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Pickle Those Weeds With Vinegar

posted by Annie B. Bond Apr 30, 2008 11:00 am
Pickle Those Weeds With Vinegar
5 comments

Adapted from Yankee Magazine's Panty Hose, Hot Peppers, Tea Bags, and more for the Garden (Yankee Books, 2005).

White vinegar makes an excellent earth-friendly herbicide. Just spray the vinegar full strength onto weeds, making sure they’re well doused. This works best on a sunny day (The acid stops the plants from absorbing moisture if it’s warm and sunny) The plants will turn black in a few hours.

The vinegar doesn’t work well on deep-rooted plants, but it is excellent in eliminating those tiny reseeding plants that plague gravel and flagstone paths and patios. After a number of applications, fewer and fewer plants will grow in the areas you want to keep plant-free. Vinegar also performs well on moss growing on brick and stone paths and patios.

Use vinegar with caution, however. Test it first on a small area of pavement to make sure it doesn’t discolor it or, in the case of limestone, dissolve it. Also, when vinegar is used repeatedly it raises the acidity of the soil to the point that it can render a patch of ground temporarily sterile (an advantage in paths and patios where you don’t want anything to grow). And finally, make sure none of it drifts over onto other, desirable plants. Use a piece of cardboard or a sheet of newspaper to protect nearby plants, if necessary.

More on Healthy Home (10 articles available)
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5 comments

5 comments

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5 Comments       add a comment »
Linda P.

I use about a cup of Borax mixed with a gallon of vinegar in a tank sprayer. I started using this mixture on ant hills and noticed that it killed vegetation. It is more effective with several applications and has residual effect.

Sunny H.

Thank you for sharing this. Do you have any, non-toxic suggestions for the more deeply rooted plant? Not for my use so much but to tell those who think their only option is those toxic herbicides. I like seeing this kind of information get out.

Amber W.

Decreasing the pH is beneficial for some desirable plants, like hydrangeas.

Pat F.
  • Pat F. says
  • May 2, 2008 11:49 AM

i have been using vinegar for several summers,my drive way (62ft)is gravel,and every time i see a weed coming up i spray with white vinegar,i got the tip from "care2"
patricia finley

Rob b.
  • Rob b. says
  • Apr 30, 2008 11:34 AM

Nice, non-native plants such as weeds reproduce very well, get all roots. Plant Natives...every state had a native plant society.

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Disclaimer: Care2.com does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter or on Care2.com. Each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider.

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