Baking soda is a surprising ally for your tomato plants — just maybe not for the exact reasons you think.
The scoop
Farmer Noah Young deployed Shiloh Farm's TikTok account (@theshilohfarm) to share the myths and truths about how the common household item aids tomato plants.
@shilohfarm 3 Reasons we use baking soda on our tomatoes 🍅 #bakingsoda #tomatoes #tomato #weeding #garden #gardening #tip #tips #homestead #plant #plants #plantlover #gardener #farm #farming #shilohfarm #funfact #facts #education #lifehacks #organic #food #vegetables #fruit #homemade #herbicide #foodblogger #grow #beginner #myth #kids #cute #plants #plantsoftiktok #gardening101 #farmtok #farmer #tipsandtricks ♬ Here Comes the Sun - Relaxing Instrumental Music
Young identifies three reasons the farm uses baking soda with an adorable kid playing sidekick. After the boy suggests baking soda makes tomatoes sweeter, Young debunks that myth quickly. Rather, baking soda combats blight, a disease affecting plants like tomatoes and potatoes.
The second use is fending off common pests such as aphids, snails, and slugs by sprinkling it over the plants. For the third use, we have a bit of a misdirect. This time, it's Young making the mistake with the kid correcting him right away and saying it doesn't do that, but it does kill mildew.
"It's really tough to control, but pretty easy to prevent if you know this super secret formula," Young reveals.
To combat mildew, he suggests a mixture of one tablespoon of baking soda, a half teaspoon of dish soap, and a gallon of water as a spray to protect tomatoes.
How it's helping
Gardening is a rewarding hobby, but pests, diseases, and struggling plants can stand in the way of the activity's physical and mental health benefits. Especially with tomatoes, harvesting your own can help you save money and enjoy better-tasting and more nutritious produce.
These methods not only safeguard plants but also offer an eco-friendly alternative to conventional pesticides, which can harm the environment through toxic runoff into water sources.
Young's hack uses inexpensive objects most likely lying around the house to address common challenges for home growers. He also clears up the capabilities and limitations, so if weeds or less tasty tomatoes are plaguing you, you'll know to look elsewhere for solutions.
Fortunately, tomato hacks abound on the internet. There are ones to generate greater tomato harvests than you might even want. Young's method, meanwhile, takes on some common opponents in a successful tomato crop.
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Viewers loved the video and the dynamic between Young and the kid on-screen.
"Dish soap & baking soda works on your whole garden," one shared. "My grandma used to swear by it, and she had an amazing garden."
"Idk who to believe u or the kid," a viewer joked.
"Baking soda has so many uses," a commenter remarked.
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