Busy Bee, LLC

06/07/2026

The Baking Soda Tomato Myth

If you’ve spent any time on social media looking for gardening advice, you’ve probably run across this popular tip…

“Sprinkle baking soda on the soil around your tomato plants to get the sweetest tomatoes you’ve ever tasted!”

It sounds like a magical, cheap kitchen hack. But before you grab that box from your pantry, STOP. Don't do it. Not only does it not work, but it can actually damage or kill your plants.

The logic? behind the viral trend goes something like this…

Tomatoes are naturally acidic.
Baking soda is alkaline (the opposite of acidic).
Therefore, putting baking soda in the soil will lower the acid in the plant, making the tomato taste sweeter.

While that sounds like a simple chemistry lesson, plant biology doesn't work that way.

Flavor comes from SUN and GENETICS. Through a process called photosynthesis, a tomato plant's leaves soak up sunlight and turn it into sugars. The plant then pumps those sugars directly into the growing fruit. Changing the acidity of the soil won’t magically force the plant to create more sugar.

Not to mention that BAKING SODA IS TOXIC TO PLANTS!

The chemical name for baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. The biggest problem here is the first word…sodium (salt).

Plants do not like salt. When you put baking soda into the dirt, the sodium builds up. This does two terrible things to your garden.

First, it blocks water and food. High salt levels destroy the structure of the soil, making it harder for the roots to breathe and absorb water.

Second, it causes "Nutrient Lockout". Tomatoes love slightly acidic soil. Baking soda makes the soil highly alkaline. When soil becomes too alkaline, the plant gets "locked out" from absorbing essential nutrients like iron and phosphorus.

Putting baking soda in your soil won’t make your tomatoes sweeter, but it will stunt their growth, turn their leaves yellow, and potentially kill the vine.

What Actually Makes Tomatoes Sweeter? If you want candy-sweet tomatoes, skip the grocery aisle hacks and try these proven, science-backed methods instead.

PICK THE RIGHT VARIETY! If you want pure sweetness, plant varieties like Sun Gold or Super Sweet 100. They are genetically bred for higher Brix (sugar).

Put your plants in the sunniest spot you have. More sun means more photosynthesis, which means more sugar in your fruit.

When your tomatoes reach full size and just start to turn red, ease up on the watering. Less water dilutes the fruit less, concentrating the natural sugars.

Potassium is the specific nutrient that helps plants move sugars into their fruit. I’ll get into that more next week.

06/07/2026

Cranberry Creek waterfall was really low due to drought, but the air temperature was 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding foliage.

06/07/2026

When visiting new areas I always make sure to check out their native flora. The rhododendrons are MASSIVE here! Lots of turtle sightings, woodpeckers, and deer here around the cabin.

It’s also been a good reminder for me to add more ferns to my shady areas at home.

06/05/2026

Spending my birthday hiking while the others are walking the New River Gorge bridge. Big nope for me. I’m enjoying the hiking trails and native flora. I think these are the biggest chipmunks I’ve ever seen! Bandit wants to “play” with them.

06/05/2026

Garden update

Acorn squash is doing great, even though it’s not getting as much sun as I would like (tree canopy)

Peppers are fruiting

Tomatoes are about three ft tall

Yellow squash are setting fruit (I’m training them into squash trees in tomato cages)

Onions are coming along great. Heavy feeders so they’re getting lots of fertilizer.

06/04/2026

Lemon basil is a favorite of ours. It adds a special touch to my traditional genovese pesto and it’s so excellent in a vodka soda with fresh lemon and lime wheels.

June is all about ! Lemon basil, with a delightful lemon fragrance and flavor, is the natural hybrid between Ocimum xafricanum (the hybrid between Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum americanum). There are some lemon basils on the market that claim to be 0. basilicum.

To learn more and snag some great recipes, visit: https://loom.ly/0k4mN48

06/04/2026

I really need you all to pay attention to this post. It’s incredibly poisonous to us and our animals. The plant is invasive and requires immediate removal if you see it. Before you let your dogs or children play in a space-walk it and watch for this plant and other poison ivy/oak/sumac.

“Mowing, w**d-whacking, or burning poison hemlock releases toxic alkaloids directly into the air. Breathing in these fumes or airborne plant particles can result in rapid respiratory tract irritation and systematic poisoning.” DO NOT BURN IT! PPE is required and you must be careful.

Risks-Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is an extremely toxic invasive w**d that poses a severe, life-threatening risk of respiratory failure and death to humans and animals if ingested. Every single part of the plant—including its roots, leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds—contains powerful piperidine alkaloids (such as coniine and gamma-coniceine) that disrupt communication between nerves and muscles. There is no known antidote for hemlock poisoning; medical treatment relies entirely on supportive emergency care.

Health Risks to Humans
The health risks associated with poison hemlock depend on the method of exposure:Ingestion (Highest Risk): Eating even a fraction of a gram or a few leaves can be fatal for an adult. Toxins block the central nervous system, leading to escalating muscle paralysis. Because the plant looks nearly identical to edible species like wild carrots, parsley, wild parsnips, and anise, accidental ingestion by foragers is a frequent cause of poisoning.Inhalation: Mowing, w**d-whacking, or burning poison hemlock releases toxic alkaloids directly into the air. Breathing in these fumes or airborne plant particles can result in rapid respiratory tract irritation and systematic poisoning.

