# Who's using vinegar?



## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Sometimes when I'm spraying Roundup, I can't help but imagine I'm at a gas pump watching the dollars fly by. So today, I tried a cheaper weed killer approach using vinegar. Recipes vary slightly, but here is a typical one and a good how-to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POpNwaVDE3A 

So I did roughly the same recipe (1.5 gal 5% vinegar + 1/2 cup pool salt + 1/2 cup detergent), and wow, the broad-leaf weeds got smoked. Here's some notes.










To left of center, weeds are untouched. To right of center, vinegar+. That pic is after only 2 hours, so hopefully the gradual sucking of life out of these plants is still progressing. 

The big weeds to the right of the roadbed haven't croaked; no idea why. But a few hours ago, it was quite green in the gravel around them.

As a point of reference, it took me 2 hours to mix and spray 6 gallons. Area was, say, 80 x 15 feet average, but I only sprayed where needed. Some areas, it was needed throughout, like a carpet of weed material.


Vinegar has acetic acid in it (I used the 5% grocery store variety). Anyone know if it's harmful to track elements or other stuff?



As I understand it, the acetic acid acts as a desiccant: the plant shrivels up, especially w/ sunlight. Can't have rain in the forecast for at least a few hours. Some types of weeds laugh at it though... for example, my grassy types haven't behaved and died yet. I hear that this is a good first defense, because it won't hurt your cat or kill the planet or whatever. But I gather that one needs some actual Roundup for the stubborn / deep-rooted cases.

Has anyone had success with this method? Any points to consider, changes to the recipe? 

===>Cliffy


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Cliffy:


A little chemistry 101. Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid. The name vinegar is just the common name, much like muriatic acid is another name for hydrochloric acid and oil of vitriol is sulphuric acid by another name. Those acids with the common name are usually not as pure ( contain some other compounds), as reagent grade acids used in laboratories.

Chuck

My guess is that with the salt in the solution, nothing is going to grow back for quite a while.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks for the reply Chuck, very informative. Yes, I agree, the salt is something of a "Plan B" that isn't related to the desiccating activity of the acetic acid. 

Speaking of "the morning after," it seams that what the vinegar was killing is now nice and toasty. What it didn't act on early on was still going strong. So I laid a nice stream of Roundup on the main offenders. Pokeberry... 

Anyone else actually use vinegar with success?


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## jcopanos (May 29, 2010)

I have a 15' x 35' patch of artificial grass in my backyard surrounded by 6" wide rock border, then a 18" high block wall that defines my layout. I use a 50/50 water/vinegar solution to keep down the dog urine smell in the rock, on the 18" wall, and on the "grass" too. I still get weeds in that 6" wide border. My dog loves to urinate on that wall but it generally keeps him out of my layout. (ater a lttle training)


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## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Great information. I wonder- Is it the vinegar that is killing the weeds or is it the salt? 


-Kevin.


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## Nutz-n-Bolts (Aug 12, 2010)

I was just talking about the same mix you describe at a party over the weekend. I'm curious to try it. 

*I've been using the following product on our lawn:*









*To get rid of the dreaded Japanese Knotweed :*










The one thing that I like about this poison, is that it says it's absorbed in to the root system to kill the plant. It definitely works. There was much less of it that came up in our yard this year. It won't be long before I wont have to spray it. It's much more cost effective than Round Up. At $20 for the 32 ounce bottle. You mix 4oz per gallon. I get it at the local Agway store.

I will have to mix some vinegar solution to see what effect it has on it. Certainly seems to work on some stuff.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks for the tip Randy, I'll have to keep my eye out for that. 
Kevin, all I have to say is that I first experimented with a 50/50 water-vinegar mix, no salt, and it killed some test weeds. 
BTW, still no joy on grasses. I read you loud and clear, jcoponos. 
I'm guessing that folks have evolved the soap+salt thing to handle the grasses and other things that acetic acid doesn't affect. 
At $2 / gallon though, the vinegar seems worthwhile for at least certain broadleaf weeds. I'll be keeping something nastier for the rest. 
Now that I think of it, next to Roundup, gasoline is cheap... ;} 

===>Cliffy


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