Why Baking Soda Is The Secret To Thriving Tomato Plants

Tomatoes are among the most popular garden vegetables in the United States. They also have a reputation for being a bit difficult to grow and, as a result, some gardeners may be reluctant to plant them. However, there are a number of tricks available that can be used to ensure a good yield, from knowing the best time of year to plant tomatoes to proper pruning and composting. Of course, it's also worthwhile knowing what vegetables you shouldn't plant next to tomatoes. However, one of the best things to utilize to enhance your tomato crop may be sitting in your pantry — or refrigerator — at this very moment: baking soda.

Although baking soda is a salt and can harm plants if too much is used, when carefully utilized, it can provide a wide range of benefits to tomato plants. Even the USDA recommends it as a way to treat diseases in tomato plants. In addition to preventing and treating disease, employing baking soda as part of your gardening routine may result in sweeter tasting tomatoes. It is also incredibly easy to use, so here's how to properly apply it.

There are few ways that baking soda can be used to ensure you have thriving tomato plants. In order to prevent and/or treat disease on tomato plants, you can spray them with a DIY solution utilizing baking soda. To make this concoction, mix a large tablespoon of baking soda into a gallon of water along with a teaspoon of vegetable oil, and a few drops of dish soap. Place this solution in a handheld sprayer, such as the Chapin 2000 One Gallon Lawn and Garden Sprayer, and mist the tomato plants. This solution should be reapplied with regularity in order to continue working.

Gardeners who are hoping to enhance the taste of their vegetables know that there are some hacks for sweeter tomatoes that don't always work, like adding Epsom salt around soil that already has enough magnesium. However, adding baking soda to the soil around your tomato plants is one trick that does result in sweeter tomatoes. This is incredibly simple to do. All it takes is sprinkling a bit of baking soda on the soil surrounding the tomato plants once every seven to 10 days. Be sure not to let any baking soda fall on the plants themselves, as it can cause more harm than good. If you do accidently get some on the plant itself, quickly rinse with water. Now, all that is left is to enjoy your tasty tomatoes.