My nana says a single spray of this pantry staple can save your plants. Here’s how it works

In the world of gardening, sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones. My nana, a seasoned gardener with decades of experience, swears by a single pantry staple that can work wonders for your plants: baking soda. This common household item, often used in baking and cleaning, can also be a powerful ally in maintaining the health of your garden. With just a single spray, baking soda can help protect your plants from a variety of common issues, making it an invaluable tool for gardeners everywhere.

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO₃. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation and a bicarbonate anion. When dissolved in water, baking soda creates an alkaline solution, which can help neutralize acids. This property is particularly useful in gardening, as many plant diseases thrive in acidic environments. By raising the pH level on the surface of plant leaves, baking soda can create an inhospitable environment for fungi and other pathogens.