Horticultural Vinegar on Quackgrass

11 years ago

Has anyone tried or had success with Organic Vinegar ( acetic acid 30%) on Quackgrass ? I was told 2 or 3 applications would do the job. The guy who told me said that it works bc the vinegar is systemic meaning it should go down to the roots where the quackgrass spreads & multiplies. All the Internet research I've done says that it only kills the top growth which really doesn't help much since the rhizomes is what I need to die !

Featured Answer

ericwi

11 years ago

I'm not sure about quackgrass, but I have used regular 5% white vinegar on dandelions with success. The only problem is that the vinegar leaves a dead spot in the lawn, that takes two months or so to green up and disappear.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

Kimmsr
11 years ago
Will not and does not work on Quack Grass. Vinegar only kills the top growth of any plant it contacts, although some inadvertantly spilled on some soil did kill everything growing there for one season.
Related Discussions
Side effects of vinegar?
Q
Comments (18)
Posted by strobiculate none (My Page) on Wed, May 29, 13 at 8:27 This is actually a good question, as much for what is not directly asked for as for what is asked. Consider for instance, the relative merits of using a contact herbicide to control a week known for a vigorous and spreading root system. Also known as, good luck with that. If I were to ask about using 2,4-D or glyphosate, there would be no end of people seeking to educate me about the risks inherent in the use of a chemical, even if no apparent risk was observable. Hence, the concept of risk-cup analysis, as if I were unaware of what it was. But since this is an approved 'organic' practice, there is no perceived downside, despite the rather obvious conclusion of what happens when you continuously apply a product with a pH of...what, precisely? to the same area. If idiocy is rampant in the use of chemicals, is it any less rampant in the use of non-chemical chemicals? To be honest, I don't think I can answer the question of any possible side effects. The risk of altering the pH to the point of essentially sterilizing the soil is a very real one, but I don't know under what conditions or for how long it is likely to occur, and I find it a little astonishing that people are not willing to apply the same level of critical thinking to 'organic' practices as they purport to apply to chemicals. Also known as, the modern enigma of science in American culture, or, if you agree with me you are a wise, rational being who thinks clearly and well, if you don't, you are moronic idiot who shouldn't be allowed to reproduce, much less do the Most Evil Thing Ever, which is say something I don't agree with. But at the same time...if I were to package horticultural vinegar in a container that said, Made by Monsanto, how long would it be before vinegar were the new Evil Likely to Control the World? This post was edited by TheTradition on Tue, Jun 4, 13 at 19:56
...See More
'Horticultural Grade'
Q
Comments (6)
George, horticultural grade sand or soil would be processed (screened) to make it suitable for cultural purposes as opposed to, say, construction. When using sand as a propagation medium or as a component in a homemade potting mix, it's important to use horticultural grade sand, which will be coarse, washed to remove salt and dust, and lime free. Speaking of homemade potting medium, we should also use only that perlite labeled as 'Horticultural Grade'. Same goes for vermiculite and charcoal. Many of us have purchased horticultural vinegar to use as a herbicide....just another example of the importance of labeling. George, did your questions get answered?
...See More
Vinegar
Q
Comments (44)
As Quoted by Tapla, "I can also say with certainty that vinegar is not worthless as an acidifying agent, as I can easily see the direct results of incorporating vinegar into my fertigation solution. That one person SAYS it is ineffective isn't going to sway me when I have the practical results in front of me that show otherwise. I've used vinegar and citric acid (primarily in the winter) for a long time, and I definitely see the difference ...... and I'm a person who, if something flies in the face of science, will doubt my own observations or look to other reasons for the cause of what I'm seeing. In this case, there is nothing else I can think of that causes an almost immediate chance in foliage color (cures anemic/chlorotic foliage) when I add an acidifying agent to my fertigation solution to lower pH to somewhere between 5.0-5.5."" I must say I too agree and notice a huge difference along with many others I know. In fact it was the company FourWinds that told me to use it in which many here seem to agree that provide really rich and healthy green trees in the past did. I would of never known of this secret that I shared with many. Anyone who knocks the results of others and of mines, and that has no results with this common practice on these forums is definitely doing something wrong or not trying it at all. Because if the issue with their potted trees is a pH one, you can not deny seeing results. ) In fact my neighbor who has been growing a jasmine grand duke that is 6 feet tall for years , has always been seeing a horrible yellowing lack of nutrients issue until she used the vinegar last summer and within 2 weeks it returned to its rich green beautiful state, which sent her into many smiles She couldn't believe it. It's for each to try for themselves, and thank God it's a free world so that we can see if it works.
...See More
Looking for vinegar
Q
Comments (17)
Sharon, I've only been in Sprouts once and it was the one in Southlake which apparently was pretty new and not very busy on the evening we were in it, which probably was last August or September. I'd never judge a store based on one visit but on the day we were in there they had a lot of overripe produce that was not very attractive, and that kind of surprised me because, honestly, a lot of the ripe produce was so far gone that I felt like they shouldn't have been selling it. Maybe it was a bad week for them or something. It was summer and it was very hot and I remember thinking either they didn't have air conditioning or it wasn't working (which might explain the overripe produce). I was impressed by their selection and prices, but haven't been back....it is a little off the beaten path and harder to get to than Central Market in Southlake and I'm always so rushed when I'm down there. Since you like it I'll have to try harder to make it back to that end of town to visit them again. I am not sure it started out as a Sprouts store, because there was a sign that said something like 'new management, new name' that makes me think Sprouts might have just purchased an independent store shortly before we walked into it that day. Until you mentioned Sprouts here, I wasn't aware it was a large company since that one store is the only one I'd ever seen. Apparently there's a lot of Sprouts! Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Sprouts Website and Map
...See More
compulsivegrower
Original Author
11 years ago
Kimmsr
"although some inadvertantly spilled on some soil did kill everything growing there for one season."
What do you mean ? I will be putting it on the Quackgrass that's growing in soil so are you saying it could kill it for one season ?

