The Best Weed Killer Reviews in 2018 – Make Sure Weeds Die and Stay Dead
Gardening can be a lot of hard work even if you have a small property. Still, I don’t mind doing most of it if it ensures my plants are healthy – I even find it pleasurable. However, the one chore I don’t take any joy in is weeding. Pulling weeds is tricky and can take up a lot of time since you need to be very careful not to damage the roots of your precious plants while pulling the entire weed out. And yet, even after all that work, weeds will just spring up again in a couple of weeks, so it all seems futile.
Well, that’s why I gave up on it and took the easy route years ago – a chemical weed killer. Still, a lot of people don’t use them for some reason, and that’s why I wrote this article – to introduce people to these products and help them find the best weed killer for their garden.
Why Buying a Weed Killer?
So, as I mentioned, some people still stick to the traditional methods of just pulling the weeds out of the ground by hand. There are those who think it is the best method for removing weeds from your crop.
The problem with this approach, besides the fact that it can damage the plants you want growing in your garden, is that it’s not a final solution – weeds will spring up again and again. Over time, weed growth will damage your plants, whether by depriving them of nutrients, letting some pests settle in the garden or by transmitting some nasty disease.
Weed killers, or weedicides as they’re also known, are a type of herbicide specially designed to kill weeds and stop them from growing in your garden again. Some target a broad range of weeds, while others are far more specific. No matter the type, they are made from a variety of different chemicals, some designed to poison the weeds while others might imitate an anti-growth hormone.
Weed Killers Kill Weeds and Stop them from Growing in Your Garden Again
So, not all weed killers are the same, and there’s a lot of variety. If you pick the wrong one, it might not even work or, worse yet, kill your plants while leaving the weeds alive and well. Choosing the right compound for the job is paramount, and there’s plenty of aspects to consider. To help you with picking, we have compiled a list of some of the best weed killers out there right now, paired with some user reviews for added info. Let’s see how the three products fare.
Meet the Best Weed Killers
The Good: Kills any weed you might have and can cover a vast area.
The Bad: Isn’t easy to use and doesn’t prevent weeds from regrowing, and it takes some time to work.
The Bottom Line: While it has some obvious flaws, it’s still the best bang for your buck.
This is not everything of course – more in-depth info is available just down below.
All of the Factors Considered
When buying a weed killer, there are more than a few things you need to consider before making your purchase. The choices on offer might make you feel confused, but don’t worry – follow some of the tips here, and you should probably be fine.
Water Resistance
Picking a weed killer with sufficient water resistance is key, as you do not want it to get washed away with the first rain, or when you’re just watering the plants. The quicker the resistance kicks in, the better.
Selectiveness
Selective weed killers are usually designed to get rid of one particular plant species or plant genus. Some have a broader range than others, and it’s important to know which types of plants they’ll destroy, so you don’t ruin your garden by accident while trying to save it.
Non-selective weed killers exist as well and they usually just kill all or most plants they come into contact with. This means they can’t be used on surfaces like lawns and must be applied very precisely. However, they can be more effective than selective products.
Speed
The rate at which a weed killer acts roughly divides them into contact and systemic weed killers.
Contact weed killers kill the plant almost instantly, and you only have to wait a few minutes to see the grass wither before your eyes. However, they can be only used on plants that have already grown and, while they look impressive, they are not good in the long run and might leave the roots intact.
Systemic weed killers, on the other hand, do a much more thorough job of massacring the plant from the inside. They get in through the leaves and spread down to the roots, killing the whole thing. It takes them more time to eliminate the weed, but that ensures that it won’t rise from the dead.
Longevity
While weed killers are certainly better at eliminating weeds than the traditional method, their effects do not last forever, and weeds will reappear in time. How long – that depends on the compound that was used. While some weed killers are a one-and-done deal and just kill plants, others leave a residual effect that can prevent them from re-growing for weeks or months at a time.
Safety
If you own pets or livestock, this is paramount, as the chemicals might be poisonous to them, and they might accidentally ingest it in various ways. The ‘pet-friendly’ kinds of weed killers ensure that such a scenario doesn’t occur and your animals stay safe and healthy.
The other important safety consideration is that it does not harm the plants in your garden in any way and kills only the weeds. Destroying your whole garden is not what you want.
Based on all these aspects, here’s how we’d rank all the products we listed.
In-depth Reviews of 3 Weed Killers
Key Features
Rainproof Within Two Hours
Only two hours after spraying, this product is completely water resistant. Rain or shine, it works just the same!
Visible Results in Two to Four Days
With a 41-percent glyphosate compound, the weeds die within a few days while being killed to the root, never to return.
No Residual Effects
Since this is a post-emergent product, treated areas can be replanted within one day with no risk – this weed killer leaves no activity in the soil after doing its job.
Kills any Weeds, anywhere
It’s non-selective and can be used on pretty much any weed without issue, it will kill them all without prejudice – something we’re very proud of.
Customer Reviews
I used the same product last year, and it worked like you wouldn’t believe. It doesn’t last for the whole year; you'll probably have to apply it once more after a couple of months have passed. Also, some plants are more resilient, and it won't work on them so quickly. The grass growing in my driveway took almost an entire week to dry out while other weeds around the yard and house were brown a few hours after I sprayed them. Have no fear though – if you use this on a plant, it will die for sure.
Who Should Buy This Product
People with larger properties should look out for this one, as that one gallon can cover a huge area, up to 25 thousand square feet. The fact that it kills basically any weeds you could find on a large surface – and you can find plenty of different kinds – makes it very useful indeed.
What to Watch Out For
Even though it kills weeds for sure, it will not prevent new ones from appearing on your property I’m sad to say. If that’s what you’re looking for, this is not the product for you.
The Conclusion
Being able to kill any and all weeds you can find over a large surface is a great feat, and this product achieves it effortlessly. The fact that it doesn’t cost all that much makes it even more attractive, even though it has some downsides, and won’t prevent weed growth. In short, if you’re looking for destruction, this is what you should buy – if you’re looking for prevention, stay away.
Key Features
Visible Results in 3 Hours
It kills the plants to the root, and within three hours of use you will already see them wilt before your very eyes!
Does not Spread Within The Soil
As a post-emergent product, this weed killer doesn’t remain in the ground and has no chance of killing the plants you want to keep alive.
Works on Almost all Weed Types
From bluegrass to ryegrass and beyond, this weedicide is able to kill almost any kind of weed on the spot!
No Mixing Required
Ready to use straight away requires no mixing or any other sort of preparation.
Easy to use: With a handy sprayer packed in, it has never been easier to target exactly the spots you want to work on and avoid the ones you don’t.
Customer Reviews
Who Should Buy This Product
This is a handy product for people who don’t want a lot of hassle with a weed killer, especially beginners. No need to mix anything or follow complicated instructions, no need to use a different sprayer or anything of the sort – it comes with a sprayer of its own, and it’s ready to use right away.
What to Watch Out For
The sprayer itself is not the most well-made thing, and it has a tendency to clog and foam quite a lot, which might cause you some trouble out in the field and delay your work. Using a different sprayer might be a good idea.
The Conclusion
Decent product that’s not too expensive works on most weeds and is incredibly easy, able to be used by pretty much anybody. The sprayer that’s packed in also helps make things simpler and faster – unless it clogs that is, which happens way more than you’d expect. Still, it’s a genuinely good product that only needs a different sprayer to shine.
Key Features
Rainproof in only 15 Minutes
Only 15 minutes after application, the product is completely water resistant.
Safe for Your Pets
This product is made with pet owners and farmers in mind, and is perfectly safe for your animals.
Kills Plants Down to The Root
With its deep-acting formula, the roots are eradicated, ensuring that the weed won’t return.
