19 Benefits and Uses for Vinegar in the Garden

There are many uses for vinegar in the garden. From getting rid of weeds to keeping away pests, there is a role for it in your vegetable garden.

Moreover, diluted and used carefully, vinegar will not kill the plants you want to keep. Below are some benefits and other ways to use vinegar for plants.

1. Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies can be very pesky, attacking garden fruits and some fruiting vegetables and even invading the house.

Make an easy and inexpensive DIY fruit fly trap by filling jars or cans with a sweet apple cider vinegar solution.

Mix 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, and add 1/4 cup sugar and a tbsp. of molasses. Next, hang the jars or cans on trees or in the kitchen, where they will serve as bait to attract and capture fruit flies.

You can also make an alternative mix by adding a few drops of dish soap to a bowl of vinegar. Let it stay uncovered for the critters to fly in.

The soap cuts the surface tension of the solution, causing the flies to sink, and the vinegar will kill them. This bait also traps and kills gnats.

2. Keep Some Animals Away

Soaking a few rags or cotton balls with apple cider vinegar and placing them around crops or flowers where pets and other animals are a nuisance can help deter them.

The smell is unpleasant to some animals and will discourage them from sticking around. This remedy will deter cats, rabbits, deer, dogs, and raccoons.

3. Clean Rusty Garden Tools

White vinegar is particularly effective in dealing with rust.

To clean garden tools with vinegar, spray rusty patches with it to remove rust and clean off any accumulated dirt too.

Additionally, badly rusted tools can be left overnight in containers to soak in vinegar. Wipe clean the next day.

4. Repel Ants

Ants can be beneficial in the garden, but they can also be a problem, especially fire ants. They can also be a nuisance around the patio and invade your home.

Make a vinegar solution for ants using one part vinegar and one part water (50/50). Next, spray this natural DIY pesticide on anthills and trails around the house and garden.

White vinegar kills ants. It will also act as a repellent for them.

5. Kill Weeds and Grass

This is a tried-and-tested organic way of ridding the garden of weeds.

To kill weeds with vinegar, combine a quarter cup of dish soap, two cups of Epsom salt, and a gallon of 20 to 30% gardening vinegar (horticultural grade). This makes a strong homemade weed killer.

Next, mix the solution until the salt has dissolved. Finally, use a spray bottle to mist the solution over the weeds, being careful not to get it on your vegetables.

Alternatively, you can buy this ready-to-use natural weed killer, which contains 10% vinegar and other natural ingredients.

6. Natural Fungicide

Vinegar has long been a service to householders, cleaning mold off window sills and other areas in the home.

As such, you can make a vinegar spray to use in the garden and greenhouse on fruits and vegetable crops to get rid of mold and mildew.

Combine one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a gallon of water and use it to spray plants. It will help to treat and prevent powdery mildew and other fungal infections on plants.

7. Clean Clay Pots

Clay pots are the perfect medium for potting plants to display on the patio or veranda.

Unfortunately, the natural salts and minerals in water seep through these pots and leave an unsightly white residue after a while. Mold also grows in terracotta pots.

To clean them, soak them overnight in a mixture of one part water and one part white household vinegar. Next, use a scrub brush to remove the residue.

8. Get Rid of Slugs and Snails

Another effective way to use vinegar in the garden is to keep away certain pests like slugs and snails.

Spray plain white vinegar directly to get rid of snails and slugs eating your plants. However, be careful with this homemade organic pesticide, as it can damage crops. Try to get it only on the pests.

9. Clean Plant Leaves

Use vinegar on plants to clean the leaves. Dirty leaves can block sunlight [1], affecting photosynthesis and natural plant growth.

Combine a teaspoon of vinegar with a gallon of water. Next, dip a piece of clean cloth in the solution and use it to gently wipe off the leaves.

This works especially well for indoor and greenhouse plants. You can also mist the leaves and wipe them off with a soft cloth for shine.

10. General Pest Control Spray

Make a homemade vinegar spray for plants to deter harmful insects and related garden pests.

For the recipe, you’ll need one part vinegar, three parts water, and a teaspoon of organic liquid soap. Combine these ingredients with a gallon of water and add them to a spray bottle.

This vinegar solution is not strong enough to kill plant bugs and pests, but it will repel them.

Use it to repel aphids, stink bugs, caterpillars, Miller moths, mosquitoes, and others. Spray it in and around your garden.

You can also use it raw (undiluted) to kill spotted lanternflies and Asian jumping worms if the critters are not on or near delicate plants.

11. Boost Acid-Loving Plants

This product can add the needed acidity to soils for certain plants.

To use vinegar as fertilizer for plants that like acidic soil, make a solution by combining one cup of plain white household vinegar with a gallon of water.

Next, pour or spray into the soil around plants and shrubs like azaleas, hydrangeas, and camellias.

12. Help Seeds Germinate Better

Some seeds are difficult to germinate. But some farmers find that soaking them overnight in a bowl of water along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of vinegar helps speed up the germination process.

13. Test the Soil for Alkalinity

There is no need to buy anything to test soil pH levels.

Adding half a cup of white vinegar to one cup of garden soil in a container will help with the results. If it begins to fizz, then the soil is alkaline, having a pH level of 7-8.

14. Clean and Wash Vegetables

Soaking freshly picked crops in vinegar and water will loosen dirt and kill some bacteria. Scrub off any remaining dirt, rinse, and dry. The solution will also give a clean, healthy shine to the produce.

15. Keep Away Snakes

Snakes are natural predators of many garden pests, but of course, some snakes can be dangerous to be around. Moreover, many people just dislike them, even if they are harmless.

Spraying white vinegar around the perimeter of the property, bodies of water, and entry points to your home will help deter snakes.

16. Clean Birdbath and Fountain

To freshen up and clean the birth bath and/or fountain, mix one part white vinegar with nine parts water.

Next, apply the solution to the target container and leave it to soak for a while. Finally, scrub thoroughly to get rid of dirt and algae.

17. Keep Cut Flowers from Wilting

To keep your freshly cut flowers fresh and perky, this method helps them last longer than using just plain water in your vase.

Combine two tablespoons of vinegar with one tablespoon of sugar and a quart of water. Next, add the solution to a vase and put your flowers in it.

18. A Remedy for Sunburn

Outdoor gardening puts you at risk for sunburn.

However, apple cider vinegar can help treat sunburn by soothing the pain and speeding up the healing process [2]. It also helps relieve itching.

As a sunburn remedy, combine equal parts ACV and cool water in a container. Dip a clean piece of cloth or paper towel in the solution and then place it on the affected area.

Let it remain until it dries, and repeat as necessary.

19. Clean Hands

Even with gardening gloves, hands can get dirty after working in the garden or stained from fruit picking. But using some undiluted apple cider vinegar on your hands will help get rid of the excess dirt and stains.