8 comments by Halley -Author at MIGardener
Control Tomato Blight & Powdery Mildew Organically With Baking Soda
VIDEO: EZ Baking Soda Fungicide
As Organic gardeners, we seem the get the short end of the stick when it comes to effective disease preventing tools. We seem to be the first to get blight on our tomatoes, and the first to get powdery mildew as well! This not only effects our tomato plants, but our zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, melons, potatoes, and even beans! BUT there is one fool proof method to preventing, and even STOPPING the spread of powdery mildew, and blight. That is by using the power of baking soda.
What DoesTomato Blight Look like?
What Does Powdery Mildew Look Like?
What is Baking Soda?
Baking soda is NAHCO3or SodiumBicarbonate. Is it natural? The answer is YES. Sodium bicarbonate is found very commonly by hot springs, geysers, and many sulfur rich places. So this does count as an organic supplement for your garden. But the real question is,
Does it work?
YES.
How it works:
Baking Soda works by creating an alkaline environment on the leaf,
and fungus (powdery mildew and blight are both fungi) cannot colonize the surface of the leaf since they need a neutral pH (around 7.0) to survive and thrive. This spray of water and Baking soda will change the pH of the leaf from around 7.0 to around 8.0, this change is enough to kill, and prevent all blight spores!
HOW TO APPLY:
Step 1: Mix 3tablespoons baking soda with 1 gallon of water.This is the baking soda we use: Arm and Hammer Pure Baking Soda.
Step 2: Mix in1 tablespoon vegetable oil,or cooking oil of your choice. This helps the spray to stick to the leaves.
Step 3: Mix in 2 drops of dish soap to help emulsify (mix) everything. I recommend using a gentle dish soap since many have harmful chemicals and are not good for soil life. I get the Planet Ultra Brand and it works just a good to be honest. I used to use palmolive but switched last year once I saw all the harsh chemicals in it.
Step 4: Spray on tops and bottoms of leaves till dripping
Tip: Begin with 3 tablespoons, and apply that amount one time each week for 3 weeks. Then switch to 3 1/2 Tablespoons if fungus is still growing, or spreading.
WARNING: Start spraying in the morning or evening - Spraying in the heat of the day can harm your leaves.
8 comments
Stephen Moriarty
Does it matter if the baking soda was never opened but it was old.
Mary Hartner
In a post I wrote down from you just last week you said 1-11/2 T of baking soda to a gallon of water, any more than that will damage the ph of the plant. Here you said 3T to a gallon of water. Which is it?
This post you said too and bottom of leaves and the other you said top of leaves only. I’m so confusedShirley Lerner
Would this treatment work on powdery mildew on zinnias and other flowering plants as well?
Aly
Ive been reading alot about potassium bicarbonate and here you talk about the sodium kind, whats the difference in shutting down Powdery Mildew on pumpkins if there is one. I did spray with some neem oil and water but Im not a big fan. How often should I spray using your recipe? Daily, weekly? Thanks!
Dj Scott
I’ve done a lot of research on this topic and potassium bicarbonate works much better than calcium bicarbonate ( baking soda) and you don’t need to add oil ( which can be phytotoxic) You can purchase it where they sell beer making supplies or Amazon.
