Of the many different chemical compounds we probably have lying around the house, few are as common as baking soda. Although this chemical’s explicit use is, supposedly, as a leavening agent in baking, many households have found out that it’s incredibly useful for a variety of other purposes as well. If you’ve ever had a stubborn sink or bathtub that needed cleaning, baking soda was probably the answer—or if you had a deep stain in the carpet that just wouldn’t come out. Maybe you’ve even used it on your teeth to keep them shiny and pearly white!
Still, many people don’t know that baking soda also has some great uses outside of the house. More specifically, it can be put to your use in your gardening beds as well in ways that you may never have heard of.
Without any further ado, here are 15 of the best ways to use baking soda in your garden.
1. It can be used as a pesticide.
For those of us who are thrifty (or environmentally conscious), buying chemical pesticides is a pretty undesirable option. Although we don’t want our gardens to get eaten up by bugs and other critters, we also don’t want to risk having poison leak into the ground or get carried into our home. Fortunately, you can make a safe and effective pesticide with baking soda! All you have to do is mix a tablespoon of olive oil, two tablespoons of baking soda and a couple drops of liquid soap in a gallon of water. Put it in a spray container and apply gently to your garden every three days—it will definitely keep the bugs away!
2. Stop ant infestations right at the source.
Similarly, you can target ants specifically if you use a mixture of five teaspoons of baking soda, five teaspoons of confectioners sugar and a teaspoon of water. The ants will be attracted to the sugar and eat it, though the baking soda they’ll eat with it will be fatal. Pour your mixture on any anthills you might find and add a little bit of vinegar. The last step will be sure to get any surviving ants.
3. Try it out as a fungicide.
If your your garden or the general climate near your home is particularly damp, your gardens may start to grow unwanted fungi that can be tricky to get rid of. Fortunately, baking soda provides an easy solution! All you have to do is mix four teaspoons of baking soda into a gallon of water. Use the mix to water the problem areas in the garden—it’s particularly helpful for spot fungus on roses or for grapes and other fruit growing on a vine).
4. Use it to check the pH of your garden soil.
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