Has your perfectly groomed lawn ever been taken over by pesky, unsightly weeds? If yes, then you have come to the right place.
This guide will help you learn about:
- The 10 best weed killers for your lawn
- Criteria used for selecting the best weed control
- A user guide
- FAQs
If your lawn, driveway or hedges have been overrun by weeds, it is time for you to buy an herbicide. However, this decision should not be made oh so casually. Your weed killer choice can make or break your garden. Luckily, there are dozens of product you can use to make sure your yard remains in tip-top shape.
In this guide, we will review some of the best weed killer available to help you make an informed decision.
Table of Contents
- Top 10 Best Weed Killers
- 1. Best Weed Killer For Lawns, Overall: Compare-N-Save Grass & Weed Killer
- 2. Best Weed Killer For Gardens: Preen Garden Weed Preventer
- 3. Best Non-Selective Weed Killer: Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer
- 4. Best Weed Killer for Driveways: Roundup Concentrate Plus
- 5. Best Broadleaf Weed Killer: Southern Amine Weed Killer
- 6. Best Weed Killer for Crabgrass: Ortho Weed Crabgrass Control
- 7. Best Pre-Emergent Weed Killer: Scotts Halts Weed Preventer
- 8. Best Post-Emergent Weed Killer: Bayer Advanced Weed Control
- 9. Best Pet and Child-Friendly Weed Killer: EcoSMART Organic Weed and Grass Killer
- 10. Best Weed Killer for Southern Lawns: PBI/Gordon Speed Zone
- Criteria Used for Selecting the Best Weed Control
- User Guide
- FAQs
Top 10 Best Weed Killers
Take a look at our favorite picks. You can read about them in detail below:
1. Best Weed Killer For Lawns, Overall: Compare-N-Save Grass & Weed Killer
Compare-N-Save Concentrate Grass and Weed Killer has earned its position on the top as the best liquid weed killer for lawnsbecause of a variety of reasons. This weed killer makes a huge amount of spray solution for application that gets rid of existing weeds. You can spray it on your lawn, driveway, vegetable garden and flower beds. It contains the active ingredient, glyphosate, which effectively kills both stubborn weeds and grass by inhibiting certain plant enzymes, which are necessary for growth. The chemical is extremely concentrated and needs to be diluted in gallons of water.
- One gallon covers 25,000 sq f. and makes 85 gallons of solution
- Does not leave residual effects
- Does not get absorbed by the soil and inhibit future growth of plants
- Comparatively cheap
- Completely kills weeds in 1-2 weeks
- Can kill lawn grass and other plants if not sprayed with caution
- If sprayed around fruit trees, wait for 21 days to eat fruit or nuts
- Avoid over-spraying on a single area due to lasting damage
- Not safe for children and pets
2. Best Weed Killer For Gardens: Preen Garden Weed Preventer
If you want to keep your garden healthy without harming your plants, Preen Garden Weed Preventer is your best bet. As the name indicates, this weed killer stops new weeds from growing, but it does not kill existing weeds. It works well when applied to fruit, vegetable or tree gardens to block weed growth. Hence, the best time to use it is when you have freshly tilled your garden. Preen Garden Weed Preventer will ensure your trees and plants get the optimal space and nutrition to grow.
- The 31.3lbs bag covers 5000 sq ft.
- Doesn’t wash off with rain
- Doesn’t harm existing plants and trees
- Affective for 3 months
- Doesn’t kill existing weeds
- Not effective for lawns as it activates on clean land
- Not safe for children and pets
3. Best Non-Selective Weed Killer: Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer
If you want to regain control of a messy lawn and scrap it down to the last plant, this indiscriminate weed and grass killer is a great option. Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer is a highly potent and fast acting herbicide that kills every green thing it touches. The solution is absorbed through the leaves and reaches the deepest parts of an extensive tap root system. It can kill weeds within a few hours, destroy it down to the roots within a few days and clean up your lawn in just a few weeks. If the solution comes in contact with other plants, quickly rinse them with water.
- Solution is ready-to-use
- Kills stubborn weeds
- Very fast acting
- Prevent regrowth for three months
- Can kill any plant it comes in contact with
- Works well for small-scale use
- Not cost-effective for large pieces of land
- Not safe for children and pets
4. Best Weed Killer for Driveways: Roundup Concentrate Plus
This herbicide is a great option for targeting weeds in challenging spots, like concrete pathways, driveways, fences lines, and gardens, without wasting a lot of solution. Roundup Concentrate Plus comes in a tank sprayer that guarantees spot coverage on pesky weeds and does not touch neighboring plants. Its active ingredient, glyphosate, is absorbed through the weed’s transport system and inhibits a crucial plant enzyme, killing the weeds right down to the roots. All weeds will be eradicated within 1-2 weeks.
