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Spraying grapes with baking soda is a great alternative to pesticides and other chemicals. Treatment with sodium bicarbonate (hydrocarbonate) is used to treat and prevent a number of diseases characteristic of the culture, get rid of weeds, and as top dressing. Plants are sprayed with soda solutions in their pure form, in combination with other components.
Useful Properties
Many gardeners began to use soda, appreciating its benefits. In relation to grapes, the following properties are valuable:
- increased sugar content of fruits;
- culture rejuvenation;
- improving the taste of grapes;
- inhibition of weed growth;
- detrimental effect on insect pests;
- decrease in soil acidity;
- fungicidal effect – prevention and treatment in the initial stages of some fungal infections.
What soda to use
Grapes are processed with ordinary soda marked “food”. The product is absolutely safe for culture, humans and animals. It is also harmless to pollen. Soda treatments are appropriate at any phase of the growing season, including before harvest.
In horticulture, the use of a calcined product is acceptable. It should be remembered that its solubility is worse, so you need to fill it up only in warm water.
Indications for use
Processing grapes with soda is appropriate in autumn, summer, spring. Spraying purposes are different:
- prevention of fungal infections – gray rot, powdery mildew, including false;
- treatment of the above problems at the initial stage;
- grape rejuvenation;
- destruction and repelling of pests;
- improving the taste of fruits, increasing their sugar content;
- inhibition of weed growth.
Methods for processing grapes with baking soda
Soda is a universal tool for spraying grapes with different purposes. The dosage, the addition of other components, the frequency of treatments depend on the reason for its use.
From powdery mildew
One of the biggest problems in growing grapes is powdery mildew, also called oidium or oidium. The spores of the fungus overwinter, germinating in the spring, so preventive treatment begins early. There are several options:
- For 10 liters of water add 4 tbsp. l. soda, 40 g of soap – liquid or household solution.
- For 1 liter of water, take 1 tbsp. l. sodium bicarbonate, twice as much vegetable oil, 0,2 liters of liquid soap. Treat the plantings with the resulting composition from the spray gun.
It is especially important to treat the grapes with soda in the summer or in another season if wet weather has been established for a long time. Such conditions contribute to the development of the fungus, the spread of powdery mildew.
From gray rot
Another common fungal infection is gray mold. The problem affects different parts of the plant, including fruits. Features of soda treatments depend on the scale of the disaster:
- for prevention or treatment in the early stages, dissolve 10 tbsp in 3 liters of water. l. sodium bicarbonate;
- in case of severe damage, 10 tsp are added to 2 liters of water. soda, vegetable oil (¼ cup), soap solution (0,5 l).
You can supplement the recipe with 4-5 g of potassium permanganate. Be sure to wait for the complete dissolution of its crystals.
For preventive purposes, you can use the soda-iodine complex. In 1 liter of water add:
- Soda – 1 Art. l .;
- iodine – 25 drops.
This composition is especially effective during the ripening of grapes. The addition of iodine will not only enhance the benefits of the solution, but also strengthen the skin of the berries and improve its quality.
From mildew
Grape varieties that are not immune to this disease often suffer from mildew. If you do not overcome downy mildew in a timely manner, it will gradually affect all parts of the plant. You can cope with the problem if you treat the grapes with soda and iodine. The proportions are taken as follows:
- 10-liter bucket with warm water;
- 0,3 kg sodium bicarbonate;
- 5 drops of iodine;
- liquid or household (pre-dissolve) soap for better adhesion.
Due to the safety of the ingredients used, this spraying of the grapes with baking soda is possible even during the ripening of the berries. This will only have a positive effect on their taste.
From pests
Among the enemies of vineyards are caterpillars. Sodium bicarbonate and wheat flour help to cope with pests. Both products are taken equally and dry sprinkled with this composition leaves. This option is inappropriate if the soil pH is elevated. In this case, another composition will help:
- 10 liters of water (warm up);
- 3 tbsp. l. soda;
- 60 ml of detergent composition.
To control pests, it is effective to add tar soap. It enhances the action of the solution and creates the necessary protective film.
