Spraying tomatoes with baking soda - protection against tomato diseases
Contents
if you are in warmer (southern) areas, you can already start planting tomatoes .
If you are in the northern parts of Croatia, you can start planting around February 20, when temperatures are above 10 degrees .
Namely, tomato seeds can germinate at a minimum temperature of 10 degrees,
while the ideal temperature for fruit development is between 18 and 22 degrees .
A statement on baking soda as a beneficial antifungal agent that can be used in the cultivation of various agricultural crops has appeared on the website of ATTRA,
a program developed and managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology ( NCAT ) .
Although concerns initially developed about sodium, which can destroy leaves, roots,
other parts of the plant and later affect plants (it can remain in the soil), further
research has found that this is not enough to cause serious damage.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared sodium bicarbonate safe for edible plants .
How to recognize fungi (mold) on tomatoes?
Tomato diseases, like fungi on the leaves,
thrive best when the humidity is high and the air temperature is between 15 and 20 degrees.
Some types of fungi can spread very quickly to the rest of the leaves and plants and cause fruit rot.
You can identify fungi (mold) based on:
- Brown or black spots on the leaves - which can lead to complete infection of the plant, stem and fruit.
- White spots on the upper side of the leaf.
- Gray protrusions with dark edges - which may indicate root disease.
Whatever it is, it is not incurable .
The most famous natural way to fight different types of fungi on a plant is baking soda .
Baking soda for tomatoes
And while you are looking forward to the bite of your delicious home-grown tomato,
you can notice unusual spots on the leaves (like mushrooms).
Before you decide to use dangerous and harmful chemicals, try a simple trick - baking soda,
which is effective for various tomato diseases.
It can also be used to protect tomatoes from flamingos.
What is baking soda?
The chemical formula of baking soda is NAHCO3 or sodium bicarbonate.
And to the question of whether it is natural the answer is - yes.
This chemical compound can be found in springs, geysers and other places that are rich in sulfur.
Therefore, baking soda is a completely natural, organic addition to your garden.
How does it work?
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a compound that can help with various diseases that can befall tomatoes such as:
- fungal infections,
- parasite,
- decay,
- flamingos, etc.
It does not work by killing fungal diseases but changes the pH balance of the leaves from 7 to 8 so that fungal spores cannot germinate and multiply.
Baking soda spray can also be used to protect tomatoes from smelly martinis.
Do not spray the tomato in the afternoon,
the best time is in the morning or evening so that the plant is not damaged.
Baking soda spray recipes
Recipes for making baking soda spray are very simple and quick to prepare, and act on tomato diseases.
All you have to do is put well-mixed ingredients in your garden sprayer .
Below we bring you 2 recipes .
1. Recipe for baking soda spray
The first recipe, according to the advice of a gardener from Santa Clara,
who is one of the most famous tomato producers in the world,
combines 5 tablespoons of horticultural oil with 7.5 liters of water .
Mix water and oil well.
Then add 8 tablespoons of baking soda and stir until completely dissolved.
2. Recipe for baking soda spray and natural dishwashing detergent
It is necessary to add a natural dishwashing detergent to this recipe.
Care must be taken to ensure that it does not contain bleach, fragrances or other additives.
Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of horticultural oil and 4 drops of dishwashing detergent in 7.5 liters of water .
Baking soda spraying - a procedure
1. Before applying the spray, remove as many affected leaves from the plant as possible.
2. Spray your plants with water only to open the pores.
3. Only now follows the application of a mixture of baking soda.
Apply it thoroughly all over the plant . Don’t forget the undersides of the leaves.
4. Repeat the procedure every day, for seven to eight days, until you bring the disease under control.
5. You can also use this method to spray tomatoes in a greenhouse.
The downsides of baking soda spray for tomatoes
As with most things, the key is moderation .
Excessive and frequent use of baking soda spray can cause the leaves to dry out .
In addition, baking soda can accumulate in the soil where it absorbs iron and calcium and prevents the absorption of iron into the plant.
This can result in slow growth or yellowish leaves.
Additional tips for plant protection
In addition to baking soda, milk can also be used to protect plants .
Spraying peppers with milk and spraying cucumbers with milk is especially popular.
Read more about protecting plants with milk in our article -> Protecting plants with milk - how to prepare and use milk for plant protection?
Among other things, the protection of tomatoes is possible by using blue galica, which is also called Bordeaux soup .
This combination of blue galica and limestone is most commonly used to protect vines.
You can read more about blue galica and its use -> Bordeaux soup - formula, price and preparation .
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