Vinegar can be used to do a variety of tasks around the house. Vinegar is a great addition to pickles and other favourite recipes. It’s also a good window cleaner, disinfectant and stain remover. It’s also very useful in the garden. Vinegar can help to control weeds. This is a win-win situation if vinegar is less harsh than synthetic herbicides. You shouldn’t use the acidic liquid in every area of your landscape as it can cause damage to any plants it touches. This is how to use vinegar to control weeds in your yard.

Which Vinegar Type Should You Use?
White vinegar is typically 5% vinegar (acetic acids) and 95% water. This vinegar is safe for use on weeds but it does have some limitations. This vinegar works best for annual, small weeds less than 2 weeks old. It will also require multiple applications to accomplish the job. To increase its effectiveness, you can add a cup table salt and a tablespoon liquid dish soap to a gallon white vinegar. This mixture usually kills only the tops of target weeds and leaves the roots to regrow new shoots. Salt buildup can lead to no growth in an area if it is repeated.

Spraying household vinegar on older weeds, perennials or grasses is not a good idea. It will be necessary to soak the roots in vinegar (fall is a good season for this), but even then it won’t likely have much effect. A 20% vinegar solution works best to get rid of perennial, tough weeds. This vinegar is sometimes called horticultural vinegar. It can be purchased at garden centers, farm shops, and online.

Vinegar as a Weed Killer: How to Use Vinegar
Ready to Use Weed Killer is between concrete seams on sidewalks, gravel paths, or mulches. These areas are easy to spray without causing damage to other plants. Apply the vinegar on a sunny day at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Because the chemicals are most effective when plants actively photosynthesize, this is important. Avoid rainy days or days with wind. Wind can transport vinegar to places where it isn’t needed. Rain can weaken vinegar, reducing its effectiveness.

Like any chemical or weed killer, it is important to take safety precautions with higher concentrations of vinegar. Don’t get it in your eyes or on your skin. Also, don’t swallow it. Inhaled vinegars with higher concentrations can cause skin irritation, eye damage, and bronchitis, unlike household vinegar.

Vinegar is not selective, so it can damage all plants and turf grass that it touches. Spray vinegar onto weeds to ensure it doesn’t damage other plants. Paint the vinegar onto the weevils using a brush if that’s not possible. Be sure that the vinegar touches all foliage. The vinegar’s acetic acid will cause the leaves to burn and dry out.

After applying vinegar to weeds, the area will smell like a salad dressing explosion. This powerful smell can also deter rabbits and other pests from your garden for a time. You should wait at least 2 weeks before spraying again.