Got a ground elder problem and looking for cheap but natural remedies that you might have at home? Maybe someone has told you vinegar will kill ground elder? but is this true? Let’s have a look and find out.
Will Vinegar Kill Ground Elder?
Vinegar sprayed directly to the leaves of plants actually makes a surprisingly good weed killer and has been reported to work on ground elder.
I can’t vouch for this myself as I am lucky enough to have never had a ground elder problem. One problem I haven’t avoided though is horsetail.
That stuff forces its way through the tarmac on my drive every year and I can say that vinegar actually works really well on it. Much better than I ever thought it would be.
It seems to be that applying it on a really hot sunny day also helps to increase its effectiveness. Some people say to use white vinegar but I have had success with regular malt vinegar which has the added bonus of being cheaper!
Other Ways To Kill Ground Elder Without Glosphates
We all know that strong weed killers really aren’t good for our wildlife and natural ecosystems, so what
Dig It Out
The manual method works well with ground elder, digging up the rhizomes is hard work but can completely remove the problem, for a while at least.
Digging trenches and lining them with something like pond liner up against fences is also a good way of dealing with creeping ground elder coming in from next doors garden.
Boiling Water
Boiling water will kill any plant it comes into contact with. The problem is though that the water soon cools so it doesn’t penetrate deep into the roots of the plant.
Good for smaller areas like in-between paving slabs but not so practical for large patches.
Weed Burner
A good old
If you are thinking of getting a weed burner have a look at my best weed burners guide first.