Using Vinegar as a weed killer around the garden

[River Rest]

Vinegar really works as a weed killer. Though, I know it will kill any plant. I'd like to spray the grass around the border of the garden. I know to be careful to not spray my veggie plants. Will it harm the soil or roots of the veggie plants?

Thanks!

[tnokie]

I've also got some questions. Do you use it straight or water it down.Do you ad anything to it. Do you just spray it on. Thanks

[mammabooh]

I add one pound of salt and a squirt of dishsoap to a gallon of vinegar and use that for weed killer. I've heard that the salt will build up and cause the soil to be sterile, but it won't bother me if my driveway will never produce weeds again!

[chickenista]

I clip the woody weeds (Rosa floribunda,kudzu,poisonoak/ivy,and that nasty thorny vine?) down to the ground and then spray straight vinegar on the stumpy remains. Never comes back. I don't know about leaching into your veggie roots. I would hold cardboard up to keep the spray from getting on veggies. Maybe spray and then cover grass with the cardboard until faded and dead and pull up root system of grass. That way you would only have to spray the one time.

[River Rest]

Originally Posted by chickenista

I clip the woody weeds (Rosa floribunda,kudzu,poisonoak/ivy,and that nasty thorny vine?) down to the ground and then spray straight vinegar on the stumpy remains. Never comes back. I don't know about leaching into your veggie roots. I would hold cardboard up to keep the spray from getting on veggies. Maybe spray and then cover grass with the cardboard until faded and dead and pull up root system of grass. That way you would only have to spray the one time.

Hey chickenista, that's a great idea. Were bouts in WNC are you?

tnokie, I just use it straight. Put it in a spray bottle or one of those pump garden sprayer thingies.

[Marcia in MT]

Grocery store vinegar is 5% acetic acid; some of the commercial spray vinegars are 20%. The one we have also has salt in it. So the recommendations I've seen are to use the 5% stuff straight, and make sure you rinse out your sprayer afterwards. In the reports I've read on the 20% stuff, the people had problems with it corroding rubber rings and metal parts in their sprayers. I've never looked for anything more concentrated than the grocery store stuff!

[Getting There]

I clip the woody weeds (Rosa floribunda,kudzu,poisonoak/ivy,and that nasty thorny vine?) down to the ground and then spray straight vinegar on the stumpy remains. Never comes back.

Very interesting - I'll have to give this a try.

[Shrek]

Originally Posted by River Rest

Vinegar really works as a weed killer. Though, I know it will kill any plant. I'd like to spray the grass around the border of the garden. I know to be careful to not spray my veggie plants. Will it harm the soil or roots of the veggie plants?

Thanks!

vinegar will create an acidic enough soil to support moss growth in shady areas. I spray my front lawn of moss under my trees with 5% white vinegar every week or so to keep the pH acidic enough to keep the moss cover a vibrant green.

[Tricky Grama]

Use the 10% vinegar-the 20% is way too strong, you have to be very careful not to inhale it. Just spray individually-don't let it get on the leaves/foilage of your garden plants.

Patty

[southrngardngal]

I read once where it was suggested to use a milk jug with bottom cut out. Place the jug over what you are spraying and put the vinegar through the top. This will contain the spray so that it doesn't go onto other plants. A two liter soda bottle was suggested too.

southrngardngal-Jan