The Best Weed Killer
As a gardener, there’s a good chance that you’ve had your fair share of battles against weeds invading your lawn. Weeds are a persistent problem for many homeowners, and they can be nearly impossible to eliminate without the help of special products. Weed killers, also known as herbicides, are one of the most effective and affordable ways of getting rid of unwanted plant growth in your garden. Here, we go over some of the best weed killers that can keep your lawn looking its best. Identifying Your Weed Problem Not all weed killers target the same plants, so it’s important to know what you’re dealing with before choosing a product. Annual weeds such as crabgrass and foxtail, for example, need a different treatment than persistent perennials such as dandelions. You can find databases that can help you to identify local weed species either online or at educational institutions in your area. The Weed Science Society of America also offers a number of identification resources for gardeners living in states across the United States. If you’re having trouble getting to the bottom of a weed problem, you may want to talk to an expert at your local nursery or home improvement center. They’re likely to be well versed in which plants pose a common problem for gardeners in your area. What to Look for in a Weed Killer? Once you know what types of weeds you’re trying to eradicate, you can choose the best weed killer to address your problem. Here are some of the most important things to consider when looking for an effective herbicide. Emergence The emergence of a weed killer specifies at what life stage the products targets plants. Pre-emergence weed killers prevent plants from germinating, killing weeds before they have a chance to take root. In general, it’s best to apply pre-emergence herbicides in the springtime, about two to three weeks before plants begin to germinate. Some pre-emergence herbicides can be combined with fertilizers, allowing you to care for your garden while also eliminating future weed problems. Post-emergence herbicides, on the other hand, target weeds that have already sprouted. After spraying the product on the leaves of a plant, toxic components infiltrate its system and cause it to die. If you have an annual influx of weeds or crabgrass, you most likely want to opt for a pre-emergence herbicide. The right product can stop your weed problem before it starts. For established growth, however, you’d be better off looking for a post-emergence product. Selectivity Some herbicides are non-selective, meaning that it will kill any plant that it contacts. This includes both weeds and other plants and grasses. A selective herbicide won’t kill everything it touches, but rather, targets only certain plants while leaving others unaffected. This feature allows you to use the product on your lawn or garden without having to worry about it damaging other plants. Selective herbicides will tell you which species they target on the label. It’s important to make sure that the product won’t harm any other plants in your garden, as some selective products will kill popular grasses such as St. Augustine or Bermuda grass. Contact Most weed killers are contact solutions, meaning that they have to coat a plant to destroy it. This type of herbicide good for killing annual weeds such as bindweed, crabgrass, and nettles as well as their seeds to prevent future growth. Contact weed killers work fast, with wilting visible in as little as a few hours. This type of herbicide only affects leaves and stems above the soil, however, which often leaves roots alive and intact. With frequent applications, however, unwanted plants will eventually weaken and die. Systemic weed killers, unlike contact solutions, penetrate deep into a plant and its root system. The herbicide prevents the weed from photosynthesizing, inhibiting its growth and eventually killing it. While it can take weeks for these products to work, the result is often long-lasting. Systemic herbicides are often the best solution for getting rid of weeds that spread via their root system, including many perennials. If you’re fighting off bindweed, poison ivy, ragweed, or dandelions, it’s best to look for a systemic product instead of a contact solution. Using Weed Killers The herbicide that you use and how you use it will primarily depend on what type of area you’re trying to treat. Here’s how to tackle some common areas where you might find weed growth in the spring and summer. Treating the Lawn and Garden When eliminating weeds growing on your lawn or in your garden, you want to get rid of the invasive plants without harming your grass, flowers, or vegetables in the process. For lawn and garden care, it’s best to look for a selective weed killer that targets the species with which you’re dealing. You should also aim to find a pre-emergence product as well to stop seeds from sprouting, as it can be a challenge to treat weeds in your lawn after they’ve already sprung up. You should apply weed killer to your lawn or garden in the early spring or late summer, depending on when the weeds in your garden typically germinate. If you’re using a selective herbicide, you can use a spreader or sprayer for full lawn coverage. Treating the Driveway and Patio When dealing with concrete areas, you don’t have to be quite as careful as with a lawn or garden. If you’re trying to completely eliminate any growth from cracks in the driveway, patio, or sidewalk, you can apply a non-selective product to the area. You can use pre- or post-emergence products depending on whether you’re trying to eliminate a problem or prevent future growth. Our Favorite Weed Killers Looking for the right weed killer can be overwhelming, given all of the available options. Here are some of our top selections when it comes to effective herbicides. Compare-N-Save Concentrate Grass and Weed Killer This post-emergence contact weed killer contains glyphosate as its main ingredient. It’s non-selective, making it a
