Is baking soda good for plants?

QUESTION: Is baking soda good for plants? What do you actually do with it? – Julie S

ANSWER: Baking soda is good for your plants. It serves many useful purposes around the garden. The biggest way that baking soda is useful is as a deterrent to disease.

It’s known for helping deter fungal diseases. Obviously, you should be taking every step possible to avoid this type of disease in your garden.

Start by planting in well-draining soil to keep your plant from living in a continuously saturated situation. You should also ensure your plants are spaced adequately.

This will help increase airflow around them to avoid fungal issues. It’s also best to water your plants earlier in the day to give them enough time to dry before the cooler night air moves in.

Once you’ve done all of these things, sprinkle baking soda in the soil. This should kill any spores surrounding your plants. It also should help with deterring pests.

Do this regularly from the time you plant until the time of harvest. If sprinkled on the plant, it could help kill diseases such as powdery mildew.

The final reason baking soda is good for your plants is it can make the harvest more palatable for some. For instance, do you have a hard time eating tomatoes because of how acidic they are?

By sprinkling baking soda on or near the plants, it may reduce the acidity in the fruit. This might make your harvest even more enjoyable.

In conclusion, you don’t need to be fearful about adding baking soda to your plants. It can be helpful to your crops in numerous ways. Give it a try and see if this will be a new gardening technique added to your routine.

Learn More About Baking Soda in the Garden

http://www.uvm.edu/pss/ppp/articles/myths.html