Baking Soda And Weed: How to Use Baking Soda When Growing Cannabis

Who knew that the see-through, salty crystals we use to bake could have benefits in our gardens? Sodium bicarbonate paired with water creates a potent garden spray effective at treating and preventing powdery mildew, black spot fungus, leaf fungus, and soil gnats. Baking soda solutions can also help keep critters away, eliminate undesired grass near cultivated plots, or remove coatings with substances such as nutrients and pesticide spills. Keep reading to learn more about the various benefits of using baking soda solutions in your cannabis garden.

Baking powder is a well-known baking ingredient that gives breads, pastries, muffins, and cakes their fluffy texture. Soda powder is reactive with acids like lemon juice and vinegar to produce carbon dioxide gas, which makes the dough rise.

Besides being a versatile kitchen ingredient, baking soda can also be used for multiple other things around the household. It helps suppress foul fridge odors; it can be used as a kitchen cleaner and whitening agent for laundry. You can remove carpet stains with it, and you can even use it to whiten teeth or as a mouthwash.

Baking soda is an effective pest control agent in cannabis gardens and can help treat plants during the vegetative or early flowering stages. If you notice a residue after applying your solution, gently rinse the foliage. Like other garden supplements, soda solutions should not be used when plants have entered the advanced flowering stage.

Below, let’s skim through the various uses of baking soda in your cannabis garden.

How to Use Baking Soda for Fungal Plant Diseases?

You can prepare several different baking soda solutions or sprays, depending on the fungal spread you detect.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is a common issue for gardeners who live in humid climates. But don’t worry, there’s an easy solution! Baking soda can act as a fungicide to kill the mildew by disrupting the ion balance in the fungal cells. All you need to do is mix up a simple solution of baking soda and water, and spray it on your plants.

Powdery mildew solution ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. of baking soda
• 1 tbsp. of dishwashing liquid (or half tbsp. for a lighter concentration)
• 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil (for surfactant purposes)
• 1 gallon of water

Application:

• To avoid foliage burns, outdoor cannabis plants should be sprayed weekly when the sky is gray. Soda may cause foliage burns in combination with sun exposure.
• Keep your indoor cannabis plants turned off and let them cool during the light hours. However, once it becomes dark outside, turn the lights back on again until they appear dry.
• If necessary, remove any moisture from the leaves before turning the lights back on or moving the plants into direct sunlight.
• Make sure you dilute the solution well before using it.
• Not only can the spray be used for washing vegetables, but it is also effective on other garden flowers like zinnias, impatiens, squash and cucumbers.

Leaf Fungus and Soil Gnats

Before you start, cut away some of the leaves on your cannabis plants that have been most affected. To make the solution, mix four teaspoons of baking soda with one teaspoon of castile soap in a gallon of water. Once it is mixed thoroughly, treat the foliage and soil as needed.

You can also make an anti-fungal spray for Cannabis by mixing a gallon of water, a tablespoon of baking soda, and two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add half a teaspoon of castile soap to the mixture and spray it on the affected area until the fungus disappears. This same solution can be used for tomato plants.

Black Spot Fungus

This baking soda and water mixture is a simple, effective way to combat black spot fungus on your plants. Just mix four teaspoons of baking soda with a gallon of water and spray it on the affected plants. Avoid using this solution when the plants are exposed to heat or direct sunlight, though. You can also use it on roses and grape vines in the early fruiting stage.

How to Kill Bugs with Baking Soda?

Sodium bicarbonate can also deter various types of insects, including sap-sucking caterpillars, carpenter ants, and silverfish.

Sap-sucking pests

A solution of two tablespoons of baking soda and two tablespoons of organic, bio-degradable soap stirred in two cups of water can work as an excellent deterrent. Using natural soap solutions is strongly advised so as not to harm the growing environment with chemicals.

Start by spraying your plants with a diluted solution if they’re young. A more concentrated dose may damage the leaves, particularly if they already look weaker because of infestations. Spray your plants weekly or as needed—for example, after it rains in outdoor gardens. When indoor plants are getting sprayed, make sure the lights are off first.

Caterpillars

To prepare, mix together baking soda and regular flour in equal parts. Then, apply the mixture directly to the plants. The caterpillars will eat it and die within a few days. If they come back, repeat the process.

Other critters

For a pest-free home, sprinkle soda powder around doorways, windowsills, and plumbing fixtures. You can also put it under sinks or anywhere else you see bugs such as ants, cockroaches, silverfish, etc. They will not be able to cross the line. To control slugs specifically ,apply baking soda directly to them.

How to Eliminate Pesky Weeds?

We all know how terrible it can be when crabgrass, bindweed, and nutsedge start to overrun our once perfect lawns- not to mention the insects they attract. The good news is that there are several natural methods of getting rid of excess grass without harsh chemicals; one method being baking soda.

Soda powder is an eco-friendly weed killer that will eliminate existing weeds and prevent new growth. However, apply with caution if near Cannabis plants or cultivated grass plots. This treatment is most effective for actively growing weeds, such as during spring or fall seasons. In the summertime, when weeds are more difficult to manage, soda may not be as effective.

How to Fix Other Plant Damage with Baking Soda?

Unfortunately, sometimes growers have to remove various types of deposits that might coat cannabis plants. Things like excess nutrient or pesticide spills, bad weather, and even nearby construction efforts can al impact a plant’s key metabolic processes- such as photosynthesis and transpiration- by causing a coating.

To remove harmful coatings, mix one teaspoon of baking soda, one teaspoon of Epsom salt, and half a tablespoon of clear ammonia with a gallon of water.

If you’re worried about rain damaging your outdoor Cannabis plants, spraying them with this mixture should help. You can also use it to clean indoor plants, but make sure not to overwater them and rinse the foliage afterwards to keep it fresh.

Another key consideration is to be careful not to oversaturate the soil with baking soda, as this could lead to salt deposits that must then be flushed out. This becomes especially important if you live near the ocean, as naturally high salt levels in the soil could create an imbalance. too much or too little salt content can impede optimal Cannabis growth by affecting pH levels (which should remain between 5.8 and 6.8).

How to Test Soil with Soda Powder?

If you think acidic soils might be stunting your plants’ growth, try this quick and easy test using baking soda. Just sprinkle some sodium bicarbonate on damp soil in your garden. If bubbles form, that means the pH is below 5, which explains why your plants aren’t doing as well as they could be.

Can You Clean Garden Tools with Baking Soda?

There are hundreds of ways to utilize baking soda around the house, and one of them is cleaning. Add enough water so that the baking soda mixture has a hand gel-like consistency. Most grower tools, such as watering cans, clay pots, sprayers, and plant containers can be scrubbed with this paste. The same solution also works well for removing dirt from hands after a long day in the garden or for getting rid of smelly odors in trashcans and other places.