Natron is a versatile agent that is not only used in the household. You can also use it in a variety of ways in the garden. Here are 11 tips.
There is hardly a more versatile home remedy than baking soda. Housewives use the s alt for cleaning and cleaning, for example. In natural medicine, baking soda can also be used to combat heartburn. The use of baking soda in the garden, on the other hand, is less common, but at least as effective and multifaceted. The following applications can be easily implemented and used for pest control, soil cultivation or cut flower care.
What is baking soda?
Natron stands for sodium bicarbonate. The sodium s alt is listed in the periodic table of the elements under the designation NaHCO3. S alt has been used since ancient times. Today, baking soda is mostly produced chemically and is sold under the name of baking soda or cooking soda.
How does baking soda work?
The various uses of the s alt are basically based on two simple modes of action. When you heat baking soda, you get carbon dioxide and soda ash. The released gas is mostly used as a leavening agent. Mixing baking soda with water also releases carbon dioxide. The hobby gardener can take advantage of this for various applications.
Warning:
Baking soda should not be confused with sodium carbonate, the so-called washing soda.
11 genius ideas for using baking soda in the garden
❍ Tip 1 - Use baking soda against aphids:
Aphids scarcely stop at any plant. The panic is correspondingly great when the lice attack ornamental and useful plants in droves and destroy many a harvest. With baking soda, the pests can be driven away quickly, safely and in an environmentally friendly manner. How to make and use a baking soda spray solution:
- Measure 2 teaspoons of baking soda.
- Dissolve baking soda in 1 liter of water.
- Pour the solution into a spray bottle.
- Spray plants generously with this product. Don't forget the undersides of the leaves.
Tip:
Add some to the solution on rainy daysAdd cooking oil to improve adhesion. And: If the solution should also help against mealybugs or scale insects, you can add a few dashes of spirit.
❍ Tip 2 - Use baking soda against powdery mildew:
Depending on the weather, a wide variety of ornamental and crop plants are attacked with powdery mildew or downy mildew. Treating with a baking soda spray solution can help prevent the further spread of mildew. Add two teaspoons of baking soda to one liter of water. The plants should then be treated several times with the solution. Before using the product, however, you should always generously remove parts of the plant that are severely affected by the fungal disease.
❍ Tip 3 - Use baking soda to kill weeds:
Removing weeds is one of the most unpopular gardening tasks. Nevertheless, weeds should not spread in the beds and rob the plants planted there of food and light. Weeds are also anything but welcome on garden paths. With this solution you can take action against annoying weeds:
- Measure 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
- Boil 1 liter of water.
- Stir baking soda into the boiling water.
- Let the solution cool.
- Pour the solution into a spray bottle.
The plants should now be thoroughly treated with the solution several times. The agent can also be used on bedding plants.
Important:
When spraying, keep a distance of ten centimeters from crops.
❍ Tip 4 - Baking soda against cabbage worms and snails:
Contact with baking soda is lethal to both species. For this purpose, the baking soda can be distributed around the cabbage plants. To combat slugs, treat some lettuce leaves with baking soda to attract the slugs.
❍ Tip 5 - Fight ants with baking soda:
Ants are useful animals. However, they often spread in garden areas that the hobby gardener would like to keep free of ants. For the welfare of the animals, we advise you to move the ants and not to kill them. If you want to use baking soda, you should know in advance that the ants are offered poison and this is not in the interest of general animal welfare. If you spread the powder in the appropriate areas, you will have little success anyway. Baking soda is not attractive to ants. The desired effect only occurs when the s alt mixed with powdered sugar has become a treat for ants.
❍ Tip 6 - Increase pH with baking soda:
Natron has another property that is interesting for the hobby gardener. When the s alt hits acidic soil, the pH changes because baking soda neutralizes starch. This is useful when cultivating plants that require an alkaline substrate. These include begonias and geraniums. To use, simply dissolve a sachet of baking soda in the irrigation water and water the plants as usual.
Tip:
If you want to increase the pH value over a large area, it is advisable to use lime instead of baking soda.
❍ Tip 7 - Baking soda as an acidic soil test kit:
If you suspect that your substrate is too acidic, you don't need a commercially available test to measure the pH value in the soil. You can also use baking soda to do the quick test described here:
- Water substrate.
- Sprinkle baking soda on the floor.
- Wait for response.
If nothing happens, you can assume that the soil is not too acidic. If, on the other hand, smaller bubbles appear, there is a reaction with the acid contained in the soil. Then you can assume that you have acidic soil. The pH is then below 5.
❍ Tip 8 - Baking soda neutralizes odors:
Most of the time, the garden is filled with the delicate scents of the ornamental plants that grow there. But unpleasant odors are often mixed with it. These can rise from the compost heap or arise when the hobby gardener has applied nettle manure. Baking soda can be sprinkled directly on the compost heap or where the odor develops. A bowl of baking soda, for example, also drives away a musty smell that is perceived in the gazebo after winter.
❍ Tip 9 - Baking soda keeps cut flowers in shape:
If you want to enjoy cut flowers for longer, you can also use baking soda. Before you put the bouquet in the flower vase, simply mix the flower water with baking soda powder. Depending on the size of the vase and shrub, one to three teaspoons of baking soda will suffice.
A similar effect can also be achieved with bedding plants. If you want to enjoy your roses for longer, you can water them every now and then with the following solution:
- 2 liters of water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Epsom S alt
- 1/2 teaspoon ammonia
❍ Tip 10 - Baking soda helps with minor injuries:
When working in the garden, minor injuries are inevitable. Anyone who pulls in a splinter should remove it if possibleremove quickly. However, the culprit is often difficult to grasp with the tweezers. Mix baking soda with water and apply the paste to the affected skin area, it will soften the skin and the splinter can be easily pulled out after a few hours.
❍ Tip 11 - Baking soda against dirty garden hands:
Once the gardening is finished, the hands must be cleaned. It is not uncommon for real crusts of dirt to be removed. If you don't want to spend hours scrubbing, you can use baking soda. Simply wet your hands, apply baking soda powder and rub thoroughly into the skin. Rinse afterwards.