If you are looking for a more natural way to remove weeds without the use of harsh commercial chemicals, vinegar is the solution. It is a perfectly natural solution that is more than likely already available in your pantry.
While using vinegar for herbicide can help control some pesky weeds, they're not a cure-all. Here's what you need to know regarding how to make your vinegar weed killer and what situations call for it.
Does Vinegar Kill Weeds?
Before using vinegar as a weed killer, you may want to put your mind at ease by understanding how will vinegar kill a plant. Vinegar contains something called acetic acid. So understanding the way acetic acid affects plants can explain how and when vinegar can be effective for weed control.
First, it's also important to note that the acetic acids contained in vinegar function as a contact herbicide so it only impacts the parts of the plants touched by it and it is non-selective so it will injure any plant it touches. Thus, they must be applied carefully.
Working Of Acetic Acid
The acetic acid which is contained in vinegar ruptures and breaks down the cell walls of plant tissue which causes fluids to leak and dry out. This eventually causes the plant to die. Furthermore, acetic acid does not translocate or spread within the plant hence good coverage is necessary during its application.
So, while it can non-discriminately target any plants, its localized effect means collateral damage can be minimized with careful application, its lack of residual activity in the soil makes it eco-friendly.
Recipe For Vinegar Weed Killer
Household vinegar contains only 5% acetic acid whereas commercial herbicides contain 20-30% acetic acid. Commercial herbicidal products with higher concentrations of acetic acid tend to control weeds more effectively because they completely kill young leaves and growing points.
If the plant is not completely killed by vinegar, it can resprout again. You can improve the efficacy of homemade vinegar solutions by following the given recipe from our experts:
Ingredients: White Vinegar, Dishwasher Soap, Salt
Instructions
Get a large bucket and fill it with 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of white vinegar.
Add 2 tablespoons of dish soap and 1 cup of salt to the bucket.
Stir everything thoroughly until it is well combined.
Add this solution mix to a spray bottle or a garden sprayer.
When pouring vinegar into the mixture, pour slowly and carefully to prevent any vinegar from spilling. While acetic acid is a weak acid and is used in low concentrations to be safe for human skin, it can still stain your tabletop wood or marble.
In higher concentrations, the vinegar can be a skin, eye, and lung irritant that must be rinsed off quickly and is capable of corroding wood, metal, and marble.
Do Not Use Common Soap
Do not use regular soap over dish soap when making your vinegar herbicide. The vinegar unsaponifies the soap, i.e. vinegar reduces the soap back to its original oils and components since vinegar is acid and soap is a base. This results in a solution of oily and a white curdled mess.
Vinegar Herbicide Shelf Life
There are many types of vinegars. To effectively weed the pest herbs, you need to know the shelf-life of these homemade herbicides without allowing them to grow back.
For wine, balsamic, and rice vinegar, they are effective while on the shelf for 2-3 years. Apple cider vinegar can last for 5 years on the shelf and distilled white vinegar is made by distilling alcohol so those last essentially forever but just to be safe, don't use them after a decade.
Effectiveness of Homemade Vinegar Herbicide
You can weed with vinegar, the vinegar mixture is fast-acting and works best on small annual weeds however, it is less effective for perennials, older weeds, and grasses. To deal with these more stubborn weeds, more than one application is required.
Regardless, it is also worth noting that this solution only kills targets where it is applied, i.e. the tops of the weed which can allow the roots to regrow new shoots, so it will be wise to be prudent and do more than one application.
How To Use Vinegar As A Weed Killer
While using vinegar to kill weeds can be safe and effective as it's non-synthetic and eco-friendly, there are still several things that you must know to practice good and safe application of vinegar for herbicide.
The acetic acid contained in vinegar herbicides as previously explained is non-selective, meaning they will damage any plants and turf grass that it comes into contact with instead of just the weeds.
Therefore, the best and easiest places to readily use vinegar weed killer are between concrete seams of sidewalks, mulch, gravel paths, and driveways as it's easy to spray the vinegar in these areas without getting it on other plants.
2. Best Time To Apply Vinegar Weed Killer
The best time to decide when to apply the vinegar herbicide is on a sunny day that is at least 70°F (21°C). It will be more effective to apply the substance while the plants are actively photosynthesizing. That's not all though since avoiding rainy or windy days is also a prerequisite as the wind can carry vinegar to non-targeted plants.
While rain dilutes and weakens its effectiveness. When applying, spray it directly on the leaves and wait for at least two weeks before spraying again.
While the ones containing 5% acetic acid are mild and generally harmless, formulations containing 20-30% acetic acid are strong acids, and thus it is recommended to wear personal protective equipment such as goggles, face shields, waterproof gloves, long sleeves, and long pants to protect your eyes and skin.
High-concentrated acetic acid vapors can irritate the nose, and throat, burn skin tissue, and cause lasting eye damage if it comes into contact with the eye.
Despite vinegar being non-discriminatory, its efficacy differs from species to space. Broad-leafed plants tend to be more easily weeded than grasses due to their morphology. Leaves that angle up from the stem hold more spray solution than leaves that angle down.
Furthermore, they also direct the solution towards the vulnerable new shoot growths. While the inverse is true of plants with downward-facing or hairy leaves, easily shruging off the vinegar solution as runoff, preventing contact with the intended target.
