How to treat cabbage against pests with soda and is it possible?

Pests in the garden are a familiar matter to many summer residents. How to deal with them without resorting to chemicals. Baking soda can help in this difficult fight.

Pests that attack cabbage

The number of insects that harm cabbage beds is small, but the problem is that they are very difficult to remove.

• Cruciferous flea beetle. A small jumping insect that destroys three times its own weight in green leaves in one day. Young crops and Chinese cabbage suffer the most.
• Caterpillars.The eggs laid by the butterflies are hatched and voracious caterpillars are born, which are capable of destroying many heads of cabbage.
• Aphid. Green insect. Affects young plants. The leaves curl and black spots appear on them.
• Cabbage fly larvae. Destroy the underground part of the plant.
• Slugs and snails. Nocturnal pests that are difficult to catch during the day. And they cause a lot of harm, because all they do all night is eat.

Baking soda is the enemy of many pests.

To get rid of annoying insects that not only harm, but also destroy entire plants, you can use a means at hand.

A solution of baking soda or sodium bicarbonate itself is intolerable to many of them. Therefore, timely treatment will help get rid of pests for some time.

There is no need to worry about a white coating remaining on the plant after treatment. It is absolutely harmless to the human body.

Pest control soda for cabbage:

1. Seed treatment method.

First of all, you can process the seeds prepared for planting. Baking soda acts as an antiseptic. Pre-settle 1 liter of water, then add 5 grams to it. soda Stir and place the seeds in it for 4-6 hours.

2. Methods protecting cabbage from caterpillars.

The caterpillars that cause irreparable damage to cabbage forks cannot tolerate soda. You don’t even have to dilute the solution; just sprinkle the leaves with dry soda. Preferably on both sides. A greater effect can be achieved if you treat the plant early in the morning. When the dew has not yet dried, this will help keep the substance on the cabbage longer.

Another way to protect against caterpillars is to mix equal amounts of flour and soda. Also sprinkle on the leaves.

3. Way protecting cabbage from slugs.

Tillage will help in the fight against these pests. It is enough to sprinkle the area around the cabbage with baking soda several times a season.

4. Methods protecting cabbage from aphids.

Small insects can destroy a plant completely, so a lot of time is spent fighting them. Spraying with a soda solution will help protect cabbage from aphids. For 10 liters of water 4 tbsp. spoons of the substance and 2 tbsp. spoons of liquid soap. Pour into a spray bottle and treat the plants.

Using soda gives a short-term effect, but the undoubted advantage is that it is a completely safe method of control. It is enough to treat several times during one season and insects will not cause much damage.

What you need to know when preparing a soda solution

You can treat plants with soda, but you must do everything correctly. Otherwise the effect will be negative.

• The solution is used immediately after preparation.
• Do not use aluminum or metal utensils.
• The water should be clean, filtered if possible.

Water temperature no more than 50 ⁰C. The higher the degree, the more soda loses its beneficial properties.

Pests in the garden are a sore subject for all summer residents; soda copes with many of them. But it also helps against diseases of various plants. For example, it helps to cope with powdery mildew, late blight and many others.

Additional available insect control products

In addition to sodium bicarbonate, pests on cabbage can be controlled in other ways, without the use of chemicals.

Methods that destroy most pests:

• Valerian infusion. For 3 liters of water, a bottle of valerian and 1 tbsp. spoon of liquid soap. Cabbage should be treated with this solution.This will repel insects and allow them to grow further.
• Ammonia. Take 1 bottle and dilute it into 5 liters. water while adding 1-2 tablespoons of liquid soap.
• Garlic. Take 800 gr. pour boiling water over garlic (preferably unpeeled). Let simmer for another 2 hours. Then pour the resulting solution, diluted half with water, over the beds with plants. This helps control aphids and other pests.

Infusions for processing

You can prepare various herbal infusions yourself. Treat the plantings with them and reduce the number of harmful insects.

1. Onion peels, tomato tops (from aphids and caterpillars). Take 500 gr. husks, add 2 l. boiling water, leave for 1-2 days. Then add 2 liters of water and 1-2 tbsp. spoons of liquid soap. Brew 1.5–2 kg of tomato tops into 5 liters. water, let stand for 4 hours, then boil for 3 hours. Strain and mix with water 1:2 (decoction - water). After both infusions are ready, they are mixed in a 1:1 ratio. The resulting mixture can be used to process cabbage.
2. Ash, tobacco dust, mustard and liquid soap. A glass of ash, a glass of tobacco dust, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of mustard and 1 tbsp. spoon of liquid soap, pour boiling water (10 l.) Leave for a day. Treat beds with cabbage from aphids.
3. Ash and tar shampoo. 1 cup ash, 1–2 tbsp. spoons of shampoo and 5 l. water. Leave for a day and spray against caterpillars on cabbage and cruciferous flea beetles.

Other ways to fight

In addition to preparing infusions, there are the following methods, grouped by pests.

From caterpillars:

• Sticks are placed on the beds and egg shells are hung on them. There is no scientific evidence for this method, but it’s worth a try. Butterflies, seeing the shells, think that the area is occupied, so they prefer not to waste time and fly past.
• Various covering materials also help. The more difficult it is for a butterfly to get to a plant to lay an egg, the more likely it is that they will remain intact.
• They are collected by hand
• To attract wasps, cabbage is sprayed with sweet water. Then these insects will do everything themselves.

From slugs:

• Setting up traps. Containers with beer, sweet water with yeast are installed. It is advisable to bury it flush with the ground. In the morning, just walk through and collect insects.
• Sprinkle the row spacing with crushed shells or dry mustard.
• You can lay nettles, but you need to do this every day, the grass must be fresh.

Cruciferous flea beetle:

• Vinegar. For this you need table vinegar, 250 ml per bucket of water. Use a watering solution.
• Fir oil. Add to water and water the beds.

Fighting aphids:

• Treat the cabbage with soapy water. 10 liters of water and 300 gr. soap Spray the entire plant.
• You can plant crops that repel pests around the garden bed. Garlic, dill, parsley, sage and many others are suitable. It is important that the plant emits a strong odor.

Baking soda is used to protect cabbage from pests. It is important to remember that although it is safe for human health, it should still be used with caution.

At the same time, observing all the necessary requirements, and under no circumstances increasing the dosage. It is best to use complex methods, in total their effect is much higher.