Killing stinging nettles with vinegar is obviously possible due to the acidic properties of vinegar that can kill any weed. But your favorite plants may also die if you ignore careful instructions.
Stinging nettles - a type of weed you can identify by their long thin leaves, small green flower, and tiny hair-like projections that sting when you touch them. Normal vinegar found in kitchens with low acidic content may not eliminate these garden invaders.
You will need a stronger solution, such as horticulture vinegar, to kill this weed. To use vinegar correctly as an organic and chemical-free source for killing stinging nettles here is everything that will prove helpful.
Is It Possible to Kill Nettles With Vinegar?
For decades, vinegar has been the best weed killer but will vinegar kill stinging nettles? Certainly, vinegar can kill stinging nettles with its acidity, which causes water desiccation from the weeds. With dehydration, the plant will die or shrink while turning brown, killing all the cells.
There is no doubt about the effects of vinegar on weeds, including stinging nettle, a tall, perennial weed with broad leaves. However, you must be careful with its use, as any other surrounding plant getting in touch with vinegar will also die.
How to Make Vinegar-Based Solution To Kill Stinging Nettles?
To find a natural gardening and eco-friendly solution, you can take vinegar already present in your kitchen cabinet. But horticulture vinegar is best for more effectiveness, but it will cost you. You can easily buy the necessary items from any local store.
Things You Will Need
Before making a vinegar-based solution to kill stinging nettles, you must gather a few things.
- A gallon of Vinegar
- Spray bottle
- A cup of Salt
- Liquid dish soap
- Funnel
- A bucket
Method
- Add the entire gallon of vinegar inside the bucket.
- Add salt and a drop of liquid dish soap to the vinegar.
- Stir the mixture well to dissolve the salt and other ingredients.
- Place a funnel on the spray bottle to fill it with the mixture.
- Store the leftover solution to use again whenever you need it.
- Now apply the solution to plants on a sunny and dry day.
- Cover the stinging nettle well with the solution but avoid pouring it inside the soil.
Safety Tips For Killing Stinging Nettles With Vinegar
Because vinegar is an equal threat to your valuable plants and weeds, you must use it carefully. Like other weed-killing chemicals, vinegar is also non-selective and can kill any plant coming into its contact.
- The acetic acid in vinegar tends to dissolve plants' cell membranes, which leads to desiccation from plant tissues. If you want your other plants to be safe, use vinegar in areas like patios and walkways instead of lawns or gardens.
- However, careful use, such as spraying vinegar solution in a streamlined position, will reduce the damage compared to mists sprayed on weeds.
- Also, avoid adding the vinegar-based solution to the soil due to excessive salt content.
- Make sure you store the mixture in a safe, cool, dry, and dark place far from the reach of children. It poses no harm to the skin, but the awful taste and a little ache in the belly might not be something you want.
- Avoid using vinegar on windy or rainy days, as the efficiency will increase only on hot and dry days.
- Though vinegar is safe for you, stinging nettles cause severe skin irritations.
How to Get Rid of Stinging Nettles Permanently?
The only possible way to kill stinging nettles is to ensure you have eliminated their roots from the soil. As long you leave its roots in the ground by killing surface parts of plants with vinegar, the roots will sprout again for infestation.
For a better outcome, you can kill the foliage of stinging nettles with a vinegar-based solution and then dig out the roots by hand.
Even a small piece of root left in the soil will be a great chance for this weed to spread with more power.
Zoe Harvey
Killing Stinging Nettles Naturally
Chemicals such as weed killers or herbicides are not the only ways to kill stinging nettles. You can try some natural methods to eradicate this nuisance from your garden.
- Make a solution by adding 2 cups of water, 2 ounces of alcohol, and a drop of dish soap. Apply this solution to weed leaves to kill them.
- Pour boiled water into the weeds to burn them. Keep pouring water till the leaves turn yellow and dig out from the ground.
- Make a solution by adding 1 part of salt inside six parts of water. Dissolve salt by continuous stirring and spray the mixture on leaves.
Remember, avoid any of the mixture or solution getting into the soil or touching other plants. Your goal should be to kill stinging nettles only, not the other important plants.
FAQs
What Is The Ratio of Vinegar to The Water to Kill Weeds?
Using water and vinegar to make a solution for killing stinging nettles, add equal parts of each. For 1 part of horticulture vinegar, add 1 part of water. The recommended percentage for effective vinegar is 15%.
How Long Does Vinegar Take to Kill Stinging Nettles?
Usually, 2 to 3 days are quite sufficient for killing stinging nettles with vinegar. But you will need to spray regularly until all the weeds are dead.
Stinging nettles require frequent weed killer or vinegar application as a perennial weed. Applying vinegar on a hot sunny day will take less time to kill all weeds for quick results.
Wrapping Up
Vinegar is a natural, inexpensive, nontoxic weed killer that you can safely use around pets and children. As an eco-friendly way of killing stinging nettles, vinegar is the best solution.
However, you must keep other plants and soil safe from getting in contact with vinegar and salt.
