It’s true! There are many little-known but very effective uses for vinegar in the garden. From pest control to soil improvement, there are many ways to use this inexpensive, household ingredient for a cheaper, gentler solution to everyday gardening problems.
There are many little-known but very effective uses for vinegar in the garden. We present ten of them here!
10 clever uses for vinegar in the garden
1. Destroy weeds
You can remove weeds by spraying them with vinegar, being careful not to spray on plants you wish to preserve. This is a good option if you don’t want to use commercial poisons in your garden, especially if you have pets or children.
Kill weeds with vinegar if you don’t want to use commercial poisons in your garden
2. Clean pots
Most people have terracotta pots in their gardens. They are practical and look beautiful and classy, but they can get dirty quickly and are not easy to clean. Try washing the pots with vinegar. So they are quickly freed from dirt and get their color back.
3. Make plants bloom
Some plants like rhododendrons and azaleas thrive in an acidic soil environment. Add a cup of vinegar to about four liters of water and pour it into the soil of these plants.
Make plants bloom with a mixture of vinegar essence and water
4. Get rid of ants
Ants are a nuisance pest that is difficult to control. Mix equal parts vinegar and water and spray the paths and surfaces where you find them.
5. Grow your seeds
The night before sowing, soak your seeds in a solution of 500ml water and 125ml vinegar to help them germinate.
6. Repel insects
Insects can do a lot of damage in your garden and vinegar can help here too. Spray around the edges of your garden beds to scare them away.
Spray the edges of your garden beds with vinegar essence to get rid of insects
7. Get rid of fruit flies
Whether you have an orchard or just a few fruit trees, you may be familiar with the annoyance when you pick your fruit and find that it is infested with fruit flies. In a bottle, combine 1 cup water, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon molasses. Then hang the mixture in your fruit trees and wait for those pesky flies to be trapped!
Vinegar is a good helper against fruit flies
8. Keep your tools sparkling clean
After gardening, soak your tools in vinegar for a few minutes and then rinse to prevent rusting.
9. Get rid of snails and slugs
Snails and slugs can cause enormous damage to garden plants and are a problem, especially in wet years. The following recipe kills the slimy invaders. Mix 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup water in a spray bottle and spray directly on snails. Avoid overspraying the plants and test the product on a leaf or two before applying to a large area.
Use a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water to control slugs and slugs
10. Clean garden paths, paving stones, borders, walls and sidewalks
Mix 1 part water and 1 part vinegar and spray onto area to be cleaned. Then let them soak and soak. Mineral deposits should disappear. Note that this may stain some natural stones. It is therefore always a good idea to test this on an inconspicuous area first or to consult an expert on the stone type or material in question.
Spray the area to be cleaned with a mixture of 1 part water and 1 part vinegar
Vinegar essence – the all-rounder in the garden and household
