Vinegar Weed Killer: Grandma's Recipe For Fast Weed Control
Take Your Pick... Make Your Own... Everyone has weeds. Many have heard that you can use a vinegar weed killer to get rid of them. Is it true you wonder? How do you use it? Yes, it is a fact that you can kill weeds with vinegar. That sounds great, doesn’t it! People hate to spend money for a way to get rid of weeds, and vinegar is cheap. Many people would like to avoid chemical sprays, and vinegar is all natural. Sounds like the best of both worlds. Except….. there are a few exceptions, limitations, details, that you should know about before you grab a bottle of vinegar off the shelf and seek revenge on those weeds.
Acetic acid is what makes vinegar a weed killer. Actually, it makes vinegar a plant killer. Acetic acid, from any source, will kill most vegetation because it draws all the moisture out of the leaf. It is fast. Spraying full strength vinegar on a plant in full sun will often result in a withered, brown plant in only a few hours, for sensitive weeds, or by the next day in tougher plants. It is non-selective, meaning it might kill everything it touches. This limits the usefulness of a vinegar weed killer, to the extent that you are able to control overspray that would get on desirable plants. Do you have places where you could use these characteristics of a vinegar weed killer? If it seems like a good idea, how do you use it? That brings up an interesting development.
We don’t know whose Grandma started it, or how. It may have been an accident when she tossed out a bad batch of apple cider! The idea has been around a long time. But through the years, there have been quite a few variations for making a vinegar weed killer. Searching the internet and other sources for home made remedies comes up with a wide range of formulas that appear to have originated from one basic recipe. Look at this simple chart to see the range of suggestions you can find.
What do you think? Do you want to try them all? The differences in concentration for each ingredient, and the combination of mixes, make you wonder! Are any of them a good idea? If you would like to know exactly what these different ingredients do, take a moment to read What To Expect From Home Made Weed Killer. A few of the cautions mentioned will help you narrow down this list of recipes for vinegar weed killer. Some of the combinations seemed too weak and probably wouldn’t work, while others were too wacky to even try. I decided to try the last two on the list, to find out what full strength vinegar as a weed killer could accomplish.
I have plenty of weeds in one area of my yard that is not landscaped, so I did not have to worry about over-spray that might kill good plants. I sprayed weeds with full strength vinegar; with full strength vinegar plus soap; and with soap and water only, just for comparison. Using Full Strength Vinegar And Soap
Using Only Full Strength Vinegar As A Weed Killer
Soap And Water Only
I used a small sprayer, 1 ½ quart size, that pumps up pressure. This puts out a smaller, softer spray pattern than my larger tank sprayer. It allowed me to confine the spray to the desired area much better. I also sprayed some weeds in ground cover and had a little bit of overspray. The ground cover died where it was hit, but it is the spreading kind and has filled back in. The conclusion appears to be that a vinegar weed killer can be effective on some weeds, in some situations. However, consider the following information before you decide to try it.
Vinegar won’t move through the plant to kill the root, like some chemical sprays will do. The root may die anyway, depending on the variety of weed, and how mature it is. Young weeds may not have sufficient reserves to put out new growth. The older weeds that grow back would be weaker, and many should die with a repeat application of the vinegar weed killer. (If you have a large area to spray, and would prefer to avoid multiple applications, an alternative would be Round-up, or the generic alternatives. It can kill root and all in one spraying. Like the vinegar weed killer, it is non-selective. Yes, this is a chemical spray. I mention it because some of you may find it acceptable. There is strong commentary by both advocates and critics regarding the safety of this product. Glyphosate is the active ingredient and may not be as bad as some other chemicals, in terms of lingering in the soil. But everyone should evaluate where can you personally make some contribution to lessening your stressful impact on the environment. This may be one of those situations where if you decide to use it this time, you also commit to a more proactive approach next time.) Some plants are not as susceptible to vinegar. A waxy coating or a “hairy” (fuzzy) surface may interfere with the absorption of the vinegar. This is the type that would suffer more by adding the soap to a vinegar weed killer recipe. Vinegar applied to the soil as a full strength drench could kill the root directly. This is not recommended, since roots from good plants could also be affected. Also, the effects on soil microorganisms is unclear. They might die, or move out of the area, or become inactive temporarily. This would reduce soil fertility. Vinegar would lower the pH of the soil, making it more acidic. This could be good if your soil is alkaline, not so good if it is already acidic.
Anyone desiring to use a vinegar weed killer should be aware that the results they get will be quite unpredictable. It would be wise to try sampling before using any formula on a broad scale. Vinegar weed killer can be found in a few products made by garden suppliers, but they have to meet certain regulatory guidelines before they can recommend using vinegar as an herbicide. This is for consumer protection. Don’t blindly accept the recommendation of anyone on the internet, or other sources, saying vinegar weed killer is safe, natural and effective. It might be in some situations, but not in others, it all depends. There are so many variables. Use your best judgment. Those are the basic factors that should help you decide if it is a good idea to use a vinegar weed killer in your situation.
[Editor's note: the conclusion to this update is being re-evaluated and should be presented soon. I am conducting more trials to compare regular strength vinegar with the more potent Weed Pharm product you see here. Check back or contact me for a personal e-mail.}... In the meantime, if you have an immediate need for a stronger solution than what you can mix up on your own, check out this product. Weed Pharm contains 20% acetic acid.
Do check out these other articles if you have not already done so: Go to What To Expect From A Home Made Weed Killer. Go to Lawn Weeds general info page.
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Vinegar is a natural product, usually derived from grain, apples or grapes. It is distilled through a fermentation process. The vinegar you buy is typically labeled at 5% acidity. This means it contains 5% acetic acid, the active ingredient.
