From

Location

Message

Date Posted

North Smithfield, RI USA

To prevent powdery Mildew, How much should I apply ? And since baking soda has a high sodium content, will that be a factor ?

8/6/2005 6:11:06 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Some of the work at Cornell has focused on controlling fungal diseases on cucurbits.(4) A single spray application (to runoff) of 0.5% (wt./vol. of water) baking soda, plus 0.5% (vol./vol. of water) SunSpray UFP® horticultural oil almost completely inhibited PM on heavily infected pumpkin foliage. Baking soda without spray oil was ineffective, and a 2% (wt./vol. of water) solution of baking soda damaged the leaves. Baking soda/oil sprays also provided good control of urocladium leaf spot in cucumber, alternaria leaf blight in muskmelon, and gummy stem blight in muskmelon.(5) Other diseases against which baking soda may prove effective include anthracnose in cucurbits (6); rust, dollar spot, and pythium blight in turf; late blight in potato; rust in wheat; and diseases affecting peanuts, banana, and alfalfa.(7)

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/bakingsoda.html

8/6/2005 7:14:07 PM

Dillsburg, PA

If the goal of spraying baking soda/milk is to change the leafs Ph resulting in pm being discouraged would mollasis with sulfer do the exact same thing? I have been using black strap mollasis this year and have had zero signs of pm-last year pm was all over the place.

8/6/2005 7:42:47 PM

Ontario

so steve in english is that a teaspoon per gallon?

drew

8/6/2005 8:43:21 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

LOL...I probably should have translated the ATTRA data rather than just copying & pasting it into this reply.

.5% (wt./vol. of water) works out to .64oz dry oz (18 grams) of baking soda which got me thinking....

I just pulled out my digital scale & weighed a Teaspoon of Baking Soda = 6.3 grams. So 3 teaspoons were required to make 19 grams (.64 oz). That's the same as a full Tablespoon.

So the formula listed would work out to:

One Tablespoon of Baking Soda + One Tablespoon of Superior Summer Oil per One Gallon of finished spray.

Interesting.

8/6/2005 9:18:57 PM

Ohio

Would regular veg cooking oil work with the baking soda?

8/6/2005 10:02:28 PM

Montoursville, PA

I have used Neam Oil and two tablespoons per gallon of Baking Soda. That roughly equals the above reports plus you get the insecticide, fungicide and miticide which is a natural part, of Neam Oil. Last year I used nothing else until the last three weeks, in September.

The oil base and Baking Soda treatments must be applied weekly and maybe top dressed after a driving rain. They do a very good job on eggs of any insect that places them on the surface of the plant.

8/6/2005 10:22:31 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Brooks,

Vegetable oils aren't refined properly for this use & would likely cause problems for the leaf stomates. Use the real deal.

8/6/2005 11:09:44 PM

Montoursville, PA

Ditto to Tremor! In other gardening experiences I have damaged plants using improper oils which are a temptation, to save a buck. Some garden writers continue to show you how you can do it. They are repeating what they learned from other writers back in the 1950's. Please don't use oils that are not designed, for use on plants.

8/8/2005 10:03:10 AM

North Smithfield, RI USA

Thanks for the info guys !

8/8/2005 6:10:39 PM