Although It Can Repel Pests, Pay Attention To The 5 Right Ways To Use Baking Soda For Plants

Illustration of baking soda for plants (Pexels/Akil Mazumder)

JAKARTA – Baking soda is often used as a mixture to make bread. It contains sodium bicarbonate which is predicted to help reduce fungal attacks, plant pests, to repel ants that attack plant roots.

Quoting a certified urban agriculture expert, Bonnie L. Grant, there are things to consider when giving baking soda to your favorite plants at home.

Giving sodium bicarbonate to certain plants has bad risks, unless you pay attention to Grant's directives reported by Gardening Know How, Wednesday, October 27.

1. Baking soda can reduce the effects of fungal diseases

Reducing is not preventing, says Grant. When giving a mixture of 1 percent baking soda and 99 percent water, it seems to prevent some fungal spore attacks but not kill the spores. But the concern is that it can burn leaves, roots, and other plant parts.

Advice from Grant, do not spray the above mixture on the leaves. Apply on the stem or growing media infected with fungal spores. It is also good if added with soap or horticultural oil to reduce the risk of harm to plants.

2. Can reduce powdery mildew and leaf disease

For fruiting plants, such as tomatoes and grapes are often attacked by powdery mildew and leaf disease. To prevent infection, dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 4 liters of water. This can reduce the incidence of burns on the leaves.

Also, add 1 teaspoon of dormant oil and half a teaspoon of dish soap so that the liquid doesn't stick too long. Method of administration, apply with fingers on dry and cloudy days for best results.

3. Avoid plants exposed to bleach-based detergents

Dish soap is the best mix, but avoid exposing plants to bleach-based detergents. And do not give any mixture of fertilizers or plant disease inhibitors on a hot day because it can make the plant die.

4. Excess sodium can be damaging

Excess sodium in planting is absorbed by plant roots and can cause serious problems in your garden. Sodium is a mineral that is not really needed by plants. But certain plant varieties need sodium to help concentrate carbon dioxide.

This means that to help increase metabolism in plants, do not give too much baking soda.

5. Avoid giving baking soda on calcareous soil

For those of you who live in calcareous soil areas, avoid giving baking soda to plants. This causes the plant to wilt, the tissue dries up, and growth is reduced. To fertilize plants, try to balance the pH, give periodic manure, and watering with enough freshwater.