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When you have your garden or allotment, you surely enjoy it in every way. Or at least you try to.
So what spoils every gardener’s joy? Constantly returning weeds, ants, etc.
In today’s article you’ll learn what reliably helps. And not only against weeds.
And all you need is plain ordinary vinegar. You will be pleasantly surprised by the results that can be achieved with ordinary vinegar.
It helps hydrangeas and other acid-loving plants
Keep plants that require acidic soil, such as rhododendrons, azaleas, and gardenias, happy with vinegar. Its effect is temporary but quick. Mix a cup of vinegar with five liters of water and water the soil around the plants.
Damaged woody plants can be saved
Our ancestors knew how to eliminate gummosis and thereby save very valuable stone fruit trees in their gardens. Simply cut out the affected bark and rub the wound with crushed sage leaves, which act as a disinfectant. You can just as successfully use ordinary vinegar for disinfection.
Cleans clay flower pots
Clay pots develop an unsightly appearance over time due to salts, lime and minerals. A twenty to thirty minute soak of the pots in a vinegar-and-water solution at a ratio of 1:3 (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water) will remove all the unsightly deposits.
Removes grass from walls, sidewalks and paving
Concentrated vinegar can kill grass and moss growing through joints in fences or interlocking paving. Just apply it a few times with a spray bottle to problem areas and the weeds are gone.
Gets rid of ants
Vinegar is very effective at repelling ants. If you have a problem with ants in the garden, pour a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water over ant hills or areas where ant activity is most intense. The strong smell of vinegar forces ants to avoid those places.
Repels many pests and unwanted visitors
Many animals, such as rodents, moles, dogs, cats, rabbits, deer, dislike the smell of vinegar, so they stay well away from it. It is therefore useful to soak unneeded clothing in concentrated vinegar and hang it around the garden, on trees or posts, or make decorations out of it, like scarecrows. The fabric should be re-soaked in vinegar every 6–7 days for better results.
Extends the life of cut flowers
In a solution of one liter of water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and one teaspoon of sugar, flowers will stay fresher and nicer longer.
Gets rid of weeds in the garden
Mix a solution of 3 liters of vinegar (the higher the vinegar concentration the better), a cup of salt, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of dish soap. Stir the solution and apply it to the weeds with a spray bottle. Try to cover as much of the weed surface as possible. Results from our eco-spray should appear within two to three days.
Serves as an insecticidal spray
Vinegar is an effective solution for removing unwanted insects in the garden. Create a vinegar spray by combining three parts water with one part vinegar and adding a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Shake the mixture to combine. Spray it onto unwanted pests.
Deters fruit flies
Rid your fruit trees of fruit flies using a vinegar bait. You will need a cup of water, half a cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of sugar, and a tablespoon of molasses. Mix the ingredients together and fill a can or other container with it. Hang it on the affected part of the fruit tree and you’ll see how it attracts them. A similar solution can also be used for flies.
Removes rust from garden tools
Vinegar can also be used to remove rust from tools. Simply soak the tools in undiluted vinegar. Leave them there for several minutes, then rinse and the tools will be clean and rust-free.
Acts as a fungicide
With vinegar you can protect plants suffering from fungi and mold. Creating a fungicidal mixture is simple. Just mix two teaspoons of vinegar with chamomile tea. Fill a spray bottle with the liquid and spray the affected plants. It’s safe and eco-friendly!
Kills slugs
Of the many uses of vinegar, this is the most popular among gardeners. You can easily neutralize snails this way. Just mix vinegar with water and spray the mixture on affected areas in the garden. Slugs will leave your garden alone.
A big help for poultry keepers
Add vinegar to chickens’ baths. It is healthy for the respiratory system not only in humans but also in chickens. It removes mucus and has antibiotic properties. A vinegar environment additionally reliably eliminates microorganisms in the coop.
Clean eggs with it. Simply dip them for 10 seconds in warm vinegar. It helps remove stains and loosens dirt and grime
Remove dirt from water containers. From time to time use some vinegar to remove mineral deposits from the containers chickens drink from. Minerals bind dirt and that attracts bacteria. Chickens are thus permanently exposed to various diseases, and so are their meat and eggs.
When cleaning the coop spray the walls with white vinegar. This repels mites, lice and other nasty creatures. It also helps remove odors.
Soak the chickens’ feet in vinegar water. It helps soften dead skin on the feet and thus remove various fungi.
Vinegar loosens dirt from problematic and hard-to-reach areas, such as wire mesh, cages and perches. Those also need to be disinfected from time to time.
Vinegar as a spray conditioner? Chicken feathers also battle mites, lice and similar pests. It’s good to spray the chickens every two weeks with water that contains a little vinegar.
Cleaning the incubator. If you have chicks in an incubator, you definitely need to clean it. Vinegar is a great disinfectant before use.