Also I was thinking if it does kill the top growth, after a few applications won't the rhizomes/root system below the soil eventually tire and run out of energy & die with no top growth ?
lazy_gardens
11 years ago
It is not systemic and will not kill the roots. If you repeatedly kill the top the roots will eventually die from starvation.

The affect on the soil would be from the low pH from the spill.

==========
I'm testing the Pinterest "oooh vinegar kills my weeds" formula on established annual blue grass and it's not impressing me at all. There was fast top browning and now it's sending up healthy green shoots from the base.

The stuff I hit with glyphosate that weekend is brown and dead. I can be patient :)

If you have seedling weeds that can't survive having their tops burned out, vinegar would work, but more established plants can survive multiple applications.
Kimmsr
11 years ago
The Acetic Acid refered to above was something around or over 30 percent and a fair amount was spilled and that prevented any growth of any kind in that soil, nothing would grow.
I have had good results with just newspaper (or cardboard) without poisoning the soil for a year, but long term requires digging out the rhizomes.
elisa_z5
11 years ago
I have tried vinegar on QG with poor results (just made it smell like vinegar)
I think of digging the rhizomes as meditation.
By the time I have all the Quack Grass out of my garden, I'll be enlightened. :)
dipsandtets
10 years ago
The OP asks specifically about 30% acetic acid on quackgrass and the answer is yes, it does work. I've used horticultural vinegar @ 20% and it killed quackgrass, using an eye/ear dropper applying to the base instead of spraying it.
Kimmsr
10 years ago
Vinegar will kill the top growth of Quack Grass but not the plants roots so after a short time the Quack Grass will grow back. Vinegar kills the top growth of many plants and if applied often enough to that top growth will cause the roots, a nutrient bank, to starve and stop sending up new growth.

Horticultural Vinegar on Quackgrass

ericwi

Comments (8)

Kimmsr

Related Discussions

compulsivegrower
Original Author

lazy_gardens

Kimmsr

elisa_z5

dipsandtets

Kimmsr

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Horticultural Vinegar on Quackgrass

ericwi

Comments (8)

Kimmsr

Related Discussions

compulsivegrowerOriginal Author

lazy_gardens

Kimmsr

elisa_z5

dipsandtets

Kimmsr

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

compulsivegrower
Original Author