Protecting plants from bad weather, insects and other threats to their health is essential not only for gardeners and agricultural workers but for everyone who wants to have healthy plants. A large part of the products we eat are produced in the field, so we must protect the plants that are part of the crops. Furthermore, we must also take the best possible care of the plants that are only ornamental.
Therefore, it is important to find solutions to the dangers that threaten plants. One of the natural products used for this is vinegar, which serves to safeguard crops from pests and other dangers. You will see that using it properly, will become your best ally to keep your plants in good condition. To find out more information on how to use vinegar for plants, keep reading.
Most people wonder how vinegar benefits plants, and if you do not know the properties and benefits of this product, then you've found the right place.
Properties of vinegar for plants
Vinegar, both wine, apple or white vinegar, has several properties that make it a great remedy to protect plants
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- Antibacterial and antiseptic: it is a disinfectant product and also its low acquisition cost makes it accessible to all consumers. It kills bacteria and microorganisms that are harmful to plant health such as fungi. It is an element widely used in the treatment of infections and fungi. The effectiveness of vinegar is very high both on surfaces and plants, household soil, and the human body.
- Soil pH regulator and limescale: thanks to its acidity, it helps regulate the pH of the soil, as well as the skin and digestive system when we drink it. It also helps to remove excess lime from irrigation water and any that has accumulated in the soil.
- Repellent: the powerful aroma that it gives off acts as a repellent for many animals, especially insects.
Benefits of Vinegar for Plants
Using vinegar in the garden is beneficial in several ways
- Disinfectant: serves to perfectly clean seedbeds and pots before planting again in these containers. It acquires special importance in seedbeds because the seeds have a greater weakness against fungi.
- Lime neutralizer: the use of vinegar in the irrigation water serves to counteract the lime in the water, which can cause chlorosis in the leaves of the plants.
- It acts as a herbicide, fungicide, and insecticide: In the face of the threats of weeds, fungi, and insects, vinegar is the best natural ally. It can also repel many animals and thus prevent pests and other damage to plants.
- Enriches the soil: it provides iron to the soil if it is supplied in small doses and in plants that tolerate acidic soils such as strawberries, lemon trees, blueberries, and roses.
How to Use Vinegar for Plants as an Insecticide and Repellent
Combining water with vinegar for aphids and other insect pests is very effective. You can do it in several ways:
- Making homemade repellants with water and vinegar helps ward off insects, such as fruit flies. When preparing a repellent for fruit flies with vinegar, it acts as an ally in gardens with fruit trees. It also wards off other small insects from the pantry and kitchen. You can dilute the vinegar with water and sprinkle the soil of the plants or some stones that you place around them. Alternatively, you can place bowls with water and a jet of vinegar around the plants, as well as in your kitchen if you have problems with these insects inside the house.
- If you do not know how to use vinegar as a repellent for ants and aphids, it is recommended that you spray the areas infested with these insects with vinegar. The product should not be diluted with water, otherwise, it will lose its effectiveness. In areas with large pests, you will have to apply the vinegar two or three more times during the following days to definitively eliminate the presence of ants, such as aphids. In addition, we recommend doing it when the plants are no longer in the sun to prevent them from burning.
If you wish to use vinegar to deter other other plant animals (rabbits, moles, cats, deer, or raccoons), follow these steps:
- Soak old rags or cotton in a bucket with water and a good stream of vinegar.
- Wait a few minutes for them to sufficiently absorb the product, unbearable for these animals.
- Distribute the rags around the garden or orchard.
- To keep your plants protected, repeat the above steps every day or two.
In addition, you can spray the vinegar directly on stones around the plants you want to protect.
How to Use Vinegar as a Fungicide for Plants
Fungi can be removed from plants naturally. You have several options if what you want is to use vinegar as a plant fungicide, either as a cure or a preventative measure, but here we explain two
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- You can use it to sterilize tools and seedlings before using them on plants, in which case you should use this product undiluted, and you can also use it to disinfect new seeds or new seedlings, spraying them with water with a little vinegar.
- You can also make a fungicide with two tablespoons of vinegar and chamomile tea. This mixture acts effectively against various types of fungi on plants, as well as having a repellent effect on various insect pests and other animals.
How to Use Vinegar as a Herbicide in the Garden
Although vinegar has good properties for plants, it can also be used to kill some weeds. For this use, it is more effective to use white vinegar, since it is more powerful than the others. To use white vinegar as a herbicide, follow these steps:
- Mix white vinegar with lemon juice, which also has an acidity that helps kill weeds. Specifically, mix a glass of juice for every liter of vinegar.
- After mixing both liquids, put the solution in a spray bottle or diffuser.
- Spray the areas with the weeds you want to remove.
- The effectiveness of the mixture will increase if the plants are in direct contact with the sun and at high temperatures.
Make sure you apply this pesticide at a spot where you won't be planting a fresh crop because the land will not be suitable and, if you want to use that land again, you will have to renew the land.
Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff
Sources: Uncomo
