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 specifically formulated 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 bicarbonate , keep reading 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 their nature. The fungi can have very diverse forms, from the 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 heterotrophic. That is, unlike plants, they have to feed on organic matter , which 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 will eliminate the fungi but not the living beings that they parasitize .
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, constitutes a natural substance without negative effects on human beings. living or the environment. In fact, baking soda is widely used in cooking 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.
Keep in mind that each living being has a different type of pH. In this sense, the acidic pH will be those that go from 1 to 7, while the alkaline pH will be those that go 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 either acidic or alkaline.
By their nature, fungi are easy to live in an acid environment. This does not mean that they cannot live in environments with a pH greater than 7. However, they will develop and grow best 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. Due to this, sodium bicarbonate acts as a poison for fungi , as well as in the case of other organisms whose nature is to live in an acid environment, such as viruses and bacteria.
Due to this, by incorporating sodium bicarbonate in the recipe of a fungicide, we will be creating an alkaline recipe that favors the elimination of fungi.
How to make homemade fungicide with bicarbonate?
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 will depend on the type of fungus that we want to eliminate. However, in general, you can consider 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 the indoor and outdoor plants that have fungi that we want to eliminate.
On the other hand, in the event that the fungi that we want to eliminate are in the ground 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 , get to the roots. Sometimes plants can become ill because fungi are directly attacking the roots. Thanks to this formula, we can eliminate 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, in addition, that the initial pH will not counteract the effect of the sodium bicarbonate.
