1. Vinegar helps kill weeds
Weeding is very important if you want to have a beautiful garden. The acetic acid in the vinegar slowly kills the weeds, dries them out and then they die. You need to use a vinegar that has the higher acidity. The commercial one, which has 5% acidity, is quite weak, not much weed-killing power. You can also try that vinegar, but you’ll probably convince yourself that you won’t get a very good result.
Vinegar of high acidity (with a concentration of more than 11%) is easy to use, it is diluted with a little water. As a rule, weeds are sprayed with white vinegar mixed with a little soap or dishwashing liquid, so that the solution sticks to the leaves of the plants.
But be careful not to spray the plants you want to keep – vegetables and flowers!
You can make this herbicide yourself by mixing 1 part white vinegar with 3 parts water and then just douse the weeds with this solution.
There is also a stronger vinegar than white, called horticultural vinegar, which is organic and perfect for gardening. It is effective for pest control. Make a mixture of 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar.
You can put salt in white vinegar and you get a liquid that is a good weed killer. We recommend one cup of salt per 4 liters of vinegar . If liquid soap or oil is added, the effect of this herbicide is even greater.
Vinegar will kill almost any type of weed you spray with it. It is recommended to use it at noon, when the sun is strong and the leaves are warm, they will absorb the sprayed vinegar faster and thus the weeds will be destroyed faster.
Diluted vinegar is good for plant growth
If you mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar with a teaspoon of sugar and 500 ml of water, you get a solution that refreshes the plants. The solution can be further diluted with water, with which you spray the plants in the garden that you want to take care of.
This mixture helps to revitalize wilted plants.
Vinegar is also effective for cleaning flower pots
Use concentrated vinegar to clean pots and see what happens! Vinegar helps to remove mold , stains on pots that have formed over time.
Vinegar is also good for cleaning the water sprinkler, or other things made of metal or other materials that are used in gardening (buckets, various containers). Undiluted vinegar is effective for cleaning metal tools or gardening tools . It has the property of removing bad smells, of any kind.
The water and vinegar solution is also recommended for washing windows or glass surfaces.
2. Vinegar repels insects and animals
Insects do not like the smell of vinegar. If you add a spoonful of vinegar to half a glass of water, you will get rid of ants and mosquitoes in the house. To repel insects from the plants, you can spray the plants with vinegar diluted with water.
Vinegar acts as an insecticide, it reduces the activity of some fungal diseases in plants. It helps in the destruction of the Colorado potato beetle (which occurs in potatoes) and its larvae; it is also good against pests in eggplant and pepper plantations. Mix 200 ml of vinegar with 200 g of mustard powder in 10 liters of water, let it soak for 12 hours, then sprinkle the plants with this solution.
Vinegar is also good for tree care , for removing pests from their leaves and branches. Make a preparation of 150 ml of vinegar and 2 liters of water. This mixture is placed in a metal or glass container, which is attached to a branch in the tree; it is a kind of insect bait.
To eliminate caterpillars and fleas from plants , prepare a solution of 14 tablespoons of vinegar and 10 liters of water. This is sprayed on ornamental plants or vegetables – broccoli, radishes, turnips, cabbage.
Vinegar can also be used to treat Phytophthora – a disease that can affect certain plants – tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes. The fungus Phytophthora is also known as potato blight . Mix 10 tablespoons of vinegar in 10 liters of water and spray the solution on the plants.
Compared to other insecticides or herbicides, vinegar is cheap and quite effective. It is recommended to protect your skin, eyes and respiratory tract when spraying vinegar.
Vinegar repels animals
The pungent smell of vinegar also repels animals – rabbits, mice, rats. Repelling animals by scent is a good method used by gardeners. Vinegar can be used, but also certain plants with an unpleasant odor for animals. Mice and rats cannot stand the smell of vinegar, peppermint oil, clove oil, bay leaves, hot peppers, onions, garlic.