FANS of Mrs Hinch are raving about an inexpensive homemade remedy for banishing ivy – and it costs pennies to prepare.
English ivy can be a decorative addition to gardens but once the plant starts taking over, it can make for a rather messy look.
Unfortunately, this is what one woman named Wendy Davies found herself dealing with – but fellow fans of Mrs Hinch were quick to come to rescue.
“Can anyone advise me on the best way to get rid of ivy consuming my garden?'' wondered Wendy who had taken to Facebook to seek help.
Instead of hiring a professional to tackle the issue, gardening lovers flocked to comments where they shared their favourite budget-friendly hacks.
The majority of members of the Mrs Hinch Gardening Tips Facebook page insisted a combination of salt and white vinegar can remove the plant.
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Maria Saunders said: “I kill everything off with a homemade salt spray I make.
''Combine salt with white vinegar and spray it on the roots, if it doesn’t work I will be very surprised. For me, it works better than most weed killers I’ve tried.''
She went on to add: ''“Keep on top of it, you will get rid of it, once killed off it will not grow back, same with any weeds. I have surprised many people with the salt story.”
Ann Russell agreed, writing: ''Salt and vinegar in a spray bottle, or sprayer for large areas, no harsh chemicals and works the same.
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''My garden was overcome with it after last year’s wet weather.”
Jean Stevens was also fan of the cheap method: “White vinegar is more acidic than brown malt vinegar.
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''Spray the plant with white vinegar making sure you don’t get it on any of your other plants. White vinegar also kills weeds.”
Chris Harris joined the debate and penned: “Salt used for clearing drives in winter. Put a load around the roots and water occasionally.''
He explained: “Ivy searches for water and hates the salt. I did it years ago to an ivy hedge. It took a few months but slowly died off.”
Christine Stilman instructed: “Pull up as much as you can and then use white vinegar and salt on the roots. My garden was heaving with it when I moved in and there's not a spot left now.”
Not just a must-have kitchen staple for savoury dishes, salt and vinegar are proved to be a toxic deterrent for this evergreen.
While white vinegar contains acetic acid, which can be found in most weed killers, salt is a great for dehydrating plants.
Purdue University said: “Even though vinegar is an acid, it breaks down quickly in the soil and, therefore, is not likely to accumulate enough to affect soil pH for more than a few days.”
Salt, on the other hand, can remain in the soil and prevent future plant growth if used in high concentrations.
For this reason, it's best sticking to one tablespoon of salt when creating the cheap remedy.
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