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Natural Vinegar Weed Killer – The Organic Way

A common gardening mistake is not staying on top of weeding. This natural vinegar weed killer is easy to use that retail products, takes care of the job, and so much better for the soil.

Do you love growing perennials but don’t like the weeds that need pulling? The next time you walk outside and see a garden bed full of weeds and reach for the Roundup, why not stop and ask yourself a question.  “Why drench them with something that will remain in the soil for who knows how long?”

Maybe you should reach for a common household product, instead-vinegar!

Vinegar has many uses in the home and garden. It is an effective cleaner, a great way to keep ants off the counters, will help keep your pumpkin from rotting, and has dozens of other uses. Today we’ll put it to use as a homemade weed killer.This vinegar weed killer uses organic or horticultural vinegar to kill weeds without the use of salt, which can be damaging to the soil.

DIY garden ideas on a budget are some of the most popular posts on this blog. Who doesn’t like to save money?

Many homemade products do just as good a job as those the retail products that you buy in stores.  Things like disinfectant wipes and liquid soap can be made at home for a fraction of the price of store goods.

Vinegar has many uses in the home and garden. It is an effective cleaner, a great way to keep ants off the counters and has dozens of other uses. Today we’ll put it to use as a homemade weed killer.

Vinegar Weed Killer  – An Alternative to Roundup

Weeds are the bane of any gardener’s life.  Keeping on top of them accounts for a large part of the work that you need to do in the summer to keep gardens looking good. I sometimes combine weeds with rain water to make “weed compost tea.” 

You can find the recipe for this and also my homemade DIY Miracle Grow recipe here.

I have seen dozens of methods for vinegar weed killer on the internet. The problem with most of them is that they suggest white vinegar and a LOT of salt.  Salt is also very hard on the soil and surrounding plants. 

It can leach into the water table and is bad for the environment.  It also takes a very long time to dissipate. Also, plain household vinegar has too low an acidity level to really work well on weeds.

Instead of these remedies. You can use Horticultural or organic vinegar on its own or with just a bit of dish washing Liquid. (The dish washing liquid doesn’t do much for the weeds, but it helps the vinegar stick to them for better results.)  

Both Horticultural vinegar and Organic vinegar work. Either are natural weed controllers on their own. 

**For this to work, the vinegar must be at least 20% acidity which is why this remedy works better than normal vinegar which only has a 5% acidity level.Horticultural vinegarTo use as an all purpose weed killer combine these two items:

  • 1 gallon of organic or horticultural 20% vinegar
  • 1 tbsp of dish washing soap.

Mix well, and place in a container that you will use just for killing weeds.

You can use a  watering can,  a spray bottle or a  pump-sprayer to apply the organic vinegar. A pump-sprayer is the most efficient way to apply it.

Be sure to rinse your sprayer after use, or metal parts may corrode in time. Vinegar weed killer

Tips for using this vinegar weed killer

Use this weed killer in the sun. Be sure to apply the vinegar weed killer on a warm, sunny, and calm day. Try to apply it when there will be no rain for at least two days for best results.

Be selective on your weeds! You need to aim directly on the weeds. Vinegar is not selective; it can potentially harm and nearby plants so care should be taken when applying it.

 You don’t want to get too zealous and end up killing your vegetable garden.

Be careful about using any weed killer near tomato plants. Their deep roots will absorb more than you want and cause the leaves to turn yellow.

Great for all types of weeds. This vinegar weed killer will work on all types of perennial, and annual weeds. You can use it on broad leaf and grassy weeds with great results.Weeds in a garden are a pain

Use it on paths. This weed killer is great to use in the cracks on walkways, where grass and ornamental plants are not an issue. You can spray as much as you want here without worrying about nearby plants.

Acidity levels. Horticultural vinegar is highly acidic – it will lower the pH of your soil for a few days or possibly weeks, so wait for a good rainstorm before you plant anything where you sprayed. 

The acetic acid in the vinegar does two things: it burns the weed’s foliage on contact and it temporarily lowers the pH of the soil, making it hard for the weed to make a comeback.

Be careful on lawns. Since this vinegar weed killer is not selective, it will damage grass. If you have creeping Charlie in your lawn, try using this natural Borax weed killer to treat it.

Good for the planet. The vinegar is completely biodegradable – it degrades in a matter of days – and does not accumulate so it is approved for organic agricultural use as well.Protect the planet

Shop Wisely. Organic vinegar is readily available, and doesn’t leave poisons behind.  When you shop, you will notice that if the label says horticultural vinegar, there seem to be a bit price hike, but that is just marketing in my opinion.

The trick is to get a 20% acidity level so any vinegar with this level will work, even if not labeled horticultural. Kill those weeds, save some money and help the environment.

Note:   Horticultural vinegar and organic vinegar are both available at garden supply stores (not the big box stores) and numerous places online. Search online for your best price.Organic Vinegar Weed killer (must be 20% acidity)

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Tara

Saturday 7th of July 2018

Will 20% white vinegar kill algae in a pond ? (birds and other wild animals drink from this water)

Carol

Saturday 7th of July 2018

Hi Tara. Vinegar will change the pH level of pond water and could kill any fish in it. I assume it would not be good for birds and animals that drink from it. Another natural remedy is to put barley straw into mesh bags. As the straw disintegrates, it is said that it will kill pond algae. I haven't tried this, however, so I can't say how it works. Carol

Danielle

Wednesday 4th of July 2018

I found a recipe that added orange, cinnamon and clove essential oils to the 20% vinegar. It started to killed poison ivy in a few hours! I have only found the vinegar online and it’s not cheap but to me it is totally worth it!

David White

Thursday 5th of July 2018

Buy cleaning vinegar at Home Depot. its 20% and much cheaper than horticultural vinegar.

Norman and Julie Blondel

Thursday 28th of June 2018

I used store white vinegar with dish detergent and it killed weeds and grass both. I intend to apply ground limestone and grass seed after soaking dead area. Will this work?........Norman.

Carol

Thursday 28th of June 2018

The biggest problem with most DIY weed killers is that it is not selective like some store bought products can be. So if the weed is in the grass and you get the weed killer on the grass it will die too. To work best, the weeds need to be isolated. (in cracks in pavement, in walk ways....in garden beds not too near plants.) Not sure how the limestone and grass seed will work. Carol

carmine

Tuesday 5th of June 2018

I heard you can use 2 cups of epsom salt with this mixture

Carol

Tuesday 5th of June 2018

Thanks for the tip Carmine. I've never tried it with Epsom salt. Carol

Matt

Tuesday 29th of May 2018

How long does it take for this weed killer to take effect? Minutes, hours, days? Thanks.

Carol

Wednesday 30th of May 2018

Hi Matt, on a dry day, you should expect to see weeds start to shrivel and die within a few hours. Do take note, however, that this type of weed killer has no residual effect, so new weeds can potentially grow back. It also depends on whether you get any rain after applying it. Carol

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