Household vinegar is most effective on small weeds under two weeks old and with no more than two leaves.
Materials Needed
Instructions:
Weed Control Tip
Vinegar is a non-selective, contact herbicide.
It needs to cover the weeds thoroughly.
The Spruce / Liz Moskowitz
It can also kill other non-weedy plants, so watch out for spray drift.
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This astringent substance removes moisture from the plants foliage, causing it to die back.
The Spruce / Ana Cadena
While boiling water defoliates plants on contact, deep roots are protected under the soil.
Take care when transporting the boiling water from the house to the yard.
If you accidentally spill any en route, you could damage prized plants or scald yourself.
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Below are some other natural andeffective ways to kill weeds.
Corn Gluten Meal
Consider using non-toxic, organiccorn gluten as a pre-emergent herbicide.
Its only a good solution for bare soil; otherwise, cornmeal can also suppress sought-after species.
The Spruce / Liz Moskowitz
Landscape Fabric
Landscape fabric installationis a popularchemical-free weed controltool.
However, they have their limitations as apermanent weed-killing solution.
Weeds eventually break through, and then removing the large swathes of fabric is tricky.
Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch to an already weed-cleared soil.
Hand Pulling
Nothing beats effective, environmentally friendly hand pulling of weeds.
Persistent weeds often sprout up again later in the season or the following year.
Using vinegar as a weed killer provides instant and dramatic results.
Vinegar can be sprayed directly onto the weeds to make them die back to the roots.
If you are using household vinegar, mixing it with a fish-safe surfactant helps it adhere more effectively.
Be careful when applying the vinegar.
If the spray drifts, it could damage other non-weedy plants in your yard.
Vinegar: an alternative to glyphosate?University of Maryland Extension.
Evaluation of acetic acid based herbicides for use in broad-spectrum turfgrass and weed control.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County,
Corn gluten meal: good news for gardeners.
Reusable Black Tarps Suppress Weeds and Make Organic Reduced Tillage More Viable.
Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
2020;44(1):75.
