How to Use Baking Soda in the Garden

There are many uses for baking soda in the garden. You can use it to prevent fungal growth, promote healthy plants, and test your soil’s acidity level. You can keep pests like rabbits, bugs, and slugs at bay using baking soda, too. Baking soda also has many sanitary uses, and can help you get garden produce, furniture, and fixtures clean.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Ensuring Healthy Plants

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1
Test the Ph level of your soil. Wet your soil a bit with distilled water. Sprinkle a handful of baking soda over the damp soil. If it begins to bubble, your soil is acidic, meaning its pH is below 5, and will not be able to support healthy plant growth.
- If your soil is acidic, you can raise its pH level by mixing ground or powdered lime into the soil. Over time, your soil will become more alkaline. Wood ashes might also help.^{[1]XExpert SourceBen Barkan
  Garden & Landscape DesignerExpert Interview. 2 June 2020.}
- Search online to find out what pH level the plants you plan on growing require before you make any changes to the soil.
2
Use baking soda as a homemade plant fungicide. Mix four tablespoons of baking soda with one gallon of distilled water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray it on or near plants you suspect could be at risk for fungal diseases, especially, for instance, roses and grapes.^{[2]XResearch source}
- If you have a problem with mildew on your plants, mix one teaspoon baking soda, one quart (one liter) water, and a few drops of liquid soap. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle. Spray the plants that tend to attract mildew.^{[3]XResearch source}
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3
Make a natural fertilizer. Mix one teaspoon baking soda, one teaspoon Epsom salt, half a teaspoon of ammonia, and one gallon (4.5 liters) of water. Pour this mixture in your watering can and apply it just as you would when regularly watering your garden. It’s especially effective at rejuvenating browning plants.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Check online to see if your plants can tolerate fertilizer before you use one.
4
Keep crabgrass and weeds at bay. If you have crabgrass or weeds poking up through your mulch or otherwise encroaching on your garden, spray water on them using a spray bottle or hose. Then, sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda over the weeds or crabgrass.^{[5]XResearch source}
- If you have weeds sprouting from cracks in your patio, pluck them out, then pour boiling water over the spot they were poking out of. Cover the spot heavily with baking soda.
Before transplanting flowers or other plants into pots, coat the bottom with a thin layer of baking soda. Add soil and then add your plant. This will prevent wilting and plant death.^{[6]XResearch source}
When you’ve clipped some flowers from your garden for home display, plop them in a mixture of distilled water with a spoonful of baking soda. This will prevent them from wilting as fast as they otherwise would.
Sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the soil near your tomato plants. The baking soda will get absorbed into the soil and lower its acidity level, making your tomatoes sweeter.
Certain flowers thrive in alkaline soil. If you have begonias, hydrangeas, and geraniums, for instance, mix a few spoonfuls of baking soda into your water can before watering them. This will encourage more beautiful blooms and healthy growth.^{[7]XResearch source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Managing Pests

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Make a natural pesticide. Combine one teaspoon of baking soda, 1/3 cup (79 milliliters) of olive oil, and one cup (237 milliliters) water. Pour the solution in a spray bottle. Aim the spray bottle at the plants you wish to keep insects away from, then squeeze the handle.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Repeat as necessary. It will be necessary to repeat this treatment after it rains.
2
Root out insect infestations. If your preventive pesticide spray doesn’t work, you can make a somewhat stronger variant that will eliminate insects. Mix one tablespoon of olive oil, two tablespoons baking soda, and a few drops of liquid soap. Mix the concoction together and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the liquid liberally about your garden.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Reapply once every three days. Continue to apply even after the insects are gone to dissuade them from returning.
3
Get rid of ants. Yet another baking soda insect spray is tailored specifically toward ants. If you have an ant problem in your garden, mix confectioners’ sugar and baking soda in equal amounts. For instance, you might mix five teaspoons of baking soda and five teaspoons of confectioner’s sugar. Sprinkle the powder in the vicinity of the ant hills. The ants will eat the powdered mix and die.^{[10]XResearch source}
- You might choose to add a spoonful of water to the mix after you’ve combined the sugar and baking soda to help it clump together.
- Don’t use regular sugar, as it won’t cling to the baking soda in the way confectioner’s sugar will.
Sprinkle baking soda around your vegetable garden. Make a thin but visible ring of baking soda around each plant. This will dissuade rabbits from nibbling on them. You will need to apply this mixture regularly, especially after it rains.^{[11]XResearch source}
5
Prevent cabbage worms. Mix baking soda and flour in equal proportions. For instance, you might mix one cup of each together. Dust the mixture over cabbage, kale, broccoli, and other plants that tend to attract cabbage worms.
- You will need to apply this mixture regularly, especially after it rains.
Baking soda is useful for killing slugs. When you see slugs in your garden, just sprinkle them generously in baking soda. This will cause them to shrivel up and die.^{[12]XResearch source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Baking Soda to Clean

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Scrub objects in your garden clean. Baking soda can effectively clean bird baths, clay pots, and garden furniture. Just sprinkle a few spoonfuls of baking soda onto the object you’re interested in cleaning and wipe it down with a damp rag. Rinse the surface with clean water.^{[13]XResearch source}
- You can also use this method to get produce clean, making it ready for consumption.^{[14]XResearch source}
Working in the garden is a dirty job. Even wearing gloves often cannot totally prevent dirt and grime from building up. After spraying your hands down with some water from the garden hose or spigot, sprinkle some baking soda on your hands. Rub them together, not forgetting to scrub within the crevices between each finger or the backs of the hands.
Compost is a mixture of decaying plants and other biodegradable matter. When processed fully, it can be mixed with soil, returning healthy microbes to the soil’s food web and extending its life. Until it’s ready, though, it will be quite stinky. Sprinkle a few spoonfuls of baking soda into your compost bin to soak up the damp stink.

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Is baking soda bad for your garden?
Maggie Moran
Home & Garden Specialist
Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
Maggie Moran
Home & Garden Specialist
Expert Answer
It can actually be helpful. Baking soda can minimize diseases during the spring as the plant grows.
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What does sodium bicarbonate do to plants?
Maggie Moran
Home & Garden Specialist
Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
Maggie Moran
Home & Garden Specialist
Expert Answer
It is a fungicide and will help keep any growths off your plants. One risk is something called foliar burn, which appears on leaves as small brown and yellow patches.
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What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
Maggie Moran
Home & Garden Specialist
Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
Maggie Moran
Home & Garden Specialist
Expert Answer
Baking soda is made of one ingredient that's ground up. Baking powder has other things added to it.
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