil is too acidic, essential nutrients may be less available to plants. By adding a small amount of baking soda directly to the soil, around the base of the plant, gardeners can help neutralize excess acidity, making the soil more favorable for tomato growth.
Baking soda also helps fight fungal diseases. Tomatoes are particularly susceptible to diseases like late blight and powdery mildew, which can devastate a crop in no time. By sprinkling a baking soda solution (one teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in one quart of water) on the leaves of tomato plants, gardeners create an alkaline environment hostile to fungi.
Better nutrient absorption makes your tomatoes stronger and tastier, a double benefit for gardeners and foodies! Some gardeners say adding baking soda to the soil can make tomatoes sweeter. This theory is based on the idea that neutralizing soil acidity could influence the taste of fruits.
Baking soda is also used as a natural repellent against certain parasites. Although its effectiveness against insects is limited, it can deter slugs and snails, which are common pests of tomato plants. By sprinkling a little baking soda around the base of plants, gardeners can create an unpleasant physical barrier for these pests.