How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar in the Garden to Deter Pests and Kill Weeds

It may seem like a simple ingredient, but apple cider vinegar has many uses beyond the kitchen cabinet—especially in the garden. However, before you start sprinkling it on your plants or in your soil, it's important to know how to properly administer this multipurpose substance.

Here, we spoke with experts about how apple cider vinegar can repel pests, get rid of weeds, and more—without harming your plants in the process.

Fighting Fungal Disease

Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, so its antimicrobial properties make it an effective fungicide—as long as you get the dilution rates right.

“Too much will damage your plants and too little will be ineffective,” warns Lucie Bradley, gardening and greenhouse expert from Easy Garden Irrigation. “The fungal diseases that you can treat or help to prevent include powdery mildew, black spot, and early blight.”

Bradley creates a solution using two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed into one gallon of water. “You can use this to spray your plants every seven to 10 days," she says. This will prevent fungi from growing.

If you have a plant already suffering from powdery mildew, treat it with a stronger solution using four tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed into one gallon of water.

“This can then be used to saturate the foliage of the suffering plant,” Bradley says. “For roses suffering from black spot, try a solution of three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed into one gallon of water. Spray the affected roses every day to help clear away the disease.”

Repelling Insects

“I've been using apple cider vinegar in my garden for years to keep away pests like aphids and ants,” says Tammy Sons, founder and CEO at TN Nursery. “The vinegar's acidity is a deterrent for many bugs, and I love that it's a nontoxic, pantry-based solution.” 

Sons mixes one part apple cider vinegar with three parts water—along with a few drops of delicate dish soap—and spritzes it around the bases of plants.

“Don't spray on the leaves, as this will burn them,” she warns. “It's a great pest repellent, but there's a fine line. Too much vinegar can be detrimental to plants or even the soil.”

Sanitizing Garden Tools

The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar also makes it an effective cleaning agent and is great for dissolving grime, mineral deposits, and even eating away at rust.

“This makes it perfect for cleaning and disinfecting gardening tools without needing to use chemical cleaning agents,” says Bradley. “To clean old, rusty tools, spray apple cider vinegar on the rusted areas and then wipe clean. For a deeper clean, create a solution from equal parts vinegar and water and leave the tools to soak for several hours or overnight.”

A water and vinegar solution can also keep tools clean and sterilized, helping to prevent disease from being passed from one plant to another.

“Stains on clay pots can also be difficult to remove,” Bradley adds, “but if you soak them in a mix of one part vinegar to two parts water, the stains should come away.” 

However, be careful when using apple cider vinegar as a cleaner—any run-off can potentially damage or kill plants and affect soil pH. 

Deterring Various Mammals

Bradley uses apple cider vinegar to keep different mammals away from the garden. However, remember that repeated application to the soil can alter its pH, and repeated application to plants might eventually damage them. So make sure not to overuse it!

Deer, Rabbits, and Rodents

These animals will avoid your garden if it has the strong, acidic smell of apple cider vinegar. Simply soak cloths or cotton balls in the substance, and place them where you don’t want them to visit. You can also make a spray of one part vinegar to three parts water, and use it on specific plants that you want to protect.

Moles

Apply a solution of one part vinegar and one part water to mole tunnels and around molehills, ideally saturating the soil and reapplying every couple of days. This should make moles move to a new location. However, repeated application to the soil will alter the pH and affect nearby plants.

Staving Off Slugs

For slugs, Bradley suggests using a sprayer. “Add neat apple cider vinegar or a mix of one part vinegar to one part water,” she says. “The acetic acid in the vinegar dehydrates the slug, causing it to die. Just be careful that you don’t get the solution on plants, as its strength could cause damage.”

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Trapping Fruit Flies

Apple cider vinegar is the perfect ingredient to use when making a trap for fruit flies.

“The flies are usually attracted to decaying fruit, so they'll mistake the smell of the apple cider vinegar for rotting fruit,” says Bradley. “Something as simple as a small bowl half-filled with apple cider vinegar and a drop of liquid dishwasher soap will work."

If you want to get a little more intricate, use an empty jar with a metal screw-on lid. “Make holes in the lid using a hammer and nails large enough for the flies to gain entrance,” Bradley says. “Then add about half an inch of vinegar into the jar together with a drop of liquid dish soap. Screw on the lid and wait for the flies to come.” 

Empty and refill this jar as often as needed until all the fruit flies are gone. 

Crushing Weeds

There are a number of ways in which you can use apple cider vinegar to kill weeds, according to Bradley. You can simply pour it over the weeds at full strength or dilute it with water—one part vinegar to between three to 10 parts water. 

“However, the most effective way is to create a solution using vinegar, salt, and liquid dish soap,” she says. Here's how to do it:

1. Measure out four cups of apple cider vinegar.
2. Mix half a cup of salt into the vinegar until the salt dissolves. 
3. Add approximately one teaspoon of liquid dish soap. 
4. Mix and then add to a spray bottle. 

"I wouldn’t use it where you have weeds amongst your plants—because you will kill both,” Bradley warns. “It’s best used on weeds growing on paths or patios where you can target them in isolation.”