Does anyone know how long vinegar will affect the ph of soil? We are
doing some work on my in-laws house and the backyard is all weeds, no
grass. Since we do not want to use any chemicals, poisons, etc. on the
weeds, I was thinking about dousing the yard with vinegar to kill the
weeds.

I've been looking on the internet, and some sites say that the soil
will be affected for 6 months, others say for a few days. I suppose I
could do a test spot and see if anything continues to grow, right? If
the weeds grow back fairly quickly, that means that the ph is back to
normal, and that we could grow grass after we get the weeds killed,
right? If we use the vinegar to get the weeds under control, and find
the ph of the soil is still off after a couple of months, can that be
easily corrected?

Basically we want to kill the weeds along the borders of the yard, and
maybe smother with plastic the middle part of the yard that we intend
to grow grass on.

Other options are tilling, but that sounds like a pain, and pulling the
weeds is not an option, as there are way too many of them. Also, the
amount of time we have available to spend on the yard is rather
limited.

If anyone knows the answer to the vinegar question, that would be
greatly appreciated, and if anyone has any other tips to get the yard
under control, I would be forever grateful!

Last I heard about vinegar for weed control was that to be effective, it had
to be a stronger concentration, more like 24%, than what is available at
the grocery store, usually 5%. Also, it can change the pH of the soil
(temporarily) and doesn't do a good job of killing nasty weeds such as
thistles at the root. Here's some interesting info from Iowa State about
the use of vinegar for weed control:
http://www.weeds.iastate.edu/weednews/vinegar.htm .

Also being an older hippie chick -- think '60's -- I can understand your
reluctance to use "chemicals." But keep in mind that even vinegar is a
"chemical." What I will assume you're looking for is the least toxic
solution to your problem. That said, the most environmentally-friendly
method is to cover the ground with something thick enough to block out light
and water -- two basic needs for all plants. You could use heavy plastic,
layers of newspaper and the like. The 2nd most non-chemical solution is to
mow the plants over and over until they do not have enough stored energy
left to regrow. That, however, could take a whole summer, depending on the
target weed. As far as tilling, it will get rid of whatever weeds are
present, but has the disadvantage of bringing weed seeds to the surface,
which means new weed plants.

There is a chemical alternative that is not long lasting in the soil, and
one of the few things I would consider in terms of herbicides for getting
rid of weeds with very little labor -- glyphosate, the active ingredient in
RoundUp. It does not persist in the soil (breaks down within a few days),
and is absorbed by the plant leaves, tranlocated to the roots where it kills
the plants for good. You have to follow the label as to temperature to
apply and be very careful not to get it on plants you do not want to get rid
of as it is a nonspecific herbicide, meaning that it will kill any plants it
is applied to (by the way, the strong solution of vinegar is also a
nonspecific herbicide). If you're concerned about losing desirable plants
you can apply it by dipping a gloved hand into the solution and wiping it on
the plants you don't want or apply it with a sprayer set to stream aimed at
the new leaves -- anything but a fine mist.

Suzy in Milwaukee, WI, Zone 5
-- "The way to avoid housework is to live outside." -Sandra Blacksmith, 1901




"hippiechick" wrote in message
oups.com...
Does anyone know how long vinegar will affect the ph of soil? We are
doing some work on my in-laws house and the backyard is all weeds, no
grass. Since we do not want to use any chemicals, poisons, etc. on the
weeds, I was thinking about dousing the yard with vinegar to kill the
weeds.

I've been looking on the internet, and some sites say that the soil
will be affected for 6 months, others say for a few days. I suppose I
could do a test spot and see if anything continues to grow, right? If
the weeds grow back fairly quickly, that means that the ph is back to
normal, and that we could grow grass after we get the weeds killed,
right? If we use the vinegar to get the weeds under control, and find
the ph of the soil is still off after a couple of months, can that be
easily corrected?

Basically we want to kill the weeds along the borders of the yard, and
maybe smother with plastic the middle part of the yard that we intend
to grow grass on.

Other options are tilling, but that sounds like a pain, and pulling the
weeds is not an option, as there are way too many of them. Also, the
amount of time we have available to spend on the yard is rather
limited.

If anyone knows the answer to the vinegar question, that would be
greatly appreciated, and if anyone has any other tips to get the yard
under control, I would be forever grateful!

hippiechick wrote:
Does anyone know how long vinegar will affect the ph of soil? We are
doing some work on my in-laws house and the backyard is all weeds,
no grass. Since we do not want to use any chemicals, poisons, etc.
on the weeds, I was thinking about dousing the yard with vinegar to
kill the weeds.

You married into the wrong family.

;-)

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8b
Sunset Zone 5

"S Orth" wrote in message
...
If you're concerned about losing desirable plants you can apply it by
dipping a gloved hand into the solution and wiping it on the plants you
don't want or apply it with a sprayer set to stream aimed at the new
leaves -- anything but a fine mist.


Maybe better to use a small paintbrush to do this but regardless, get the
heavy rubber gloves made specifically for working with chemicals.

Thanks for the info! We're not worried about losing any desirable
plants, as the ENTIRE backyard is a weed. Thankfully, the front yard is
in good shape. Maybe we'll use RoundUp on the borders, and put down
plastic on the rest of the yard.

You make laugh!