Skin Contact: Touching the plant can cause severe skin inflammation, irritation, or contact dermatitis, particularly in individuals with sensitive skin. Furthermore, toxic sap can enter the bloodstream through open cuts, scrapes, or by rubbing the eyes and mouth after handling the w**d.

Safety and Removal Precautions
If you locate poison hemlock on your property, implement strict precautions based on guidelines outlined by Poison Control and state agricultural extensions:Wear Full PPE: Always wear heavy, waterproof gloves, long sleeves, pants, closed-toe shoes, a face mask, and protective eye goggles before handling the plant. Do Not Mow or Burn: Never use a lawnmower, string trimmer, or fire to clear the w**ds, as this aerosolizes the toxins into an inhalable mist or smoke. Manual Extraction: Dig the plant up entirely by its roots. Immediately seal the plant material inside plastic trash bags and dispose of it in the regular garbage; do not compost it.

Decontaminate: Immediately wash your hands, shower, and thoroughly launder all clothing used during the removal process to strip away residual sap.

06/04/2026

Remember I wanted to work on growing flowers this year? Here’s one that was easy to grow in my greenhouse. I waited until they had really strong root systems before planting out this week. They have both ornamental and medicinal values. They are also edible! How pretty would these be on a cupcake?

I grew these from seed and somehow this makes these even more precious to me. I cannot wait for them to self seed around my pollinator border.

A little bit about Zebrina Malva

Malva sylvestris, or common mallow, is a vigorous plant known for its showy, lavender-purple flowers with darker veins, often called "cheeses" due to its round seed pods. Native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia, it's a fast-growing, self-seeding plant that thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, acting as an annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial. It's used in gardens for its ornamental value, attracting pollinators, and has a long history in traditional medicine for various ailments, with edible leaves, flowers, and fruits.
Characteristics
Flowers: Large, notched petals with dark purple or maroon veins, blooming from mid-summer to fall.
Foliage: Round, crinkled, green leaves that are slightly coarse to the touch.
Growth Habit: Upright and towering, often reaching significant height.
Seed Pods: Distinctive, round, flat-topped pods that resemble small cheeses, giving it a common name.
Growing conditions
Sun: Full sun to part shade (full sun gives best flower color).
Soil: Medium moisture, well-drained soil; tolerates poor soils and rarely needs fertilizer.
Water: Drought tolerant once established.
Maintenance: Cut back in late fall; remove seedpods to prevent excessive self-seeding.
Uses
Ornamental: Excellent for cottage gardens, borders, and attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.
Culinary: Leaves, flowers, and immature fruits are edible and can be used in salads, cooked as greens, or in teas.
Medicinal: Traditionally used for respiratory, digestive, and inflammatory issues, and contains beneficial compounds like flavonoids.
Varieties
'Zebrina': A popular cultivar with particularly striking lavender flowers and deep purple stripes.

06/03/2026

You don’t need fancy equipment to dry your own thyme. I cut it way back, washed it, then placed it on a clean tea towel near my dining room window to dry. I’ll strip the leaves from the stems and place into bags for future use.

🌿 Thyme gets stronger after drying. Unlike some herbs that fade into the botanical witness protection program, thyme’s flavor becomes more concentrated.

🌿 Ancient Greeks burned thyme as incense because they believed it inspired courage. Today’s equivalent is adding it to roasted potatoes and feeling oddly qualified to host a cooking show.

🌿 A little dried thyme goes a long way. It’s the herb version of that tiny grandmother who somehow runs the entire family.

🌿 Thyme belongs to the mint family, yet somehow skipped the whole “toothpaste” career path.

🌿 Dried thyme can keep its flavor for years when stored properly. It ages more gracefully than most humans and nearly all avocados.

🌿 The name comes from the Greek word “thymos,” meaning spirit or courage. Coincidentally, it also provides the confidence to eyeball recipe measurements.

🌿 Bees adore thyme flowers. Dried thyme is what happens when a bee café closes for the season and leaves behind its favorite menu item.

🌿 Thyme has been used for centuries in cooking, medicine, and rituals. Some herbs are ingredients. Thyme has a résumé.

🌿 Every jar of dried thyme is a tiny time capsule filled with summer sunshine, preserved for soup weather.

My favorite ways to use thyme is roasting a chicken or perfectly cooked mushrooms. It’s also excellent in my French onion soup.

Grow it!

06/03/2026

Is your tree suckering? Get a pair of clean snips. Cut them down close to the soil line, then paint with a bit of sucker punch. The bottle has a built-in applicator to make it easy for you. It comes out looking a bit like glue. Trimming back suckers helps redirect the tree's energy to growing the canopy and cleans up the overall look. Suckers rapidly absorb water, sunlight, and nutrients. Left unchecked, they can rob the rest of the tree of vital resources

It's an easy task that takes just a few minutes.
Sucker Punch was sold at Walnut Ridge nursery for me but you can also get it on Amazon.