If you’re looking for an easy and natural way to get rid of weeds in your garden, you might want to try using vinegar. Not only is it cheap and readily available, but it’s also an effective way to kill weeds without the use of harsh chemicals.
Why Vinegar Works
Vinegar contains acetic acid, which can dehydrate and kill weeds. When sprayed directly on the leaves of a weed, it can penetrate the plant’s protective layer and damage the cells, causing the plant to die. Of course, vinegar is not forever solution. Weeds can regrow, but in my experience it works well enough and the benefits are obvious.
How to Use Vinegar to Kill Weeds
Using vinegar to kill weeds is simple. To get started, I pulled out our garden sprayer and stocked up with 4 gallons of cheap store brand vinegar. If you don’t have a sprayer you can pick up a 1 gallon or 2 gallon fairly cheap on Amazon.com. Pour a gallon of vinegar in, pump and get to spraying, being sure to target the leaves.
You can also mix a little bit of dish soap in, if you like. A for conditions, I chose to do this on two dry, hot days. Repeat the process if necessary.
Tips for Using Vinegar to Kill Weeds
Be sure to spray only where you want to kill the grass, the vinegar will kill everything you spray. At the edges of your driveway be sure to spray in a straight line, unless you like zig-zagged edges. You can see in the photo above where I sprayed just a few hours prior to snapping this photo. The grass is already dying off and the edge is pretty clean.
- Be careful when using vinegar around desirable plants as it can also kill them
- Avoid spraying on a windy day as the wind can carry the vinegar to other plants
- Use a higher concentration of vinegar for tougher weeds (like pickling vinegar or cleaning vinegar)