How to Get Rid of the Dollarweed in My Vegetable Garden

Dollarweed is a perennial weed with broad, circular leaves. It grows in thick patches and spreads through gardens with underground tubers. It is a water-loving plant that can withstand being submerged. It often shows up in gardens when the soil is not well drained or is being over watered. Getting rid of dollarweed in your vegetable garden can be more difficult than just pulling it up, as this weed is persistent.

Things You'll Need

• Mulch
• Gloves
• Vinegar with 10 percent acetic acid
• Spray bottle

Instructions

1. Water your vegetable garden by hand or install a drip irrigation system. Only water the vegetables that need to be watered. Avoid watering any other part of your vegetable garden. Careful watering will cut down on the amount of dollarweed in your garden.

2. Pull up any dollarweed you can from your garden with your hands and dispose of it. Fill a spray bottle with 10 percent acetic acid vinegar. Spray the remaining dollarweed with the solution. Wait for a few days and pull out the dead dollarweed.

3. Spread a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of dense mulch over the vegetable garden to prevent dollarweed from growing back.

Tips & Warnings

• Vinegar with concentrations of 10 to 20 percent acetic acid are found to be more effective in killing weeds than less concentrated varieties. (Ref 4)

• Acetic acid in vinegar is a non-selective killer so be sure to only spray it on the dollarweed or it will kill your vegetables as well.

• Wear gloves when handing vinegar with a high concentration of acetic acid.

• Do not spray harsh herbicides in your vegetable garden as it may harm your vegetable plants as well as the dollarweed.

References

• NC State University: Dollarweed (Pennywort)
• Clemson University: Dollarweed
• University of Florida: Dollarweed and Irrigation
• Iowa State University: Acetic acid (vinegar) for weed control revisited