Our superior Topsoil and Compost are nutrient-rich blends that are excellent at promoting healthy plant growth. Keep your garden looking its best with Less Mess products, some TLC, and every gardener’s secret ingredient, baking soda!
Find out how baking soda boosts your garden below:
1. Test pH levels
Test your soil’s pH level by wetting an area and sprinkling a little bit of baking soda over the damp part. If the soil begins to bubble, then it has an acidity level of 5 or below. For the best growing conditions, a pH level of 5 or higher is recommended, as most flowers thrive in alkaline soil! To increase the pH of the soil, mix in more baking soda.
2. Keep Potted Plants Fresher
Keep your plants fresh longer by coating the inside of the pot with a thin layer of baking soda before you plant them. This technique helps control the soil’s pH level as mentioned previously. Healthy soil produces healthy plants!
3. Fungicide
Store-bought fungicide can be full of harsh chemicals that are not good for you or the environment. Create a homemade fungicide by mixing 4 teaspoons of baking soda with 1 gallon of water. This concoction works just as effectively as some store-bought formulas, for a quarter of the price!
4. Kills Pests (ants, cabbage worms, slugs)
Garden pests such as ants, cabbage worms, and slugs can be an enormous hassle for any gardener. To eliminate ants, get the anthill damp, pour baking soda on it, and a half hour later add some vinegar; the ants will ingest the mixture and die. To target cabbage worms, mix an equal amount of baking soda and flour together, and dust the mixture over your affected plants. Finally, if slugs are the issue, pour baking soda directly on them to eliminate this problem.
5. Clean Bird Baths
Keep your bird bath clean and the birds happy without the use of toxic or dangerous chemicals. Mix baking soda with warm water and use a damp cloth to wipe away dirt and stains. Make sure to thoroughly rinse the bird bath before refilling the water to ensure a safe place for the birds to return to!
6. Washing hands
At the end of a long day gardening, use baking soda to get caked-on gunk and grime off your hands. Wash with soap, water, and a small amount of baking soda to watch the dirt melt away. Make sure to rinse your hands thoroughly to avoid irritation!
