How Does Clorox Bleach Affect Plants?
Clorox bleach can be used successfully as a weed killer. Care must be taken, however, to apply the bleach only to the weeds one wishes to kill, since bleach is likely to kill or damage any other plant it touches. It is also important to keep bleach from contaminating the ground water or soil around the plants a person is trying to protect.
Clorox bleach is a very successful weed killer, and one which is much less expensive and less toxic than many chemical weed killers. Bleach should be applied to weeds using a spray bottle, taking care to spray the stem and any of the roots that are showing. This method is particularly useful for killing weeds that grow up through cracks in sidewalks and driveways, since there are typically no other plants around to be affected.
If the bleach splatters on to any plants that are not weeds, it should be wiped off immediately to avoid damage to the plant. In addition, if bleach, which has a pH factor of 11, is allowed to contaminate the soil, it can potentially change the pH level of the soil, affecting nearby plants. Killing weeds with bleach takes about two days; during this time, it is important to not turn the soil or replant in the area where the bleach was applied.