- Used sparingly because of high concentration levels
- Kills weeds in hard-to-reach areas
- Very fast action
- Extensive coverage with 5 gallons
- Rainproof after 30 minutes of spraying
- Can kill any plant it comes in contact with
- Not safe for children and pets
5. Best Broadleaf Weed Killer: Southern Amine Weed Killer
The Southern Ag 2,4-D Amine Weed Killer is highly selective and is an effective poison to use on broadleaf weeds; however, it is not very effective against anything else. The solution is very cost-effective, and a single quart is enough to cover 1,000 sq ft of land. Weeds start withering after an hour of application and die completely within 3 hours.
- Kills a large variety of broadleaf weeds
- Does not kill the grass
- Very cost-effective
- Extremely fast
- 1 tablespoon is enough to make 1 gallon
- No adverse effect on the soil
- Can kill any plant it comes in contact with
- Not safe for children and pets
6. Best Weed Killer for Crabgrass: Ortho Weed Crabgrass Control
The wonderful thing about Ortho Weed B Gon Max Crabgrass Control is that it does not just kill most species of crabgrass, it targets a wide variety of broadleaf weeds as well, down to the roots. It will not work against all the broadleaf species; however, it is very affordable and certainly worth a try. To get the best results, spray when weeds are in their active stage of growth. It does not prevent new weeds from growing so you will need to reapply it every few days.
- Kills a large variety of broadleaf weeds, as well
- Eliminates clovers and dandelions
- Safe for use around other plants
- Rainproof in 1 work
- No adverse effect on soil
- Can harm grass as well
- Should not come into contact with soil
- Works well for only small and medium landowners
- Does not prevent weed germination
- Not safe for children and pets
7. Best Pre-Emergent Weed Killer: Scotts Halts Weed Preventer
This weed killer is meant to be sprayed with a spreader. This is one of the best pre-emergent weed killer that does not kill existing weeds but prevents the germination of new weeds. Its effects are very long-lasting, and one-time application in spring can block the growth of crabgrass and broadleaf weeds for six months. Its performance is not affected by the weather, but it works exceptionally well in during dry seasons.
- Prevents the emergence of stubborn broadleaf weeds and crabgrass
- Perfect for grass lawns
- Cost-effective
- Safe for use around other plants
- Affective for 6 months
- Not affected by weather
- Doesn’t kill existing weeds
- Not safe for children and pets
8. Best Post-Emergent Weed Killer: Bayer Advanced Weed Control
This amazing herbicide kills existing weeds in your garden as well as prevents new weeds from germinating. The active ingredient, 4-D dimethylamine salt, can kill up to 200 species of common lawn weeds, including broadleaf, crabgrass, clovers and dandelions. Its effects last for half a year. The 20 oz bottle offers enough solution to spray 7,500 feet of land. This is one of the best post-emergent weed killer you can find in the market.
- Kills and prevents the emergence of 200 types of weeds
- 20 oz bottle lasts a long time
- Rainproof after 1 hour
- Safe for plants
- Cost-effective
- Affective for 6 months
- Not good for certain types of grass such as St. Augustine grass
- Not safe for children and pets
9. Best Pet and Child-Friendly Weed Killer: EcoSMART Organic Weed and Grass Killer
This organic and natural weed killer can kill many types of broadleaf weeds and types of grass. Its biggest attribute is that it is very safe to use around children and pets. That is because it contains only natural plant oil instead of harmful chemical toxins, used in other weed killers. EcoSMART Organic Weed Killer works best on flower beds, driveways and around trees. However, it can harm your grass or any small, germinating plants.
- Kills many types of grass and weeds
- Safe for children among children and pets
- Contains organic oils
- Very affordable
- Can kill grass or small shrubs and flowers
10. Best Weed Killer for Southern Lawns: PBI/Gordon Speed Zone
Most of the fast-acting weed killers can eliminate several varieties of common and tough weeds in turfgrass — but at the expense of the grass itself. PBI/Gordon 652400 Speed Zone is the answer to your lawn problems. This is the best weed killer for creeping Charlie, dandelions, ground ivy, clovers and 100 different broadleaf weeds that infest your grass, but does not harm the grass itself. That is because it targets the leaves of the weeds. After 1 or 2 days, the weeds start dying, leaving you with a stunning, healthy-looking lawn. What’s so great about is that a 20-ounce bottle can effectively cover 14,000 to 18,000 square feet of land.
- Kills many types of weeds in turfgrass
- Safe for lawn grass
- Perfect for large-scale lands
- Very affordable
- Reseed in a few weeks
- Fast action
- Not safe for children
Criteria Used for Selecting the Best Weed Control
There are a variety of herbicides and weed killers available in the market, each with varying fundamental factors. The effectiveness of the product rests on these elements. Take a look at the criteria below:
User Guide
To get the perfect weed killer for your particular problem, you first need to find out what kind of weed is growing in your yard, orchard, hedge or driveway. Take a look at some of the things you should consider.