There is no garden where weeds do not grow. It is quite difficult to deal with them, and this is a laborious and tedious process. Weeds are ubiquitous and adapt perfectly to any conditions. If you do not get rid of them in time, then they will occupy the entire garden. Weeding is believed to be the most effective method of controlling weeds, but this is far from the case. Not only is it hard work, time-consuming, but there is no guarantee that you will get rid of them forever, especially for perennial weeds.
Nevertheless, experienced gardeners have successfully used unconventional methods of dealing with these annoying occupiers, long ago abandoning hazardous chemicals.
Vinegar as a herbicide
Vinegar against weeds is one of the most effective and safe for humans, pets, cultivated plants and soil. It destroys almost any weed plant. By the way, with it you can get rid of ants. If you dilute 40% vinegar in half with water and spray the places of accumulation of insects, the smell quickly scares them away, and they disappear.
However, one should know that vinegar can destroy not only weeds, but also cultivated plants that it gets on. Therefore, for a better effect, it is necessary to improve the methods of its use.
Application methods
It’s best to use a spray bottle or spray bottle for vinegar. Especially this method is good for killing weeds that occupy a large area: on paths, platforms or in that part of the garden where vegetables and greens sparse grow.
Use vinegar against weeds should be on a calm sunny day. The lack of wind will not allow the solution to get to useful plants, and the sun will further activate its effect. If you want to selectively apply vinegar to the weeds, then it is best to do this with a brush moistened with a solution.
It is necessary to spray the solution liberally so that the leaves and stems in it are soaked. A couple of days after that, the result will be visible. Sometimes, especially resistant weeds require re-treatment.
Note that vinegar against weeds is advisable to apply before seeds begin to form in them. It is good to do this in early spring, when they only appear. Perennial weeds are best treated in the fall. Since at this time, due to the natural cycle of plants, nutrients are absorbed through the leaves, vinegar, once on them, penetrates the depths of the body of the weed, reaches the roots and completely destroys them.
Eco-friendly destruction: recipes with vinegar
Even those plants that are not susceptible to chemicals can be destroyed using vinegar against weeds. The recipe is as follows: a 40% solution in equal parts is diluted with water and weeds are sprayed with the resulting product.
There are several more recipes that experienced summer residents have long adopted:
- In 2 liters of water, 5 cups of vinegar (6%) are bred. This amount is usually enough to process 2 hundred parts. Just try not to get on the cultivated plants, otherwise they will be burned.
- Mix 3 parts of table vinegar (9%) and 1 part of lemon juice. The resulting mixture is poured into a spray bottle and weeds are carefully sprayed with it.
When a more caustic mixture is needed, vinegar and salt are used against weeds.
Slaughter mix
When table salt is also added to a solution of vinegar , a truly explosive mixture is obtained that leaves no chance for weeds to survive. With it, you can permanently get rid of weeds near the fences, as well as clean all the paths from weeds. In addition, this is a very effective way to deal with perennials that are able to constantly germinate.
How to use vinegar and salt against weeds? The proportions of the mixture are: water (1 l), table vinegar (5 tbsp. Tablespoons), salt (2 tbsp. Tablespoons). The water is brought to a boil, then vinegar and salt are placed there, stirred well and the hot solution is poured onto the weeds. Only this must be done with extreme caution so that the liquid does not enter neighboring plants.
By the way, salt can be used without vinegar. If you sprinkle it on the bed, stepping back a little from the roots of planted crops, then it will not only destroy the weeds, but also, after watering, seeping into the upper layers of the soil, will not allow new ones to germinate.
Herbicide soap
They need to spray weeds, covering useful plants with a screen of thick paper. Moreover, the mixture is more effective on a hot sunny day.
To prepare a herbicide soap, vinegar and salt are required (they have proven themselves against weeds) and, in fact, soap (liquid).
The composition of the mixture is as follows: white vinegar (1 l), table salt (150 g) and one syringe of liquid soap. Salt is poured into the bottle, poured with vinegar and soapy liquid is added. Then the solution is thoroughly shaken and poured on the weeds, trying to ensure that the composition does not flow under the cultivated plants.
“Slaughter” mixture is obtained if you use 15-20% vinegar.
Soda - assistant summer resident
Any housewife knows how useful soda is in everyday life. But few know that soda is also needed in the garden. Vinegar against weeds has already proven effective. Let's talk about baking soda now.
To get rid of small weeds that germinate between the tiles of the paths, just pour them with a strong soda solution.
But sodium bicarbonate is not only effective for killing weeds. Each summer resident is familiar with a plant disease such as powdery mildew. Those who have tried various chemical treatments will be pleased to know that soda copes with this scourge. Here are two tried and tested recipes:
- Take 5 liters of water, dilute in them 2 tbsp. tablespoons of soda and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of liquid soap. The resulting solution should be sprayed with plants before flowering, and after it, observing the weekly interval, process 3 more times.
- Pour the following mixture into the sprayer: water (1 l) and taken in 1 tbsp. spoon of soda, vegetable oil and liquid soap. Having shaken well, spray this composition of the plant once a week, trying to do this in dry cloudy weather.
Reviews of gardeners
Now there are many different horticultural forums where lovers to grow fruits and vegetables at their sites exchange tips and share personal experiences. Discussion of the topic about salt and vinegar against weeds does not go unnoticed. Reviews, all as one, the most positive. Moreover, even the most zealous admirers of the use of chemicals are now inclined to this method of struggle. In addition, gardeners do not stop experimenting using known recipes, add their own innovations to them, improve them, making them more effective.
Those who have tried the above weed control techniques claim that they have very little chance of survival. A powerful arsenal of tools makes it possible to get rid of weeds, if not forever, then for a long time. Ogorodnikov is pleased that simple, affordable means can be used in this struggle.
Finally
Ecological herbicides are able to effectively control weeds without harming humans and cultivated plants. Vinegar against weeds is very effective, it will help get rid of them, and will also make it possible to maintain the beds in perfect condition, which will significantly increase the yield of vegetables.