Do you know you can use baking soda for plants? Here are 17 hacks on how to use baking soda in the garden that you will find useful.
- Houseplant cleaner. Remove dust to promote photosynthesis – apply the solution of water and sodium bicarbonate on the surface of leaves.
- Clean garden furniture. Add 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid in a gallon of warm water. Take a sponge and clean the garden furniture with it and then rinse it with clear water.
- Give plants a boost. Mix together 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon clear ammonia and 1 teaspoon Epsom salt in a gallon of water. Mix well and give each plant about a quart of the solution.
- Keep the smell of compost away. To keep the smell from compost pile under control, use a small amount of baking soda to eliminate odor.
- Clean bird bath and pots. To clean your bird bath and pots, sprinkle baking soda on it and clean with damp cloth or scrubber.
- Get rid of slugs. Simply sprinkle baking soda on them.
- Encourage plants to bloom. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of baking soda into 2 quarts of water and use this to water your flowering plants to encourage blooming.
- Sweeter tomatoes. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda around the base of your tomato plants. The baking soda will be absorbed into the soil and lowers the acidity level of tomatoes, thus gives you sweeter than tart flavor.
- Acidic soil. If you have acidic soil, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on it to make it pH level more neutral.
- Kill cabbage worms. Mix equals part of flour and baking soda and dust that on infected plants.
- Test soil pH. Take some soil on a dish and make it muddier. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda onto the soil. If the combination bubbles, your soil is acidic.
- Use it as a pesticide. Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/3 cup of olive or mustard oil. Measure out 2 teaspoons of this mix and add it to 1 cup of water. Mix it well together and spray it on the infected plants.
- Weed killer. Soda burn the foliage and weeds will fade and disappear in a few days.
- Clean the walkways. Rinse the surface with sodium bicarbonate water, add baking powder and scrub with a brush or use a broom with stiff bristle.
- For cut flowers. To keep your cut flowers fresh for a long time put a teaspoon of baking soda in the vase.
SOURCE:http://www.gardenoholic.com/17-baking-soda-uses-in-the-garden/