Fungi are one of the most common problems that can affect both plants and people. Although today there are a large number of chemical products formulated specifically to eliminate fungi, these products are developed from components that are very aggressive for living beings and the environment. Therefore, except in cases of extreme necessity, it will always be preferable to opt for natural products that are not harmful. One of the components that is most often used when making natural fungicides is sodium bicarbonate, since, due to its properties, it acts very effectively when used for this purpose. If you want to know how to make homemade fungicide with baking sodakeep reading Green Ecology and we will tell you about it.
What are fungicides?
It is known by the name of fungicide to those products or substances that have the ability to eliminate or destroy fungi, whatever nature it may be. Fungi can have very diverse forms, from mushrooms, edible or not, that we find in the field, to microscopic organisms. However, in all cases, what characterizes these living beings is that they are heterotrophs. That is, unlike plants, they have to feed on organic matterwhich implies that they end up being parasites of other organisms.
This means that we can find fungi in plants or animals and, in these cases, it will be necessary to eliminate them so that they do not affect the health of these living beings. For its elimination, it will be when we use fungicides, which will be the products that they will eliminate the fungi but not the living beings that they parasitize.
Thus, apart from the products that are marketed, it is easy to prepare homemade fungicides, as you will see below.
Why is baking soda good for making fungicides?
The first thing to keep in mind is that sodium bicarbonate, or sodium bicarbonate, is used in many homemade and natural formulas because it has very useful characteristics and, at the same time, it constitutes a natural substance with no negative effects for living beings or the environment. In fact, baking soda is widely used in the kitchen in recipe making, as well as a powerful natural antacid when we suffer from poor digestion. In fact, it is precisely because of its antacid action that it can be used as a fungicide. In the following article we explain the uses of baking soda in the garden.
Keep in mind that each living being has a different type of pH. In this sense, acidic pH will be those that range from 1 to 7, while alkaline pH will be those that range from 7 to 14. Likewise, a pH of type 7 will be considered as neutral pH, since, due to its composition, it cannot be considered acid or alkaline.
By their nature, fungi have the facility to live in an acidic environment. This does not mean that they cannot live in environments with a pH higher than 7. However, they will develop and grow better in an environment around a pH around 6 or 5. That is, an acidic environment.
However, sodium bicarbonate has a natural pH around 8. That is, an alkaline pH. Because of this, the sodium bicarbonate acts as a poison for fungias well as in the case of other organisms whose nature is to live in an acidic environment, such as viruses and bacteria.
Due to this, by incorporating sodium bicarbonate in a fungicide recipe, we will be creating an alkaline recipe that favors the elimination of fungi.
How to make homemade fungicide with baking soda?
To prepare a homemade fungicide from baking soda we will only need three ingredients:
- Sodium bicarbonate
- neutral natural soap
- Water
The proportions of the amounts of this fungicide depend on the type of fungus that we want to remove. However, in general, it can be considered that mixing:
- A small tablespoon of baking soda.
- A small spoonful of neutral natural soap.
- A liter of water.
With this mixture, once all the ingredients have been properly dissolved in the water, we can spray indoor and outdoor plants that present fungi that we want to eliminate.
On the other hand, in the event that the fungi that we want to eliminate are in the soil instead of the leaves or the stem of the plant, we can spray this mixture directly on the ground, which will allow it to penetrate inside and even reach the roots. Sometimes plants can become diseased because fungi are directly attacking the roots. Thanks to this formula, we can remove the fungus even from the roots by alkalizing the soil and preventing the fungus from developing.
One of the aspects that we have to take into account when making this natural fungicide is that it is very important that the soap is natural and neutral. In this way, we can be sure that it is not a soap that the plants will give and, furthermore, that the initial pH will not counteract the effect of the sodium bicarbonate.
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