Recently, more and more summer residents who are interested in growing this crop have been treating grapes with baking soda. In their opinion, this is the best alternative to dangerous drugs offered by the chemical industry. But is this really true? And what diseases can this substance cure? In particular, people are interested in whether it can cope with common grape problems.
What's the benefit?
Grapes are a crop that is especially susceptible to the negative effects of various diseases and pests.The gardener who grows it faces a dilemma - whether or not to use chemical plant protection products. I want to eat organic, clean products, since the fruits are grown with my own hands.
A substance that every person has at home - baking soda - helps protect grapes without any harmful chemicals. Absolutely harmless and does not accumulate in fruits. At the same time, it is distinguished by a sufficient level of efficiency that allows it to cope with most of the problems that gardeners have with grapes.
The benefits of soda are multifaceted. She is able to deal with various problems, doing it in a way that is kind to nature. In short, the main advantages of this substance are as follows:
- completely harmless to the plant and its fruits;
- does not pose a danger to humans, which is why even ripe fruits are treated with it shortly before harvesting;
- thanks to it, the berries gain sugar;
- soda rejuvenates the plant;
- fights scab.
As can be seen from the list, soda can have both a therapeutic and preventive effect.
Indications for use
As has already been found out, the advantage of soda is that the drug helps to cope with numerous diseases of this crop, and that, in addition to treating grape diseases, it strengthens and rejuvenates the vine, making the berries tastier. But still, the first reason is the main reason why this substance is used.
So what diseases is soda used to treat? What misfortunes does it relieve? The list includes the problems faced by summer residents in our country who grow grapes:
- powdery mildew;
- gray rot;
- pests;
- weeds.
In most cases, winegrowers suffer from these four things.
Powdery mildew or oidium is an extremely common fungal disease that affects plant tissue. Most garden and vegetable crops suffer from it, especially on cool, humid days. Gray plaque affects both leaves and fruits. Because of this, an unpleasant odor may emanate from the vineyard.
But the second disease, although also a fungal disease, affects the berries themselves, infecting the bunches even during the flowering period. Ripe fruits become stained and quickly rot. It is extremely difficult to detect rot before the ripening period.
Soda works well against caterpillars that eat the leaves of the plant, as well as weeds that interfere with its growth.
Methods for preparing a solution for treatment
There are ways to prepare various soda-based solutions, depending on the purpose of their use. Some proportions are used to treat fungal diseases, while others are used to get rid of weeds or pests. Compliance with the recipe is quite important and greatly affects the effectiveness of the manufactured drug.
To treat gray rot, different solutions are used, depending on the degree of infection. The proportions for each of them are calculated for 10 liters of water. So, if the infection has just begun and only a few berries are affected by spots, a weak version of the drug is used. For this, add three tablespoons of soda to the specified amount of water.
If the disease has reached an advanced stage, a solution is made from additional components. For him they take a bucket of water:
- two teaspoons of soda powder;
- a quarter glass of oil;
- a couple of glasses of soap solution.
Everything is mixed.
As already noted, powdery mildew is often treated with soda solution. Various medications are made for both treatment and prevention of fungal infections.In the first case, the solution is prepared at the rate of 5 grams of soda powder per liter of water. In the second case, soap is additionally used. Here they take 10 liters of water:
- 50 grams of soda;
- 20 grams of soap.
By mixing all this, you get the desired drug.
But they protect against pests not with solutions, but with a special powder. To prepare it, soda is mixed in equal proportions with wheat flour. If this powder is dissolved in water, it provides protection against unwanted plants.
How to treat grapes with baking soda?
Treating grapes with eco-preparations based on baking soda is not a particularly difficult task. And we are talking about both treatment and prevention. Sometimes treatment with soda, for its effectiveness, requires compliance with the correct timing, but otherwise there are no difficulties.
So, to cure a plant from powdery mildew, spray the grapes as often as possible, using the solution described above. At the same time, preventive treatment is limited in time - it is carried out only before flowering, starting three weeks before its expected start.
Some solutions are treated only in the summer, due to the fact that they act exclusively under certain weather conditions. For example, a solution against gray rot is used for treatment only in dry and cloudy weather, during the period when the berries are actively ripening. Spray at least once every five days.
Anti-caterpillar powder is sprinkled on as many leaves as possible on the vine. This ensures that the pest will eat it and die.
As you can easily see, the rules for using soda preparations are very simple. This alone cannot be compared with industrial agrochemicals.
Useful tips from gardeners
There are a number of simple tips that will allow the gardener to avoid mistakes and achieve maximum efficiency in the use of soda-based preparations in grape processing.
- So, taking advantage of the fact that it is possible, soda is used to process this crop in almost any quantity, but the acid-base balance of the soil is constantly checked. If an excess of alkali is noticed, the doses are reduced.
- Treatment should be carried out only in dry weather when the sun is not shining. Otherwise, the solution will either dry out quickly or be washed away.
- Grapes need to be processed not only for the purpose of treatment, but also for prevention. Preventive measures will save you from unnecessary problems in the future.
Such simple tips will be useful to every summer resident.
Conclusion
Treating grapes with soda is an alternative to the use of chemicals in the fight against diseases and pests. Since this crop is quite susceptible to their negative influence, it is important to use preparations based on white powder not only for medicinal, but also for preventive purposes.
The best remedy in both cases is solutions, to which soap is sometimes added. They are sprayed quite often. Fortunately, they are completely safe for humans and the environment.
