How to Use Baking Soda to Treat Leaf Rust

Treatment

• 1

  Mix 1 tsp. of baking soda in 1 qt. of room-temperature water.

• 2

  Add several drops of gentle or insecticidal liquid soap. Use gentle soap if you're spraying edibles or to lower pesticide exposure.

• 3

  Shake the mixture well and pour it into a spray bottle.

• 4

  Gently spray the top and undersides of the plant's infected leaves. Mist 6 to 8 inches away from the plant rather than shooting water at the leaves, which can suffer damage from strong water bursts.

• 5

  Mist the surrounding soil 6 to 8 inches away. Repeat the application about once a week until the rust disappears.

Prevention

• 6

  Place your plants in well-drained soil. Poor water drainage drowns roots and leaves them susceptible to fungal infection.

• 7

  Keep plants fed and pruned. Adequate nutrients and lack of overgrowth deter fungal infections like rust.

• 8

  Water the soil surrounding the main canes or trunks. Don't put water directly on leaves or flowers.