By Luke Sumpter

Spraying weed with baking soda? This might sound preposterous, but let us explain! Sure, baking soda has important uses in cooking and household cleaning, but it also comes in handy in the garden. Baking soda solutions are effective at combating certain diseases and pests, and can also help to modulate pH. Furthermore, baking soda can be used post-harvest to prepare your buds for use. However, on all accounts, you need to exercise caution. Apply too much, or administer at the wrong time, and you can really mess things up.


What Is Baking Soda?

Baking soda, otherwise known as bicarbonate soda, is a key ingredient in various types of bread, batter, and more. As a base (alkaline substance), baking soda has a pH of 9.5. The ingredient reacts with acidic ingredients, such as vinegar and buttermilk, to create carbon dioxide. This gas then forms the bubbles that cause breads and batters to rise during the baking process.

While baking soda is undeniably useful when making certain foods, its alkaline pH makes it useful in other areas too.

In the realm of hygiene, you’ll find the substance in natural toothpaste and mouthwashes. Moreover, baking soda is used as an antacid to counter the acidity of stomach acid in cases of heartburn. Those wishing to avoid harsh chemical cleaning products also rely on baking soda as a scouring powder, drain cleaner, and carpet deodoriser.

Of course, baking soda also comes in handy as a natural garden input to combat certain pests and diseases and remediate pH issues.

Baking Soda

Why Use Baking Soda in Your Cannabis Garden?

If somebody told you to douse your cannabis plants with a baking soda foliar spray, how would you react? We totally get it if you’d laugh, shake your head, and disregard that as poor advice. As ridiculous as it sounds, baking soda actually serves as an effective cultivation solution under the right conditions, and when applied at the correct time. Below, we’ll walk you through some of the best uses for baking soda in your cannabis garden. Plus, we’ll also suggest times to avoid using it, such as later on in the flowering stage.

How Do You Apply Baking Soda to Plants?

As a versatile substance in a cultivator’s arsenal, baking soda can be applied as a diluted foliar spray or used directly in the soil. Furthermore, it can be used post-harvest to help remove contaminants from your buds (more on this below).

Baking Soda as a Fungicide and Pesticide

Various fungal pathogens infect cannabis plants, drawing out nutrients to ensure their own survival. Among them, powdery mildew stands as one of the most common and damaging. As well as fungal disease, pests pose one of the biggest threats to cannabis gardens and grow rooms. Left unchecked, certain species make quick work of entire canopies. Among the most common cannabis pests, aphids are able to inflict significant damage. Their sharp mouthparts enable them to pierce plant tissue and extract the nutrient sap within, and their ability to multiply by cloning themselves rapidly makes them difficult to combat when they gain a foothold.

However, depending on the scale of your problem—whether fungal or pest-related—simple and effective solutions do exist. Instead of reaching for a bottle of harsh chemical pesticides that can negatively impact your garden and the environment beyond, why not put baking soda on your weed?

Basic Baking Soda Foliar Spray Recipe

Thankfully, a cheap and simple baking soda solution can help to combat the infection or infestation and give your plant a good chance of recovering. Make your own using the directions below.

Note: baking soda has a strong effect on pH, even when applied as a foliar spray, so err on the side of over-diluting. If you see any signs of stress, such as leaf curling or discolouration, immediately cease use, and douse leaves in fresh water.

 Ingredients 

• Baking soda
• Liquid non-detergent dishwashing soap

 Equipment 

• 5l bottle
• Spray bottle

 Directions 

1. Start by mixing 4.5l of water, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of soap in the 5l bottle.

Step 1

2. After mixing thoroughly, transfer some of the solution into your spray bottle.

Step 2

3. Administer the solution on the foliage during overcast days to avoid leaf burn. Apply generously on both sides of affected fan leaves and stems.

Step 3

The baking soda works well alone, but the addition of the soap really improves the effectiveness of the spray. Simply patrol your garden or grow room and apply as necessary.

As briefly mentioned above, foliar application of baking soda is only recommended during the vegetative and pre-flowering phases. Applying this solution during mid and later flowering can cause residual buildup on your buds.

Baking Soda Spray

Use Baking Soda (Carefully) to Increase pH

Should you put baking soda in soil? If used in the right circumstances, it can help to manage pH. Cannabis growers need to remain mindful of soil pH throughout the cultivation process; when levels are too low or too high, plants cannot uptake crucial nutrients.

If you find your soil tests too acidic, you can apply baking soda to raise the level to the sweet spot of between 6.0 and 7.0. To pull this off, mix a tablespoon of baking soda into 5 litres of water and use as needed. Start off small, depending on your container size, and measure pH again several hours after administration. Continue to use the solution, after testing your soil, to keep pH within the desired range. Again, baking soda has a dramatic effect on pH, so be thoughtful when administering. Start off too keen, and you could seriously throw off the pH, worsening the issue rather than solving it.

Baking Soda During Bud Washing

The idea of bud washing may seem absurd to some, much like the idea of spraying weed with baking soda; however, many cultivators use this process to rid their buds of various contaminants, potentially improving their flavour as well. As cannabis trichomes are very sticky, many different kinds of particles can cling to the buds, including soil, dust, insect eggs and excrement, and cobwebs—you can’t tell us you want any of that in your lungs!

During the process of bud washing, baking soda, lemon juice, and fresh water are used as the cleansing solution, after which the buds are rinsed in two buckets of fresh water to ensure nothing residual remains. The combination of baking soda and lemon juice works to remove the particles you don’t want on your weed, while maintaining the integrity of the trichomes.

Does Baking Soda Have a Place During the Flowering Phase?

Should you start spraying buds with baking soda? We don’t advise it, past a certain point. You’ll need to elect to use different strategies to combat pests and disease past week two of the flowering stage. Apply baking soda sprays any later, and you’ll end up with buds that taste undesirable.

But what about the use of baking soda during bud washing? Well, washing your buds in a weakly diluted solution doesn’t compare to spraying sticky flowers directly with baking soda, which can prove much more difficult to remove prior to drying, curing, and smoking.


Baking Soda on Weed: Wise or Foolish?

Baking soda can provide home growers with a cheap and easy way to eliminate certain pests and diseases. The substance also comes in handy when looking to raise soil pH and wash buds. However, you need to apply these preparations at the right time and in the right quantity. Applying too much or administering too late into flowering can have detrimental effects on plant health and flavour.

Cookies settings

We are requesting your permission to use your data for the reasons stated below:

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data from a particular website that get stored on a user’s computer while they’re surfing the internet. Cookies have several different functions. Some of them track browser activity that enables businesses to deliver targeted advertisements. Other cookies serve to remember user login details to different websites to make jumping on social media, or other sites, a more fluid process. Because each cookie has its own unique ID, these pieces of data allow website owners to measure the unique traffic coming into their site.

Why do we use cookies?

Cookies come in handy when you visit our website. They ensure you stay logged in, that you can shop safely, and that the items you add to your cart stay there before you make a purchase. But cookies also help us. The data they provide allow us to improve our website and enable us to present you with targeted advertisements that are compatible with your interests.

What kind of cookies do we use?

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

How can I disable or delete cookies?

Not a fan of cookies? No worries. You can disable them (with the exception of necessary cookies) in your browser settings. However, blocking cookies may impact your browsing experience and prevent you from enjoying all of the technical features of our site.

Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: