How to Use Baking Soda and Vinegar to Kill Tree Roots

Summary

• Vinegar and baking soda can kill intrusive tree roots using a cheap, all-natural fizz reaction.
• Prep by exposing roots, coat with baking soda, pour 1 gallon vinegar, cover and wait; may take months.
• All-natural and cheap but not foolproof, as it may harm nearby plants and need repeated applications.

Tree roots are sneaky. They often creep into foundations and underground pipes undetected, causing a multitude of problems along the way. It's essential to take action immediately when you suspect root intrusion to prevent further damage or destruction to your home, backyard, and front yard.

One effective method for killing off tree roots is using baking soda and vinegar. It's an inexpensive yet highly effective combination.

How Does the Combination Work?

Science makes this combo effective

Vinegar and baking soda are two ingredients found in almost every household pantry. It is also an effective and affordable method to kill tree roots that may disrupt your landscape, foundation, and sewage pipes. It is also a safe alternative to using harsh chemicals or digging up the entire root system — which often requires professional help.

• The combination of vinegar and baking soda works because of their pH levels.
• Sodium bicarbonate is significantly high in alkaline, according to Washington State University.
• Vinegar is highly acidic.
• When these two elements interact with one another, they create a chemical reaction which produces carbon dioxide (CO2), sodium acetate (C2H3NaO2), and water molecules (H2O) as byproducts.
• When high concentrations of CO2 are present, they travel down the root system and disrupt the cells within the root itself.
• As a result, it weakens its structure and starves it of oxygen, which causes it to die off.

Vinegar also helps kill moss from you landscape and repel skunks!

What You'll Need to Banish Those Roots

Gather all the materials to tackle tree roots

Getting rid of your bothersome tree roots is as simple as reaching into the pantry.

• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Spade or shovel

Gather up all the items you need, which is probably stuff you already have around the house, and you'll be ready to take on those tree roots. However, you may need to perform more than one application in order to completely remove the roots. Keep these useful household items on hand, and you'll always have access to effective gardening hacks that work!

Get Rid of Tree Roots Naturally

Use baking soda and vinegar carefully to get rid of roots

Using a combination of baking soda and vinegar to kill tree roots is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to get rid of unwanted trees in your yard. If you're looking for an out-of-the-box solution, this is it!

• Before applying baking soda and vinegar, dig around the roots of the offending tree.
• Use your spade or shovel to loosen up the surrounding soil as much as possible.
• Wear protective clothing such as gloves and eye protection when working with dirt and other irritants like baking soda and vinegar.
• Once the soil is loose, you're ready to move on.

Now that you have prepared the area, it's time to apply the baking soda and vinegar.

• Coat the roots generously with baking soda to cover all surfaces.
• The baking soda reacts with the vinegar when you apply it later, providing full coverage to the roots in the surrounding soil.
• Then, take 1 gallon of vinegar. Pour this over the baking soda, allowing it to reach all areas of the roots.
• Pour it evenly and slowly as you want to ensure you cover all the roots with vinegar.
• At this point, you're going to notice a fizzing chemical reaction. Let the solution work it's magic.

Patience is key when using baking soda and vinegar to kill tree roots. It may take a month or more before the mix has an effect, so don't expect quick results. The process of killing the roots requires you to be patient and wait for them to die out on their own.

If you're dealing with stubborn or large roots, it may take several applications over time before they are completely destroyed.

After applying your mixture, wait for it to dry and cover up the area with some plastic sheeting or tarps. Doing so prevents rain and other elements from washing away the mixture before it has had a chance to work. Check periodically by carefully removing the sheeting or tarps to see if the roots have died off. If not, you can repeat the process as necessary.

Pros and Cons of Baking Soda and Vinegar

For every upside, there is a downside, too

One of the biggest advantages of using baking soda and vinegar to kill tree roots is it's an all-natural method — no toxins involved! Using this method makes it much safer for your garden than many other methods out there.

• On the flip side, this method isn't always 100 percent effective, since some trees are more resilient than others are.
• It may take several treatments to be fully successful.
• Finally, whereas regular vinegar with a 5 percent concentration is typically safe, it may burn the surrounding vegetation, so use with caution.

No Luck? Try a Simple Alternative

Where baking soda fails, Epsom salt prevails

If baking soda and vinegar don't seem to work for killing off pesky tree roots, there are a few other methods you can try.

Epsom salt is another effective way to kill tree roots.

• All you have to do is drill holes in the tree's stump, mix Epsom salt with warm water, and pour it directly into the holes.
• Cover it well and wait.
• Once the stump is dead, start chopping down the stump and roots.

Say Good Bye to Stumps for Good

Baking soda and vinegar is a strong combination that may just save the day from invading tree roots.

With the right technique, baking soda and vinegar is a successful method to keep tree roots away from your home. These two common household items are both cost-effective and easily accessible, making them ideal for this situation. However, their combined potency is also dangerous for nearby plants, so take care when using baking soda and vinegar to kill tree roots.

When it comes down to it, baking soda and vinegar is a strong combination that may just save the day from invading tree roots.