Baking soda is a popular remedy for a variety of problems, not just in the home but also in the garden. While it is mostly used indoors for baked goods and also for cleaning, it is effective against a wide range of diseases and pests in garden plants. You can also use it to “fertilize”. But what is the use of baking soda in the garden and is it really not harmful to the plants? We summarize what the pros and cons are when watering tomatoes with baking soda and what you should definitely keep in mind.
Water tomatoes with baking powder – or would you rather use baking soda?
As you may have already noticed, the effectiveness of both household cleaning products is almost identical. But does this also apply when used on living plants? Both remedies have the same effect and can replace each other. In principle, baking powder consists largely of baking soda. There are also no differences in terms of quantity/concentration, so any recipe with baking powder can also be used directly for baking soda.
So you can use both baking powder and baking soda as fertilizer for tomatoes, although “fertilizer” isn’t necessarily the right word. Rather, the agent has a strengthening effect on the plants and should rather be referred to as a plant strengthener, which is simply added to the irrigation water in addition to the usual tomato fertilizer. So it in no way covers the nutrient needs of tomatoes.
How to make tomato fertilizer from home remediesfind out here.
Benefits of Baking Soda for Tomatoes
- The soil is improved.It is not uncommon for the garden soil to be too acidic, which is not good for every plant. With baking soda orbaking powderHowever, you can successfully neutralize the pH value and to do this you just need to water the tomatoes with baking powder after dissolving the powder in the water.
A notice:This cannot balance alkaline soils! - Protection against diseases. Especially mildewand green mold is prevented with the irrigation water. Simply put some in a spray bottle and spray the undersides of the leaves once every week.
- Tomatoes taste better.Many hobby gardeners are often surprised when harvesting when, despite good care, the tomatoes don't taste as good as expected. This is often due to the unfavorable acidity. As already mentioned, baking powder and baking soda neutralize the pH value in the soil, which also has a positive effect on the aroma of the fruit.
Also read:Water tomatoes with aspirin? This is what the medicine of the plants brings
The fruits taste better with this fertilizer!
If you water tomatoes with baking powder, not only will the plants be well cared for, the fruits will also taste much tastier later. There are also the advantages mentioned above: The tomato plants are also better protected against pests by the home remedy because they are strengthened. Below we summarize how to proceed correctly when fertilizing tomatoes with baking soda.
Pour tomatoes with baking powder - this is how you prepare the tonic
- Pour the desired amount of water into a watering can or any other container.
- Mix in the necessary amount of baking powder or baking soda. Calculate one teaspoon of the powder per liter of water.
- Water the plants. If the natural fertilizer for tomatoes was not enough for all plants, simply make another portion.
Sprinkle baking powder as an alternative to the liquid version
An alternative would be to simply sprinkle the powder on the ground around the plants. The first time you apply the baking powder or baking soda is at the beginning when the tomato plant has reached a size of at least two and a half centimeters. Then do the whole thing a second time a few weeks before harvest.
How often do the tomatoes need to be watered?
It is important that you do not fertilize the tomatoes too often with baking soda. There is then a risk of creating a soil that is too alkaline from the neutralized soil, which in turn makes it more difficult for certain nutrients to be absorbed. To avoid this, you can measure the pH value at regular intervals. There are special test strips for this.
General rules on the frequency of fertilizing tomato plantscan be found here.
Tomato plants, as you know, are very thirsty and you have to water them every day. In general, you can water your tomatoes with baking soda about once a month. If you had very acidic soil, you can initially water with the product every two to three weeks. As long as you test the soil regularly, you should be fine.
And how long should you fertilize tomatoes?
In principle, you can do this as long as fruits are still growing and ripening, always taking the pH value of the garden soil as a guide.
You can find out how to use baking soda against pestsread here.
Can baking soda be harmful to plants?
The positive effects of the powder are known, but in which cases does it cause more harm than good? On the one hand, of course, if you use it too often on neutral ground. Then you risk having a value that is too basic. On the other hand, the powder must not get onto the plants directly and undiluted. So if you make this “fertilizer” for tomatoes yourself, pay attention to the correct concentration and only sprinkle dry powder on the ground and at a sufficient distance from the plant stem.