If aphids, bears, ants or wireworms are disturbing the site, it is effective to use this mixture:
- 10 L of water;
- 1 tsp sodium bicarbonate;
- ½ tsp ammonia;
- 1 h. l. soli Epsoma.
If the grapes have suffered from weevils, it is effective not only to spray the bushes, but also to dip the tops of the shoots in water with the addition of 1 tsp. soda per 1 liter. It is on them that the accumulation of pests is most often observed.
When the grapes ripen, there is a risk of wasp infestation. This mixture will save them:
- 1 L of water;
- Xnumx soda;
- ½ cup of vinegar.
From weeds
For good development, grapes need to be regularly weeded, but sometimes weed growth is overly active. You can solve the problem by spraying with soda solution. It is necessary to process not the grape itself, but the weeds surrounding it. You can not spray it, but just spill it.
Such a complex is also effective for weed control.
- 10 L of water;
- 10 tbsp. l. soda;
- 1 Art. l. vegetable oils;
- a couple of drops of detergent.
With this composition, the soil is sprayed or watered. Two treatments per season are enough.
like fertilizer
Soda solution is effective not only in the fight against diseases, pests and weeds, but also as a fertilizer. There are several ways to use the product:
- To rejuvenate the culture, 10 tsp is dissolved in a 1-liter bucket of water. soda and ½ tsp. ammonia. You need to spray the entire bush. The solution can be supplemented with 1 tsp. Epsom Epsom salt.
- It is effective to spray grapes with soda for sugar content. To prepare the solution, take 70 g of the product per 10 liters of water.
- To increase sugar content, another recipe is also effective – 10 liters of water, 5 tbsp. l. soda, 20 ml of liquid soap.
How to spray grapes with baking soda
Spraying grapes for treatment and prevention is not difficult. It is worth following these rules:
- In summer, spraying should be done early in the morning or in the evening when the sun sets.
- Process grapes in dry calm weather. Cloudy days should be chosen for this.
- Spraying for the prevention of fungal diseases begins after the opening of the bushes or on a swollen bud. Be sure to repeat the treatment before flowering and after it, when coloring berries, according to ripened fruits.
- Prevention of powdery mildew should be started three weeks before flowering. Spraying should be done at least once every five days.
- When treating powdery mildew, grapes are treated at least four times. A week interval is maintained between sprayings.
- For the treatment of gray rot, the treatment is repeated several times with an interval of 5-7 days.
- To increase the effectiveness of the soda solution, add other ingredients to it – iodine, potassium permanganate, Epsom Epsom salt.
- If soda sprays are necessary for the treatment of diseases, then the treatments are continued until the symptoms disappear completely. Then repeat several times for prevention.
- You need to spray the grapes carefully, without missing areas. This is especially important when treatment is needed for the treatment or prevention of diseases.
- If sprayers are used, then it is important to prepare the solutions in a separate container, and then pour them through gauze.
There is no specific consumption rate of soda solution for spraying grapes. So much of the prepared mixture should be spent on the culture to process all parts of the plant. The flow rate of the liquid directly depends on the planting pattern, the height of the bushes, and their foliage.
Recommendations from gardeners
Many gardeners have appreciated the soda spraying of grapes. Based on their experience, they make the following recommendations:
- When soda treatments for grapes, it is imperative to control the pH level of the soil. This is especially important when the composition is watered on the ground to control pests or weeds. With an increased pH level, reduce the dosage or replace soda with other means.
- Dry weather is needed to process the grapes, otherwise the solution will be washed off. If heavy rain has passed after spraying, it is better to repeat the procedure. This will not bring harm to the culture, but it will support the desired effect.
- Spraying starts from the top of the bushes, moving down.
- During processing, the direction of the wind must be taken into account. Otherwise, most of the solution may simply not get to the right plants.
Conclusion
Spraying grapes with baking soda is a versatile option. Such treatments are carried out for the treatment and prevention of fungal diseases, pest and weed control, increasing the sugar content of fruits, and rejuvenating bushes. In addition to soda, other ingredients are added to spray solutions to increase the effectiveness of the product or create a protective film.