As the autumn months approach, there are all sorts of tasks people have to complete – and many jobs need to be done in the garden too. You may not realise it, but one thing you may want to do is sprinkle a little baking powder in your garden, and there’s a key reason why this must be done in October.
Gardening expert Ish, known as gardening.with.ish on TikTok, has told people the staple product will come in handy for a pretty vital reason. It’s something people may want to consider doing, as it can lead to making your outdoor space look lovely by working to protect your plants.
If you’re someone who loves their garden, the piece of advice could prove essential. After all, people are looking for all sorts of ways to protect their plants as the colder months approach.
Ish said: “Baking soda, or bicarbonate of soda, is absolutely fantastic to use in your garden. Not only has it got antibacterial and antifungal properties, but it can be turned and diluted into a simple spray to protect your plants from all sort of fungal infections.
“That’s like black spot, even things like powdery mildew, which can be such a pain, but easily dealt with.” To start, all you need is an empty spray bottle to kick things off.
He said you need around a teaspoon of baking powder per 500ml of water. Pop this mixture into the bottle and give it a good mix together.
When you set the bottle nozzle to a mist spray, it should come out quite nicely, and he said you want to spray this on your plants lightly once a week if you think they are suffering. Ish said fungal infections in plants can arise due to the conditions of the environment, especially as we approach the autumn and winter months.
He said another thing you can do is snip away a few leaves to promote airflow. He claimed this can help things “massively” too, so it’s a good thing to do to aid matters.
Another good tip he offered is to water into the ground, and don’t water the foliage. This will create less moisture, which reduces the chances of any fungal infections developing.
Until then, he said you can fight the problem by using baking powder. It’s a great product to use to protect your plants.
Why should people use baking powder?
Lots of gardeners use baking powder to fight certain plant fungal infections, especially powdery mildew. This is because it creates an alkaline environment that inhibits fungal growth.
When combined with water, it works as a good preventative measure, but is less effective as a cure. The key is to start spraying at the first sign of infection.
People can reapply as needed, but they need to be careful not to overuse it. This is because using it too much can cause sodium buildup in the soil which can damage plants.
While it’s effective against some mild fungal issues like powdery mildew, it’s said baking soda will not kill other fungi, such as those causing root rot, rust or black spot.
If you’re worried about the state of your plants, contact an expert for advice on how to treat them. Sometimes you need extra help to remedy gardening issues.
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