Most of us have heard of several DIY cures that use vinegar in gardening, primarily as a primary herbicide. But what about tomato plants, given that vinegar may eradicate weeds? Will Vinegar Kill Tomato Plants?
First, when vinegar and weeds come into contact, the acetic acid dissolves the cell membranes, causing the tissues to dry out and the plants to die. As a result, vinegar may destroy other vegetable plants in your garden, including tomato plants.
Secondly, other than eliminating weeds, what other uses is vinegar for, and how successful is it for our garden?
You may learn how to use vinegar in your garden from this post.
Will Vinegar Kill Tomato Plants?
In This Article
Using Tomato Plant Vinegar
You’ve probably heard from your mom, grandparents, or neighbour that vinegar has a lot of uses in your garden for tomato plants.
Apply Fertiliser
A common misconception is that tomato plants might benefit from the soil’s acidity being applied as fertilizer.
Most vinegar varieties have 93–96% water and 4-7% acetic acid. The chemical components of acetic acid are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
The tomato plants from the atmosphere easily obtain these two elements. Therefore, vinegar should not be applied to the soil or tomato plants.
Increase The Acidity
Some advise adding vinegar to the soil to increase its acidity.
Apparently, though, this isn’t the ideal approach. The benefits are fleeting, and a significant amount of vinegar is required to produce noticeable results.
Therefore, using alternative natural components such as dolomite lime, coffee, or tea bags can increase soil acidity without vinegar.
Fungicide
Using vinegar as a fungicide on tomato plants is another common application.
Some people combine two to three teaspoons of vinegar with one gallon of water and apply the mixture to tomato leaves because these plants are susceptible to numerous fungal diseases.
Since vinegar has inherent antibacterial and antifungal properties, it is frequently used to clean homes. However, not all varieties are 99.99% non-antibacterial.
You run the danger of scorching the leaves and killing the plant if you use vinegar as an antifungal for your tomato plants. Your tomato plant could easily die if the mixture is too potent.
Try utilizing an antifungal that is safe in your garden and designed specifically for plants instead.
As a Herbicide, Vinegar
In gardens, vinegar is most frequently used as a herbicide. However, eliminating weeds is not the best option.
The plant dies when the acetic acid in vinegar breaks down the plant’s cell walls. However, since the vinegar only contacts the leaves and stems, the roots will not be destroyed, therefore this is only a temporary solution.
The potency of household vinegar is insufficient to eradicate the weed entirely. The roots are resilient and will produce more weeds.
You should also be mindful that the vinegar can destroy your tomato plants like it killed the weed.
Horticultural vinegar, which has 20% or even more acetic acid, can be used instead of domestic vinegar. This strong, corrosive acid can cause more harm than good to your plants, but it will surely kill your weeds.
For this reason, to use it securely, you must adhere to tight guidelines.
Consequently, you must carefully consider whether to use powerful acids in your garden or pluck weeds by hand.
Vinegar Use In Gardening
You can utilize vinegar sensibly in various ways rather than risking more harm than benefit by using it as fertilizer or herbicide.
- Using vinegar to keep your cut flowers fresh is a good idea. Your cut flowers will last longer if you add 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of vinegar to 1 tablespoon of sugar for every quart of water.
- Ants and other unwelcome insects can be kept out of your home by sprinkling vinegar around door and window frames.
Moreover, you can use a vinegar and water solution to remove calcium deposits from limestone or bricks. Mist the liquid and allow it to harden. - Vinegar straight from the bottle can polish garden tools, faucets, and taps. Let the magic happen by soaking these in clean vinegar for the entire night.
- You can also eliminate smells from your garden and your dog’s fur by rubbing vinegar.
Conclusion: Will Vinegar Kill Tomato Plants?
Using vinegar as a herbicide is not a good idea, yet it is feasible. You can use vinegar to kill your tomato plants, just like you would weeds. Use a suitable herbicide that is safe to use in the garden instead.
Additionally, you should use appropriate fungicides and fertilizers—not vinegar—for your tomato plants.
I believe vinegar should be utilized as a natural cleaning around our home and in the kitchen for cooking purposes.