Used in household cleaning, baking soda has other unsuspected uses. It can in fact be used in gardening, in particular to stimulate the germination of tomato seeds and protect young shoots from certain cryptogamic diseases. Here’s how to use baking soda for tomato seedlings.
Baking soda is a biodegradable and economical product that has several strings to its bow. It can be used to clean surfaces, whiten laundry or even to care for the skin. And that’s not all, it can also be used for tomato seedlings.
How to use baking soda for tomato seedlings?
To successfully sow tomatoes, you can call on the virtues of baking soda.
- Baking soda to promote the germination of tomato seeds
To disinfect tomato seeds from microbes and activate their germination, you can use baking soda. Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 2 liters of water, and soak your seeds in this solution 24 hours before sowing them.
- Baking soda to protect tomato plants
Baking soda is effective in protecting garden or vegetable plants from certain cryptogamic diseases such as downy mildew or powdery mildew. A cryptogamic disease, also called fungal disease, is an infection that affects a plant and is caused by a fungus.
The disease that most affects tomato plants is late blight. A fungus responsible for this fungal infection developing on acidic surfaces, particularly on the surface of tomato leaves, or on their aerial parts. Since baking soda is alkaline, with a pH above 7, it can neutralize acidic environments and prevent fungus from growing. To do this, mix one teaspoon of baking soda with two teaspoons of dishwashing liquid in a liter of water. Transfer your preparation into a spray and spray on your plants. Note that you can replace the dishwashing liquid with Marseille soap or black soap. That said, baking soda simply acts as a preventative measure. You must then avoid conditions favorable to the development of fungi, such as humidity. Note, however, that this baking soda solution must be sprayed below the flowers so as not to damage them.
What are the other uses of baking soda in the garden or vegetable patch?
Baking soda is also effective in deodorizing compost. The latter is composed of organic waste and mineral materials. This mixture can cause bad odors, especially in summer when it is hot.
Baking soda can also be used to kill weeds. To do this, simply pour a little baking soda into the cracks of the walkways to remove weeds. In addition to this, baking soda can also be used to combat cabbage worms. To do this, mix equal parts baking soda, flour and soil, and sprinkle your mixture on the cabbage or broccoli which attracts the worms.
By simply using baking soda, you will successfully sow tomatoes and protect young shoots from fungal diseases, in order to enjoy a good harvest.
