Natural and eco-friendly methods do not always necessarily signify spending more bucks. This can be exemplified by the use of natural and organic pesticides, insecticides and fungicides without the extravagant use of the harmful chemical counterparts widely available in the market. This natural secret of a good gardener is vinegar. This cheap, widely available substance performs manifold functions and is one of the homemade garden remedies recommended for enhancement of your gardening beauty.
Whether you are a professional or an amateur gardener, the use of vinegar is as important as the conventional gardening tools you use. This article enlightens you upon the wide use of vinegar in gardening, so that you may be able to cut on the additional costs of non-biodegradable chemical pesticides you buy from the market.
Use of Vinegar in Gardening
The following list of beneficial effects of vinegar on your garden will make you think of using this garden miracle to your garden’s benefit once more:
Vinegar as Herbicide
White distilled vinegar when used in 5% concentration will do a good job in burning the shoot of weeds and other unnecessary grasses and lower shrubs. To use as an effective herbicide, take 1 litre of boiled water, 5 tablespoon of vinegar and 2 tablespoon of salt, and form a well-mixed solution. While the concoction is still hot, pour it over the weeds to kill them.
Vinegar as Stimulator
Some plants such as rhododendron, hydrangeas, and azaleas prefer an increased level of acidity in their soil. Now and then, try sprinkling some amount of distilled vinegar solution can flourish their growth. Add a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water to see effective increment in their development.
Vinegar-the Ant Foe
Prepare a 20% white distilled vinegar solution spray and apply it to the ants and the ant-trails, once in a while, to get rid of ants completely.
Vinegar as Insecticide
Slugs are garden pests prevalent to plants such as cabbages and lettuces. Vinegar is a poison of slugs. Spray a solution of vinegar directly to the slugs to kill them. However, avoid applying vinegar to some plants such as Salvia, because vinegar acts as an herbicide to that plant.
Vinegar-Fruit Fly Foe
If you are suffering from frequent invasion of fruit flies in your fruit garden, vinegar bait can be an effective and deadly trap to prevent infestation. Take a cup of water and add a half cup of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of molasses and a quarter cup of sugar, to it. Pour them in a handled bucket and hang two to three of them in a single tree to create a deadly trap for the fruit flies.
Vinegar as Fungicide
4 litres of compost tea and 2 tablespoon of vinegar can do an effective job in eliminating fungus from your garden plants.
So, vinegar is a multi-purpose agent specially designed to be regarded as a useful tool in gardening. They are expert advices and hence, the above given home remedies involving vinegar, are worth trying.
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