Baking Soda's Sweet and Sour Tomato Tale.

I felt like one of the doomed mid 19th century Irish upon discovering blight in the garden last Saturday.

Six of the ten tomato plants, ranging from Big Boy to cherry varieties, had overnight developed leaves with lesions and yellowing edges. This was especially upsetting as many of them were heavily laden with fruit starting to turn red.

First, I cut away the affected plant parts and then washed my hands before touching anything else. Then was time to grab a spray bottle and fill it with 1 teaspoon each of liquid dish soap and baking soda and then add 1/3 cup of water.  Baking soda is a staple in the garden this year.  I began sprinkling it around the bottom of the tomato plants a month ago in hopes of having sweeter fruit.

A good soaking of the organic blight brew seemed to do the trick.  Five days later and no further blight has appeared.

Last night the season's first tomato was ready to eat.  After a good wash I bit into it.  Unlike years past there was no sudden rush of acidity.  Instead the taste was rich and dulcet.

Baking soda's place in my gardening tools is now secure.