Re: Vinegar for killing weeds -- follow up

[Magen]

Does it kill the grass. I my area we cannot use any herbicides so I am wondering if I can use this as an over all spray on grass area to kill only the weeds.

In addition to posting here, I asked around and some friends have used > vinegar for weeds. So I figured, it's cheap, I'll give it a try. I > purchased jugs of vinegar from the grocery store (diluted to 5% acidity, > according to the label) and a new watering can (for better control). I > "watered" the weeds with the vinegar on the west-facing brick > sidewalk and gravel parking strip. Both get full sun, especially in the > afternoon. The weeds turned yellow within a few hours. > > My friends had always used cider vinegar, so I started with that. > Afterwards, I tried a jug of plain vinegar, which is cheaper, and that > worked just as well. > > In addition to killing the weeds, I'm enjoying the novelty of it all. >

[Salty Thumb]

"Magen" wrote in news:0_lTa.1429$ [e-mail]:

it will turn grass brown ... well grass in a driveway crack anyway.

[Julia Altshuler]

My experience with vinegar as a weed killer is that it turns the plant brown, weakens it a bit, but doesn't really kill it. It invariably bounces back to life. Putting vinegar on is equivalent to pulling the plant out but not doing a good job of getting the root. I've had better luck with boiling water if I can put enough on so the water is still hot when it trickles down to the root. If I can't boil the root, it is the same old story-- dead leaves + healthy root = weed that comes back.

--Lia

Chelsea Christens>

[NewsUser]

I tried vinegar a while back and it killed the weeds DEAD! Nasty stuff with big tap roots. Other than the smell, I like using this alternative to expensive chemicals.

[Chelsea Christenson]

It's been over a week since I used the vinegar, and I'm not seeing any new growth, not even from the crabgrass. My impression from talking with my master gardener (who's back from vacation now) is that the heat from the full sun exposure (not to mention the radiant heat from the bricks in the walk) is an important element, and that vinegar isn't nearly as effective in shadier areas.

[NewsUser]