How to treat grapes with baking soda for diseases and for prevention, proportions
Recently, more and more summer residents who are fond of growing this culture have been processing grapes with baking soda. In their opinion, this is the best alternative to hazardous drugs offered by the chemical industry. But is it really so? And what diseases can this substance cure? In particular, people are interested in whether it is able to cope with common grape problems.
What is the benefit?
Grapes are a crop that is particularly 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 would like to eat organic food, since the fruits are grown by our own hands.
Helps protect grapes without any harmful chemicals, a substance that every person has at home - baking soda. It is 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 summer residents have with grapes.
The benefits of baking soda are multifaceted. Able to deal with various problems, doing it in a way that is gentle for 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, because of which they even process ripe fruits shortly before harvesting;
- thanks to him, the berries are collected sugar;
- soda rejuvenates the plant;
- fights scab.
As you can see from the list, soda can have both therapeutic and prophylactic effects.
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 culture, and that, in addition to treating grape diseases, it strengthens and rejuvenates the vine, makes the berries tastier. But still, the first reason is the main one for which this substance is used.
So for the treatment of what diseases is soda used? What troubles does it get rid of? The list includes the problems faced by summer residents of our country who grow grapes:
- powdery mildew;
- gray rot;
- pests;
- weeds.
These four things, in most cases, suffer the growers.
Powdery mildew or powdery mildew is an extremely common fungal disease that affects plant tissue. It affects most horticultural crops, especially on cool, wet days. Gray bloom affects both leaves and fruits. This can cause an unpleasant odor from the vineyard.
But the second disease, although it also belongs to fungal, affects the berries themselves, infecting the brushes even during the flowering period. Ripe fruits become stained and quickly rot. It is extremely difficult to detect rot before ripening.
Baking soda helps well against caterpillars eating the leaves of the plant, as well as weeds that interfere with its growth.
Methods for preparing a solution for processing
There are methods for preparing various soda-based solutions, depending on the purpose of their use. For the treatment of fungal diseases, one proportion is used, for getting rid of weeds or pests - others. Compliance with the formulation is quite important, and strongly affects the effectiveness of the manufactured drug.
For the treatment of gray rot, different solutions are used, based on the degree of infection. The proportions for each of them are designed for 10 liters of water. So, if the infection has just begun, and only individual berries are affected by spots, a weak version of the drug is used. For him, three tablespoons of soda are put in the specified amount of water.
If the disease has reached an advanced stage, a solution is made from additional components. For him, they take on a bucket of water:
- two teaspoons of soda powder;
- a quarter glass of butter;
- a couple of glasses of soapy water.
All are mixed.
As already noted, powdery mildew is often treated with a soda solution. They make different drugs both for treatment and for the 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 baking soda;
- 20 grams of soap.
By mixing all this, you get the desired drug.
But they are not protected from pests with solutions, but with a special powder. For its preparation, soda is mixed in equal proportions with wheat flour. If this powder is dissolved in water, then there is a protection against unwanted plants.
How to treat grapes with baking soda?
Processing grapes with baking soda-based eco-preparations is not a particularly difficult task. Moreover, we are talking about both treatment and prevention. Sometimes baking soda treatment, for its effectiveness, requires adherence to the correct timing, but otherwise there are no difficulties.
So, to cure the plant from powdery mildew, sprayed 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 intended start.
Some solutions are treated only in summer, due to the fact that they act exclusively under certain weather factors. For example, they use a solution against gray rot for treatment only in dry and cloudy weather, during a period when the berries are actively ripening. Spray at least once every five days.
Powder against caterpillars is sprinkled with as many leaves on the vine as possible. This will ensure that the pest eats it and dies.
As you can easily see, the rules for using baking soda preparations are very simple. This alone cannot be compared with industrial agrochemistry.
Helpful tips from gardeners
There are a number of simple tips that will help the grower avoid mistakes and maximize the effectiveness of soda-based preparations in the processing of grapes.
- So, soda, taking advantage of the fact that this is possible, is used to process this crop in almost any amount, but the acid-base balance of the soil is constantly checked. If an excess of alkali is noticed, the doses are reduced.
- Processing should be carried out only in dry weather, when the sun is not shining. Otherwise, the solution will either dry quickly or be washed off.
- Grapes need to be processed not only for the purpose of treatment, but also prevention.Preventive measures will save you from unnecessary problems in the future.
Such simple tips will come in handy for every summer resident.
Conclusion
Soda treatment of grapes is an alternative to the use of chemicals in the fight against diseases and pests. Since this culture is quite susceptible to their negative influence, it is important to use preparations based on white powder not only for medicinal, but also for prophylactic purposes.
The best remedy in both cases is solutions, in which, sometimes, soap is added. They are sprayed with them quite often. Fortunately, they are completely safe for humans and the environment.
