Will Sodium Bicarbonate Kill Weeds?

Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:52 pm

If the weeds spread in your garden, the fear that the work of the past months was in vain could quickly arise. The lawn no longer leaves the beautiful impression that you actually imagined and bare patches litter the beautiful green.

If you do not want to reach directly for an electric weed killer and destroy the weeds in a natural way, there are numerous home remedies available. Natron is considered a relatively simple means, which is available in most households and can be applied in the garden.

How sodium bicarbonate helps against weeds and what you need to consider when using it, you will learn in this guide.

What is sodium bicarbonate?

In the strict sense, this substance is sodium hydrogen carbonate. Derived from this name is the molecular formula NaHCO3. However, this substance is also known under the trivial name sodium bicarbonate.

In the household, sodium bicarbonate is also known as cooking soda, baking soda or Bullrich salt. It is a main ingredient of baking soda and as such is used in many ways.

For example, a large area of application is not in the kitchen for baking, but for cleaning. With a little baking soda powder, water and lemon juice, stubborn impurities can be dissolved. With the help of this treatment, the kitchen appears again in new splendor. Upholstered furniture, carpets and car seats can also be freed from the dirt of recent years.

The advantage of natron is that it is not a chemical detergent. It is therefore more compatible and has fewer side effects. This is also a good alternative in the garden, so you don’t have to resort to chemical weed killers right away.

Sodium bicarbonate is also freely available and relatively inexpensive. In drugstores or pharmacies you can get the “Bullrich salt” or “Kaiser Natron” and get close to the weeds. It has a weak alkaline effect and thus fights the weeds. The lawn is spared from the application and regains its former strength.

The correct application of baking soda

To fight the weeds with the help of natron is not necessary a lot of effort. The procedure is as follows.

• Bring a liter of water to a boil
• Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to the boiling water
• Allow the mixture to cool while stirring constantly
• Pour into a spray bottle
• Spray the weeds

The preparation of the “exterminant” is relatively quick and hardly involves any work. After the mixture has cooled, simply apply it to the weeds.

Keep a safe distance of about 10cm from plants that are desired in the garden. After that, spray the weeds several times. Now the weeds will be prevented from growing due to the alkaline effect and will die over time. Feel free to apply this gentle home remedy in spring and fall, so that optimal growing conditions for the lawn prevail. It will then no longer have to fight the weeds, but will be given enough surface area to shine in lush green.

In addition to using a spray bottle, you can also apply the baking soda directly to the weeds. If this is too close to ornamental plants and you don’t want to damage them, apply the baking soda to the leaves of the weed. After about 4 to 6 weeks, a significant improvement should be visible. If this is still not the case, then simply repeat the entire procedure.

You can also proceed in this way for weeds between joints. Sprinkle the joints with the baking soda so that the weeds do not spread further.

Applying the baking soda to a pronounced weed infestation is relatively costly. You will need to spray the weeds over a large area or sprinkle some of them individually. If you have a major problem with weeds in your lawn, there are probably alternatives that will require less effort on your part. However, baking soda is wonderful for smaller areas.

Also effective against moss

Often, in addition to general weeds, moss in the lawn is also a problem. If the infestation is very pronounced you can immediately use an effective moss killer. For smaller areas, however, it is worthwhile to proceed with the soda first.

Similar to weeds, spray the moss in the lawn. After a few weeks, the moss should recede significantly. Moss is often an indication that the lawn lacks nutrients and is therefore unable to stand up to the moss. To do a more detailed analysis and find out if the growing conditions are optimal for the lawn, you should pay attention to the pH of the soil. If this is not in the green range, it might be worthwhile to sand the lawn. Also, a suitable liquid fertilizer will help the lawn to its old strength. This will prevent the moss from spreading and you won’t have to worry about it.

Do not use caustic soda

In distinction to the sodium bicarbonate presented here, you might also come up with the idea of using a caustic soda solution. After all, these two agents sound almost identical and should be equally unproblematic for use?

This assessment is negligent. This is because sodium hydroxide has different properties and is much more dangerous than ordinary baking soda. If used improperly, it can cause irritation and even burns to the skin or eyes. It has a strong effect and should therefore not be underestimated.

Applied in the garden, the toxic effect is not only seen in weeds. All useful plants and the soil are also contaminated, so that there is long-term damage. Sodium hydroxide should therefore not be used in the garden.

Destroy the weeds with the sodium bicarbonate

If you notice individual places where the weeds appear and displace the lawn, you should not hesitate long and use this simple home remedy. Mix the baking soda with boiling water and spray it on the weeds. After a few weeks you should see a noticeable effect and the weeds should recede.

If this is not the case then repeat the application. If other means against the weeds do not help, you could use a special weed film. This is laid under the turf and prevents weeds from spreading in your garden. For useful plants, you can also use the film, leaving appropriate recesses. Thus, you get a long-term solution without having to constantly chase the weeds.

However, for smaller gardens and a manageable infestation, the baking soda is an excellent home remedy to tackle the weeds.