Weeds are a nightmare for gardeners. White vinegar is known for its qualities as a weedkiller. But did you know that it is even more effective when combined with two other products?
In spring, weeds can quickly take over your garden, gravel driveway or patio. Weeds nestled between the slabs of a terrace or in the gravel can be difficult to eliminate and make maintaining your exterior a real challenge. Rather than using chemical herbicides potentially dangerous for the environment and your health, there is a more natural and equally effective solution: the use of white vinegar combined with two products that we all have in our kitchen cupboards. .
White vinegar is known for its effectiveness as a herbicide. When sprayed directly on weeds, it works by drying out the leaves and stems of plants, depriving them of their source of water and nutrients. This causes weeds to die, making them easier to eliminate. While white vinegar alone can kill weeds, it is even more effective when combined with dishwashing liquid and a little salt.
Salt slowly dehydrates the moisture from weeds, roots and foliage, eventually killing them. Thus, It helps to strengthen the drying action of vinegar, which makes weeds more vulnerable and more quickly eliminated. Be careful, the action of salt is deeper. By affecting the roots, it can also sterilize the soil and kill ground fauna. Therefore, use with caution, it is even preferable to do without it and prefer another product from our cupboards, dishwashing liquid. This helps break up the hydrophobic surface of plant leaves, allowing vinegar and salt to better adhere and penetrate weed tissues. This increases the effectiveness of the mixture against weeds.
Here is a simple recipe to prepare your own herbicide using white vinegar and dishwashing liquid. In a sprayer, mix and dilute the white vinegar in water. 20 to 30 ml of white vinegar is enough for one liter of water. If you want to add salt, then add a tablespoon of table salt and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Shake the sprayer well to mix the ingredients. Make sure the salt is completely dissolved.
Spray the mixture liberally on the weeds, making sure to cover all parts of the plant, including the leaves and stems. It is best to apply the mixture in sunny, dry weather for maximum effectiveness. Leave the mixture to act on the weeds for a few hours, or even overnight if possible. The longer the exposure time, the more effective the effect will be. If the weeds are particularly stubborn, you can repeat the application of the mixture several times until the plants are completely eliminated. When the weeds are dead, you can easily collect them for disposal.