Water pH and weed control...does it matter?

A little fun fact that not a lot of people know about...the pH level of your water has a lot to do with the effectiveness of your post emergent herbicide applications.

When you mix herbicide products with water, some of the product molecules will actually break apart...rendering them ineffective. Water that has a higher pH of 6.5 to 7+ will break apart those molecules at a higher rate, thus making your application less effective overall.

Lower pH levels (the target should be around 6) will do this at a lower rate, thus giving you better results from your post emergent applications.

The only way to know is to test your water. You can buy test strips just about anywhere, or at least anywhere where pool supplies are sold. Don't just assume your water is fine, the average for city water is above 7.

There is a quick and easy solution if you need to bring your water down a little bit:

1 tablespoon of vinegar per gallon of water.

Mix this up BEFORE you mix in your products, and it should bring your pH down to the 6 range. (this is a rule of thumb, you can test your water after mixing and adjust the amount of vinegar accordingly).