Vinegar contains acetic acid which is able to kill weeds effectively and naturally. This material is preferred by many gardeners because it is more environmentally friendly than herbicides. You can put vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it on the grass while avoiding the plants you want to keep. For stronger grass, you may need to purchase horticultural vinegar, add dish soap, or add salt to the vinegar before spraying it on the grass.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Using Vinegar as a Weed Repellent
Step 1. Buy white vinegar
Visit a local grocery store and buy a bottle of basic vinegar, usually with a 5% concentration of acetic acid. It's probably best if you only buy a gallon if the grass is low. You can buy more if more grass is removed, but a gallon should be enough to cover a large area.
Vinegar is a substance that kills grass. Ideally, use white vinegar because it is the most recommended and affordable. However, you can also use cider apple cider vinegar
Step 2. Mix the vinegar with 2 teaspoons of laundry soap
The laundry soap will help the vinegar stay on the grass longer. It's a good idea to add 2 teaspoons of laundry soap per 4 liters of vinegar. Stir the two together in a bowl or bucket.
Step 3. Pour the mixture into a garden sprayer
Choose a spray pump with a long hose and nozzle to make spraying large areas easier. Fill the sprayer with a mixture of vinegar and dish soap, or add as much to the sprayer as needed.
- Another option is to pour the mixture into an empty spray bottle. You can buy an empty spray bottle or use an old bottle of glass cleaner or other mild cleaner. Make sure you rinse the used bottle if it has been filled with liquid before.
- If you're only mowing a small amount of grass, or working on a small area, make 4-5 small holes in the cap of the vinegar bottle and use it to splash the vinegar on the grass.
- If you are using horticultural vinegar, which is usually 30% acidic, dilute it with water. If you use plain white vinegar, you don't need to dilute it.
Step 4. Spray the vinegar solution on a sunny day
The acetic acid in the vinegar will dry out the grass, so spray the vinegar when the grass is in the sun for at least a few hours to increase the dryness of the vinegar. Spray in the morning so the grass can get plenty of sun.
- If it rains unexpectedly shortly after spraying the vinegar, you may have to do it again.
- In this case, the ideal sunny weather temperature is around 21 degrees Celsius.
Step 5. Spray the vinegar directly on the grass
Using a spray pump, spray bottle, or perforated bottle, spray vinegar on the grass you want to kill. Wet the grass leaves completely with vinegar, and don't forget the roots.
- You don't need to soak the grass leaves, but make sure the vinegar covers them evenly.
- Wait about 24 hours and check the grass. If you're still not satisfied, you can re-spray the vinegar.
Step 6. Make sure the vinegar doesn't get on the plants you are keeping
Vinegar can also kill plants and flowers, so be careful when spraying vinegar on the grass. Vinegar isn't necessarily the best choice for getting rid of weeds in your garden, flowerbed, or yard.
Vinegar will not absorb into the soil and kill other plants unless it is directly exposed to it
Step 7. Clean the sprayer when finished
Vinegar can corrode the sprayer if left too long. Rinse the spray well after use. Discard any remaining vinegar and fill the bottle with water. Be sure to pump and spray water to clean the hoses and nozzles.
Method 2 of 2: Killing Strong Grass
Step 1. Purchase a 20% concentrated horticultural vinegar
Visit a gardening or home supply store and ask if concentrated vinegar products designed for the garden are sold there. When using strong vinegar, it is a good idea to wear protective equipment such as gloves and protective eyewear.
- Most grasses will die with regular vinegar so try that first, and only use horticultural vinegar if plain vinegar doesn't work.
- Do not expose your skin to this vinegar because it generally has a higher concentration of acetic acid.
Step 2. Mix it with dish soap
Add about 5 ml of dish soap per 1 liter of vinegar to the spray bottle. The dish soap will help the vinegar stay longer on the grass and not just drip off.
- Stir the soap and vinegar gently, and don't shake the bottle, as the soap will foam up and be difficult to mix with the vinegar.
- The amount of dish soap and vinegar doesn't need to be accurate. Just pour in about a teaspoon of dish soap per liter of vinegar.
Step 3. Add 2 cups (470 ml) of table salt to 4 liters of water
Salt may not affect all grasses, but it will dry out the grass more quickly than regular vinegar. You can add salt to the vinegar that has been mixed with the soap. Use cheap table salt instead of rock salt, Epsom, or sea salt.
- Salt tends to stay in the soil for a while and has a long term impact on plant health. If the cleared area of grass is to be replanted, it is best not to use salt.
- On the other hand, if you want to prevent the grass from growing back, salt will be quite helpful.
- It is important to clean a sprayer that contains a saline solution as the parts can clog and corrode if left unattended.
