Home remedies: how does baking soda help against powdery mildew?

Soda is suitable as a harmless home remedy for many uses. In the garden, it helps against powdery mildew, among other things. How this works and how to use baking soda against powdery mildew can be found in this text.

Recognize powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is different types of fungus on leaf plants. Each species specializes in certain plants.

Powdery mildew (fair weather mushroom)

• wipeable, whitish deposits on the leaves and shoots
• Coatings later turn brown
• affected leaves dry up and fall off
• Growth of the plant stalls, later comes to a standstill
• Cripple shoots
• this group of mushrooms prefers dry, warm weather
• particularly endangered plants: Roses, Cucumber, Gooseberries

Downy mildew (bad weather fungus)

• Upper side of the leaf shows yellowish spots
• gray deposits form on the underside of the leaves
• Leaves die off over time
• these mushrooms grow better in damp, cool weather
• particularly endangered plants: ornamental plants, leafy and cabbage vegetables

Effect of baking soda

Mildew fungi need a certain pH value on the plants in order to be able to grow and thrive there. Soda changes the pH value to be alkaline. The fungus disappears over time or cannot gain a foothold in the first place. However, edible soda works almost exclusively with powdery mildew, downy mildew is not as sensitive as regards the pH value.

Note: While baking soda and baking soda are not the same thing, the difference does not go negatively when it comes to treating mushrooms.

Use baking soda against powdery mildew

First you need the following ingredients and utensils to make the soda water:

• 1-2 teaspoons of baking soda, for example as baking powder or pure baking soda
• 1 liter of water
• spray bottle

How to use the soda-water solution successfully:

1. Mix the baking soda with water and pour into a spray bottle.
2. Spray the plants with the mixture. Wet both the top and the bottom of the plant.
3. Wipe large-leaved plants with the solution.
4. The mixture is also suitable for the preventive fight against fungal diseases.
5. Re-spray plants every one to two weeks.

With vegetables, it is helpful if the mixture is also mixed with a little vegetable oil and an emulsifier. This increases the effect. Shake the mixture well before use.

Note: An emulsifier ensures that water and oil can mix. A splash of detergent is enough in the garden.

More tips for combating fungal diseases

Before spraying the plant, remove most of the infected parts of the plant. To do this, cut off as many leaves and shoots as possible without endangering the life of the plant. Then clean and disinfect the tools used. Generously replace the soil beneath the plant, and remove any mulch cover that may be present. Do not dispose of all plant residues, replaced soil and the old mulch material on the compost, but in the residual waste. Fungal spores can persist for a very long time.

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