Vinegar As a Weed Killer
Forum Archives
cjmiller
Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Posted: Jun-16-2005 at 11:05am
The posting got lost in some mysterious geeky shuffle, but I have concluded my very sceientific study of the effect of vinegar on grass and weeds. For 5 days in a row, I sprayed vinegar on dandelions, pasture grass, thistle, and lawn grass, and all of those things became kind of patheticly curled but I dont think it killed them outright, just stunted them, the grass turned yellow. For the amount of effort extended, it is probably more effective just to pull them out!
Carol
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Jun-16-2005 at 3:45pm
Thanks for the conclusion on your scientific study, Carol! I sometimes think it easier to pull the weeds, but for things such as blackberry, ivy or bamboo might need stronger stronger stuff.
Jeanne
basilgirl
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Jun-16-2005 at 8:50pm
I only use vinegar in the early spring. I know the plants i dont want- and where they are -and i drench when they would just be comming to life.the first drink they get in spring is vinegar. killed morning glory & got the ivey under control that way.
Ive never used it as a spray-like everyone else, ill just pull it.
DebbieTT
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Jun-16-2005 at 9:03pm
What I found vinegar best for is spraying the oxalis that sprouts in my gravel paths. I have landscaping fabric underneath and the oxalis weave their roots through making it impossible to get every bit out.
The spray doesn't kill the roots. But a spray of vinegar a few times keeps them from having their green to feed the roots, and they die. Pulling those plants in gravel is not easy either. Also small weeds just starting out are killed outright.
I tried the Blackberry blocker (a form of vinegar) that was supposed to change the PH making it impossible for anything to grow. It was expensive and did the same thing as vinegar. And the weeds came back with a vengence. If the ph changed, the plants didn't seem to care.
BTW the landscape fabric wasn't put down to keep the weeds out, that's a waste of time as the seeds blow in they sprout then they anchor themselves to the fabric. It is in place to keep the moles from coming up in the paths. When and if I get my paths done in concrete or stone it will mean the dang moles won't be able to upset the level of them.
Fern
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posted: Jun-16-2005 at 10:48pm
I know what you mean about moles. They love to mess up my stepping stones too.
Fern
cjmiller
Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Posted: Jun-17-2005 at 10:03am
Basilgirl thanks for the tip on early treatment of ivy and morning glory. I have relentlessy pulled morning glory and ivy for the past 30 years that comes under and through the fence. My "encroachers" start next door where the practiced theory is that the weeds keep their dogs away from the fence.
It does sound like prevention and early attention is a key to control.
Carol
Phlox
Location: Washington, Southwestern
Posted: Jun-18-2005 at 6:52pm
A friend of mine started using bleach on her weeds and it worked for her so I tried it on some weeds that come up in the gravel and....depending on the weed....it worked. I wouldn't suggest it for any weed that was next to a nice plant though.
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Jun-20-2005 at 9:13am
I wonder about using bleach in the garden. Do you know if any studies have been done? According to Clorox's website, bleach reacts and converts back to salt water when used as directed in the laundry. We know that salt water is not good for the soil and plants. I would caution about using products that may be safe in the house, in the garden because we don't know what the impacts on the soil or wildlife might be.
I wish there was a magic bullet for killing weeds. I spent a good portion of Saturday pulling weeds and I don't know that I made a dent in the large weed patch I call a garden. No, I take that back, I can see the cleared areas, it's just that there are so many weedy areas left!
Jeanne
Poppy
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Jun-25-2005 at 9:47pm
I too have been up to my ankles in weeds this weekend. There may actually be hope now, though--I can actually see the bottoms of my blueberry bushes!
My biggest enemies continue to be dandelions with taproots from hell. (Wow! Sounds like a good title for a cult movie!) Have you guys had success using boiling water to get rid of vicious, monster, evil dandelions?
Far west of Metro--at the entrance to the Tillamook Forest.
cjmiller
Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Posted: Jun-26-2005 at 5:12pm
Poppy, I read your post to husband including the bottom line, and he said, Hummm, I am beginning to understand that Biblical curse more and more. Who knew what was entailed with earning your keep by the sweat of your brow? It sounds somewhat innocuous, but when you add in the accompanying back ache, it is pretty powerful stuff.
Dont you think that this spring has been especially kind to the weed population? and must have made the slugs particularly happy and well fed?
Carol
Poppy
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Jun-27-2005 at 12:39am
C.J. I totally agree with your husband's conclusion! There are lot of deep truths in our world that make much more sense when you work in your garden. As for the Spring rains and the slugs---I know everyone always says "this year is worse than last year," but, believe me, this year IS worse than last year!! I'm finding slugs in places I had no idea they knew about! They took down a row of baby sunflowers I had coming up a couple of weeks ago, and I swear I could hear them licking their little lips, (such as they are,) at the all-you-can-eat-buffet!
Far west of Metro--at the entrance to the Tillamook Forest.
Phlox
Joined: Feb-25-2004
Location: Washington, Southwestern
Posted: Jun-27-2005 at 1:34pm
Actually, I really didn't use the bleach except on the sprouts that the Sumac and the neighbors plum tree sent up, and I gave up doing that also as I found it was easiest just to dig them up with a shovel-got rid of them right away instead of waiting for the bleach, or anything else I've tried, to work.
And by the way, is that brown vinigar or white that you use and does one work any better than the other?? "The only limit to your garden is at the boundaries of your imagination." -Thomas D.Church
cjmiller
Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Posted: Jun-28-2005 at 1:46pm
Actually, it was some rather nasty tasting cheep red wine vinegar...and maybe my conclusions were a little too early, as I had one particularly odious, healthy, prickly thisle behind the shed that I generously sprayed with the vinegar, and now, 3 weeks later it is showing only a ragged looking wound where it grew from the taproot, and all 4 inches high circles of leaves are gone. Whoopeeee! About boiling water, it works well for keeping the cracks in the cement driveway free of greenery--and ants, too!
Carol
SunnyBunny
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Jun-28-2005 at 3:09pm
My aunt tried a product made of vinegar but it is a byproduct of the wine industry. It is basically a vinegar x100! It worked on killing weeds and it keeps the soil so acidic they do not come back. The problem is...if you use it near other plants. It is basically like an acid it is so strong. It works but the applications are limited.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton