Vinegar & Bean Growth

Bean Plant

• In general, beans like to receive about an inch of water every week. They also grow best in friable soil, and the yield is highest when the gardener applies low-nitrate fertilizers. Since bean plants are vines, they need something to climb, such as a pole or corn stalk. All beans share a sensitivity to vinegar, which curbs their growth and kills them.

Vinegar

• Vinegar is derived from fermented plant juices, including wines and cider. It's often used in cooking to add a hint of sour flavor, though it can also be used for household chores and acts as a natural disinfectant. Distilled white vinegar is especially potent and homemakers can use it to clean a clogged drain or disinfect a counter top. Additionally, some weed-killing products may contain vinegar. However, applying this strong acid on a living plant can corrode its roots and lead to decay.

Dosage

• A mild dose of vinegar might not kill your bean plant, especially if it was thriving beforehand. Nevertheless, it will stunt its growth. The same is true for any mild base or acid. The bean's root system is sensitive to pH, and fluctuations away from the 7.0 of water will negatively affect its growth. The more extreme this fluctuation, the more severely it will affect the growth and viability of the the plant.

Vinegar as a Weed Killer

• In the same fashion that vinegar can kill bean plants, it also has the potential to kill weeds. If you want to use it for this purpose, purchase 20 percent vinegar, as its stronger acidity makes for a more potent herbicide. Put the vinegar in a spray bottle and then drench the leaves of unwanted weeds. This eats away at the leaves' protective waxes, and in time the weed dies from dehydration.

Vinegar Soak

• Alternatively, you can pour the vinegar directly onto the soil. This changes the soil pH, ultimately killing the weed. If the bean plant's soil also gets drenched, however, it will die as well. This method is best used before you plant your beans to kill weeds that have already set their roots. Wait six months to a year before trying to cultivate beans on this soil; even then, you'll need to treat to soil to neutralize the pH. The measured application of a mild base can do this. Lime and wood ash are affordable and widely available options.