Balsamic, Cider, Weed Killer?

Earth Day, April 22, inspired my anti-Round-up saga. This rant was aimed at keeping your yard safe by keeping Round-up out of your shopping cart. Chucking Round-up in your trash can would also suffice. Looking back, I realize my glass may have been half-empty and I didn’t offer up many alternatives, other than getting your hands dirty and digging up your weeds. While this is still an option, it’s not always a realistic one. Afterall, people have families, duties, responsibilities, and other essentials, ranking ahead of weeds.

Behold my generously filled glass tonight. And a little wisdom from my cousin-in-law, Tim. Thank you, Tim. And a little further investigation into organic weed control. If you aren’t privvy to this organic weed killer yet, you’re likely to find yourself raiding your pantry and heading outside to that annoying dandelion patch, momentarily. Brace yourself, this just may be the coolest thing ever.

If you already have vinegar, you don’t even need to make a grocery run. Did you know you’ve been harboring an organic weed killer all this time? Me neither. If you don’t own vinegar, you can find some for less than $3.00. According to Tim (cousin-in-law informant) vinegar works wonders on weeds, and dandelions are no match. Vinegar will, however, also kill most any plant you spray it on, so aim carefully.

We put vinegar in things we eat, so we eat it… how can it kill flora, you ask? Solid question. Vinegar contains acetic acid, and that kills plants. The best part is that it’s not made in a laboratory, it’s all natural. It’s produced from fermented sugar/alcohol-containing liquid. This stuff’s been around the block, and has been commercially produced since 2000 B.C. I feel your love for vinegar intensifying. You’ll probably want to pay tribute to The International Vinegar Museum, located in Roslyn, South Dakota. If you want to go all in, perhaps you could partake in The International Vinegar Festival, in mid-June. Now I have a bit of vinegar guilt, as I live in neighboring Minnesota and have never been. Yet.

Is there a trick to killing weeds with this beloved vinegar?

Vinegar alone may not adhere to the weeds very well, and could use some assistance. There are a lot of homemade recipes swirling about the internet. I don’t know which is best. Yet. From what I’ve read so far, people favor a mixture of vinegar and dish soap. I found this site to be pretty informative and helpful with evaluating various weed killer recipes (with the exception of it’s pseudo Round-up plug, ugh).

If you’ve got one foot out the door and want to try this at home, remember: Aim carefully, vinegar will kill most plants that it’s sprayed on. Given all of it’s innate powers, it is no mind reader. It’s also not recommended to spray the stuff directly on the soil, as it lessens the soil’s fertility and will kill any *good* roots in proximity as well. And please, before you go fogging your yard with sour wine, do a small-scale test run. But do get pumped, this could be a $3.00 solution that keeps your family safe AND your lawn growing and looking top-notch.