5. How Long Does Vinegar Take To Kill Weeds?
When using vinegar as a herbicide to kill weeds, if applied on the right kind of weeds i.e. infantile plants with 2-4 upward-facing leaves, the vinegar herbicide often works within the first 24 hours to get rid of them permanently.
For weeds having different morphology or being hardier and perennial, it may require a few reapplications if not outright upgrading to 20-30% concentration from 5% concentrated herbicide.
6. How To Protect Other Plants From Vinegar Weed Killer?
The best way to ensure the safety of your neighboring plants when you spray the vinegar onto weeds is to work with it carefully and make sure it isn't hitting the nearby plants. If you are using a spray, use a nozzle with low pressure that doesn't travel far and has a narrow spray area.
If you want to be extra careful, you can instead paint the vinegar onto the targeted weeds with a brush to ensure contact with all of the foliage. In planted beds and lawns, it is recommended to remove by hand or mulch instead.
If you look at the label of most distilled vinegar for home use, they will generally contain 5% concentration of acetic acid. This will require multiple applications and is generally harmless however, if you need to get rid of tough perennial weeds, consider buying a horticultural vinegar containing 20%-30% acetic acid.
Horticultural vinegar having a much higher acetic acid content than household vinegar, is a potent solution that can more than eliminate the more stubborn weeds after a few applications to target the root.
8. Does Vinegar Herbicide Persist In The Soil?
No. First, the vinegar weed killer is only meant to be applied to the foliage of the plant instead of the soil and will only last for 24 hours. If it rains, they will wash off immediately without any impact.
Some might claim using vinegar will make the soil acidic. In reality, we are not applying vinegar in amounts capable of altering the pH of the soil or applying it close to the soil. Furthermore, the natural calcium in the soil is capable of neutralizing acetic acid up to a certain level.
9. Will Vinegar Damage Metal, Wood, Or Other Surfaces?
Yes, after all, acetic acid in vinegar is a weak acid. Home-purpose vinegar with a 5% concentration won't do much other than faintly staining your surfaces. However, at concentrations of 20-30%, if spilled it can damage wood, and marble while slightly accelerating the corrosion of metals.
Thus, it's not a good idea to use vinegar herbicide near planters or patios with these surfaces. However, concrete is pretty hardy and is not impacted by vinegar.
Yes, the acetic acid content of vinegar can kill ants, spiders, and mosquitos even in low quantities. Furthermore, vinegar can be lethal to bees, so it might not be best to use vinegar weed killers to weed near the flowering plants that you have grown to attract pollinators in your garden.
When dealing with weeds near flowering plants, weed them by hand and apply mulch to prevent their regrowth.
Advantages of Homemade Vinegar Weed Killers
There are many advantages to using homemade weed-killer recipes over commercial glyphosate-containing herbicides. Some of the several advantages and particular benefits offered to home gardeners through the use of this particular vinegar weed killer recipe are as follows:
This recipe only contains common household ingredients such as dish soap, distilled vinegar, and salt, which are readily available in any given household and are light on your wallet spending.
Most common household recipes might not be effective, or cause more problems than they solve which is not the case with vinegar. For example, using chlorine can cause a buildup of salt, reduce the soil's fertility, as well as increase the pH level of the soil to alkaline while vinegar is neutralized by calcium in the soil.
2. Safe Near Pets And Children
Yes, using vinegar as a weed-killer herbicide is quite safe near children or pets once sprayed as long as they do not come into contact with them directly during the application process. Always take safety precautions when applying vinegar, particularly in higher concentrations.
If you come into contact with vinegar spray, quickly wash off the contacted area. Take care that they do not inhale the vapor or allow the vinegar to come into contact with their eyes.
3. Eco-Friendly
Most commercially available weed killers are soil persistent and can spread into the surrounding environment, unintentionally killing non-targeted plants and unintentionally contaminating local waterways if used improperly.
This can affect the health of wildlife like trout, bluegills, and other amphibians. Homemade vinegar herbicides used as weed killers aren't persistent in the soil, wash off easily within 24 hours, and don’t pose these same risks making them safe and environmentally friendly.
4. Pollinator Safe
Many commercially available herbicide products contain glyphosate compounds that have been linked to causing various health issues for pollinators as well as are recorded to cause declines in the population of pollinators.
Though homemade vinegar herbicides might not be completely harmless, they are far less persistent and last significantly shorter amounts of time compared to market herbicides in lower concentrations making them comparatively much safer and eco-friendly choice for pollinators.
5. Ease Of Use
Homemade vinegar weed killers are easy to make and simple to apply. If you are using the 5% concentration version, you do not require any special equipment for preparations or any personal protection safety equipment.
For applying them, you can simply use a basic garden sprayer or a sprayer bottle which can easily be found at any home improvement store. Higher concentrations may warrant more safety measures but it doesn't aerosolize and is safer than other herbicides by a huge margin.
6. Customizability
Most herbicides only come in a specific concentration, this homemade herbicide can be customized and tailor-made to suit your specific situation. With 5% concentration versions available for light herbicide work against young annual weeds which reduces the risk of potential lawn burns.
While 20-30% concentrations can be brought as needed for more heavy-duty applications against perennial or sturdy weeds such as dandelions, clover, and poison ivy.
