7 Uses for Vinegar in the Garden, From Killing Weeds to Deterring Pests

There's little vinegar can't do around the home. Inside, it's used for cooking, sanitizing surfaces, brightening laundry, and so much more. But vinegar is also helpful outside, and you’ll find several uses for it in the garden, where it's an inexpensive and natural way to tackle weeds, insects, and other gardening woes. To help you unlock this product's full potential, we spoke to experts who shared all the ways you can use vinegar in your garden.

Kill Weeds

Vinegar is a great natural alternative to commercial weed killers as it contains acetic acid, which will eventually break down cell walls and remove moisture from weeds. When using, make sure you spray it directly on the weed you want to get rid of. Vinegar is a contact herbicide, so you can unintentionally kill plants in your garden if you accidentally spray them with vinegar.

Using vinegar as a weed killer works best on newer plants. "On more established plants, the roots may have enough energy to come back even if the leaves you sprayed have died. So I’d only ever spray on newer growth," says master gardener Michelle Bruhn of Forks in the Dirt. You should also apply it on a hot day to increase its efficacy.

Try to avoid spraying vinegar near sensitive areas like water features or established beds. “I save this method for places like walkways, driveway areas, terraces, etc.,” says Christine Froehlich, horticulturist and owner of Gardening With What You Have. "It's an effective way to control wild areas with lots of invasive plants and hopefully obliterate them."

Remove Rust From Garden Tools 

In a perfect world, you clean and dry your garden trowels, pruners, spades, and hand rakes after every use and store them indoors at all times. But that isn't always the reality for the busy gardener. If your gardening tools have rust or caked-on dirt from their last use, vinegar can help. Just soak the affected parts of the tool in vinegar for about half a day, and you’ll be surprised at how much rust comes off on its own. The vinegar may even loosen the remaining rust to the point that you can wipe it off with a lot more ease. 

Clean Garden Walkways

If you have brick walkways or limestone pavers in your garden, you know how unattractive white calcium or other mineral deposits can be on them. An equal-parts mix of vinegar and water can make a nice solution for breaking down these deposits and loosening them enough so you can easily scrub away the remains. 

Control Insects

You can use a diluted solution of vinegar to eliminate harmful insects in the garden, but avoid using full-strength vinegar so that you don’t accidentally harm good garden plants. Create a solution of equal parts vinegar and water and spray it around problem areas in your yard. While the results may be temporary, vinegar is known to be especially useful for controlling ants, partly because the acid erases their scent trails, which they use for navigation.

Deter Wild Animals

Some animals, like squirrels, raccoons, deer, and rabbits, can damage your garden in different ways. But the strong odor of vinegar can sometimes discourage all of these animals from entering your in the first place. You don’t want to spray vinegar unnecessarily around your garden plants, but one animal-deterrent solution is to soak a few old cloth rags with vinegar and hang them around the perimeter of your garden. You’ll have to refresh the vinegar periodically to keep the scent active, but it’s a pretty simple solution, and you may get results.

Clean Birdbaths and Feeders

Over time, birdbaths and feeders can collect algae, mold, and mildew, which aren't safe for birds. Instead of using harsh chemicals, clean them with a mixture of one part vinegar to four parts water. Let the solution sit for a few minutes, scrub with a bursh, and rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Care for Clay Pots

The timeless, organic appeal of terracotta makes it a garden favorite, but exposure to water and soil often leads to surface buildup that dulls its natural beauty. Algae, salt deposits, moss, and mineral stains can dull your favorite terracotta pots. Refresh them with a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water—soaking for 30 minutes. Use a stiff brush to scrub away any residue, then rinse well before letting them dry in the sun.