Natural Ways to Get Rid of Moss on a Driveway With Vinegar

Driveway

• Moss can grow on driveways, especially pitted asphalt driveways that are shaded by overhanging tree branches. The nooks and crannies of the pitted asphalt give moss spores shelter while they grow. The resulting driveway moss can become a safety issue: Moss absorbs water from rain showers and sprinkler systems, becoming slicker the more it soaks up. This makes it a slip hazard when you use your driveway in damp conditions. Plants that sprout in moss can send roots down into cracks in your driveway, destabilizing it over time.

Vinegar

• Vinegar contains acetic acid. This acid is weak, of course, at least weak enough that we can can safely use vinegar as a condiment; but acetic acid is strong enough to damage moss. To kill moss on your driveway, pour enough vinegar onto the moss to soak it. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then blast the moss away with your garden hose or sweep it away with a broom. Pour more vinegar into any cracks or crevices in the driveway to kill spores hiding there. Use undiluted white vinegar to kill moss. Other types will work as well, but the additives in cider vinegar aren't needed.

Drawbacks

• Vinegar is a natural way to kill moss on your driveway, but it's not terribly efficient. You need to soak the moss with it, necessitating a large quantity. Take care not to pour vinegar on grass or plants that border your driveway. It can cause healthy plants to wilt and their leaves to turn yellow. It could kill a struggling plant. Vinegar doesn't provide any residual protection again most growth, so you could soon have issues with it again. But at least vinegar's cheap!

Considerations

• If you want to get rid of moss on your driveway naturally, institute cultural controls in addition to using vinegar. Trim overhanging tree branches. Direct sunlight shining on your driveway inhibits moss growth. Sweep your driveway weekly to remove dirt and most spores before they can build up. Direct sprinklers away from your driveway to reduce moisture exposure. Pour vinegar on moss patches as soon as they appear, killing them while they are too small to be a major safety concern.