6+ clever baking soda hacks for your garden

Baking soda has so many uses in the house, especially for cooking and cleaning. And who doesn't have a carton of it in the refrigerator to take away odors?
But its versatility moves seamlessly outside your house and into the garden. It's an inexpensive and environmentally-friendly product, so it can provide an endless list of benefits without damaging the ecology or your budget.
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Here are six baking soda hacks for your garden. You'll probably discover many more on your own.
1. Use it as a fertilizer
Give your plants a boost by mixing together one teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of clear ammonia, and one teaspoon of Epsom salt in a gallon of water. Stir it well, and give each plant about a quart of the solution.
2. Use it as a pesticide
Baking soda can effectively reduce insect infestations. It probably won't kill the aphids, scales, and spider mites, but it will repel them. Just mix one teaspoon of baking soda and 1/3 cup of olive oil. Measure out 2 teaspoons of this mixture, and add it to 1 cup of water. Mix it all together and spray it on the infected plants.
3. Spray it on plants to prevent and treat fungal disease
Prepare a solution of one tablespoon of baking soda with 2-1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a gallon of water. Add a few drops of liquid soap and spray it on the foliage of your plants. This treatment is effective in the vegetable garden, on fruit trees, rose bushes, vines, and flowers.
4. Use it as a weed killer
You can use baking soda full strength on weeds that pop up in patio and walkway cracks. You'll kill the small weeds and prevent new ones from growing.
For garden weeds, moisten them first and sprinkle about a teaspoon of baking soda on the foliage. Make sure to cover the entire weed, but don't get it on your good plants or grass.
5. Mix it into the ground to sweeten your soil
If you have acidic soil, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on it to raise the pH level. You will be pleasantly surprised by fewer weeds, more flowers, and a higher yield.
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6. Clean your garden furniture with it
Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid in a gallon of warm water. Use a sponge to clean garden furniture. After you rinse it off, it will look brand new. You can also clean your bird bath, clay pots, recycling bins, and even your hands.