What does baking soda do for my vegetable garden?

Author: Ms. Nadia Pfannerstill DVM  |  Last update: Saturday, October 4, 2025

Why Effective: Sodium bicarbonate raises the pH level on leaf surfaces, making it more difficult for fungi to thrive. This method is most effective as a preventative measure rather than a cure. Downside: Frequent use can cause the plant to absorb too much sodium, which may stunt growth or harm foliage.

Can I sprinkle baking soda on my vegetable garden?

Yes, you can sprinkle baking soda in soil before planting, but it's important to use it carefully. Baking soda can make the soil more alkaline, which can be good or bad depending on the type of plants you're growing.

What is the disadvantage of using baking soda to vegetables?

Baking soda also has a slightly alkaline pH which could also cause damage to some other delicate types of fruits and vegetables if you use too much. This method can also be a bit messier than vinegar.

What vegetable plants benefit from baking soda?

Further alkalizing an already-basic soil mix can damage and even kill your crops, but using a bit of baking soda to take your mix from an acidic pH to something around 7 to 7.5 can ensure that you have a fruitful harvest of podded peas, sugar snap peas, or snow peas.

What bugs does baking soda keep away?

Baking Soda Has Many Uses.....how about as a pesticide? Or maybe a fungicide? Today, let's look at how to use Baking Soda, or Sodium Bicarbonate, in the garden for an effective treatment against aphids, whiteflies, thrips, caterpillars, spider mites as well as prevention of fungal outbreaks such as powdery mildew.

What is baking soda? How to use baking soda in Gardening?

When to put baking soda on tomato plants?

Second when tomatos begin to appear and are about 1 inch in diameter lightly sprinkle baking soda around each plant to make them sweeter. Repeat this process again when tomatoes are about half grown. I used a lot of baking soda in his picture so it would show up but about 1/4 cup per plant is plenty.

What is the best homemade pesticide for vegetable gardens?

Organic Pest Control Garden Spray Recipe
  • 1 medium onion.
  • 4 cloves garlic.
  • 2 cups mint leaves OR 20 drops peppermint essential oil.
  • 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper.
  • 2 tablespoons liquid castile soap (or biodegradable liquid dish soap)
  • Water.

Is baking soda good for cucumber plants?

Keep cucumber beetles under control (see above), and plant resistant varieties if possible. mildew in your garden in the past, plant resistant varieties and try spraying preemptively once a week with a baking soda solution: 1 tbsp. baking soda to one gallon of water.

Why put cinnamon on plants?

There are almost countless uses for cinnamon in the garden: it can be used as a nature-friendly pesticide, a repellent against annoying insects, or as a catalyst to promote root growth in plant cuttings.

What does vinegar do to plants?

Vinegar is a contact herbicide, so you can unintentionally kill plants in your garden if you accidentally spray them with vinegar. Using vinegar as a weed killer works best on newer plants. "On more established plants, the roots may have enough energy to come back even if the leaves you sprayed have died.

When should you not use baking soda?

Keep baking soda away from any wood surface, including wood floors, wooden coffee or dining tables, and cutting boards. "Baking soda is slightly abrasive, and if used to clean wood furniture, especially with a polished finish, it can leave scratches," explains Brown.

What does baking soda do to green vegetables?

Baking soda does help green vegetables retain color, but it causes undesirable color changes in red cabbage—it turned blue. The science can be distilled to this: Adding baking soda to cooking water makes it slightly alkaline, which stabilizes the green color of chlorophyll.

What is the negative effect of baking soda?

Baking soda contains sodium, which, in high amounts, can affect the heart. One 2016 case study notes that overdosing on baking soda has caused heart arrhythmias for some individuals. There have also been cases of baking soda overdoses causing cardiac arrest.

How much baking soda do I put in my garden?

Gardeners often use baking soda as a fungicide to treat diseases such as powdery mildew, black spot on roses, and other fungal infections. How to Use: Mix 1 tablespoon of soda with 1 gallon of water, a drop of dish soap, and optionally a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Are coffee grounds good for plants?

Are coffee grounds good for plants? Coffee grounds are an excellent compost ingredient and are fine to apply directly onto the soil around most garden plants if used with care and moderation. Coffee grounds contain nutrients that plants use for growth.

Is hydrogen peroxide good for plants?

To support healthier, faster root growth and boost plant health. Use the general maintenance dilution rate of 4 tbsp (60mls) hydrogen peroxide 3% per 1 litre water. Mist leaves or water onto soil every second watering to oxygenate roots, boost growth and enhance nutrient absorption.

What do eggshells do for plants?

Before you toss your eggshells, it's time to give them a second shot. Eggshells used as fertilizer for your garden can benefit the soil your plants use to gain essential nutrients, aiding rapid growth and keeping soil acidity in check.

What bugs does cinnamon repel?

Did you know that a simple, common spice that's probably in your pantry can actually help repel mosquitoes and other biting and/or pesky insects such as Bed Bugs, Silverfish, Ants, Bees, Flies / Fruit Flies, Wasps, Spiders and Cockroaches.

Can you sprinkle cinnamon on top of soil?

Yes, just ground cinnamon. All you have to do is sprinkle it over the soil.

Can too much baking soda hurt plants?

Baking soda is generally safe for many plants, but it can cause problems if you use too much. Plants need a little bit of sodium, but too much can be harmful. If there's an excess, you might notice your plants starting to droop, or their growth slowing down.

How do I keep bugs off my cucumber plants naturally?

Planting borage, scarlet runner beans, and other flowers near your cucumbers attracts bumblebees, whose presence helps deter cucumber beetles. Grow repellent plants. Flowers like nasturtium and marigolds, an herb such as catnip, and veggies like radishes and corn help keep cucumber beetles away.

Will coffee grounds help cucumber plants?

Acidic-loving plants such as azaleas, blueberries, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and roses will benefit from a sprinkling of coffee grounds around the base of plants. Vegetable crops that may benefit from coffee grounds include carrots, cucumbers, peppers, potatoes, and radishes.

What can I spray on my vegetable plants to keep bugs off?

If severe cutting and cleaning doesn't rid the plants of the pest, you can apply a spray or soil treatment, such as diluted Castile soap or garlic barrier (an extract of garlic mixed with water and sprayed on plants).

What is the best natural pesticide for tomatoes?

What is best insect spray for tomato plants? To make an insect spray at home for tomato plans, mix 10 ounces of hydrogen peroxide, 1 gallon of water and 10 ounces of sugar together. Mix it well and spray it on and around the tomato plant and leaves. Remember to wash it off after a day or two though.

Can I spray vinegar on plants?

Herbicide. One of the most common uses for household vinegar is as an all-natural weed killer. You have to be careful when spraying it around certain plants as it may be harmful to some, but when used on those pesky hard-to-kill weeds, they will disappear in two to three days' time.

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