Doesn’t Remain in The Soil
Your other plants will remain unaffected, and the soil is safe for planting after only a few hours.
Visible Results in 3 Hours
The plants will wither only three hours after application, guaranteed.
Customer Reviews
Who Should Buy This Product
This is a very cheap product and is thus clearly suited for people on a budget that just need an affordable weed killer or people who simply don’t want to spend a lot of money. They will get their money’s worth with this product, for sure.
What to Watch Out For
While it works on most weeds, some of the more common troublesome plants like, for example, tumbleweed, are not something this product can deal with. Because of that, results might be inconsistent among users and even on a single property. Carefully read the list of weeds it works on before buying.
The Conclusion
This is a great product for the price and will do a lot of work for most people. If you’re on a budget, this might be the product of choice for you. Unless it doesn’t kill the weeds, you need it to kill – check the label before you buy. Otherwise, it’s good value for the price.
The Best Pick – Compare-N-Save Concentrate Grass and Weed Killer
With this much variety, it might be difficult to decide on the right product, and it all depends on what you need. Still, for us, the answer here is rather simple – the Compare-N-Save Concentrate Grass and Weed Killer wins hands down. Despite not offering something the other products too, the value here is just too difficult to pass up – with how much it costs, compared to the area it can cover, and the range of weeds it can kill with ease, the other weed killers in the roundup just can’t compare. It might be a bit harder to use, but it is more than worth it.
Video Review
The Conclusion
While that is our preferred product, the same might not be true for you – you might have a rather small property, and the other products might kill just the weeds you need, which is why you might opt for them. However, the winning product here seems to trump them all in the end, no matter what.
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Homyden
We are home and garden enthusiasts, we share our unique knowledge and expertise. If you have home and garden ideas, feel free to write for us. However, your articles must be unique, informative, made of short and straightforward sentences.
Yes, I’m guilty of getting rid of weeds by hand. It’s really a pain. Will look into using Roundup 5200210 Weed and Grass Killer as it is animal safe. We have dogs running around in the yard.
Nice review! Thanks for releasing good articles like this.
I know that this problem seems not related but I’m looking for a product that can avoid having red worms around the plants. It causes to have our house having a lot of that too.
Really nice article. Getting rid of weeds is a hectic task in gardening and I would like to go for this Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer. It is affordable, fits my budget and the most important thing is t is safe for pets because we have a dog and cat. No harm to be done to them in any way. Other products are good too. Thanks for sharing.
Yes that what I was worried about too because I have a small kitten at home and don’t want her to be harmed – especially gnawing on the grass all the time. So it’s definitely good to know that there are some safe solutions for controlling weed issues.
As a beginner in gardening, I think I will go with the Roundup 5200210 Weed and Grass Killer. This will suit my purpose and also it is quite affordable for me. My second choice would be Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer because I am planning to get a dog anytime soon so I want everything to be safe for him. In that opinion, I would go for the second choice. Your article is an eye opener for someone novice like me in the field of gardening. Thanks.
I’m purchasing the Specticide or Roundup weed killer and will report back here soon to let you know my results!
Great recommendations! I’ve always hated the fact that weeds keep coming back in my vegetable patch. I hope these solutions should do the trick!
I agree that we should get to the root cause of the problem. It is definitely essential to get a weed killer to finally get rid of those weeds.
I have a lot of dogs at home. I will definitely try Spectracide Weed and Grass Killer because I want products that also think of the welfare of my pets.
It kills weeds. If you ask me, I will just buy something that kills it, but these reviews you shared made me more smart to know what are the best deals when it comes to quality, not quantity.
Thanks for clearly presenting the pros & cons of these weed killers. I appreciate unbiased reviews like this.
Weeds can really be a pain. I have struggled with them for years. Thanks for these tips, I think the will help me to control my weed problems for good!
Well! You definitely gave us a lot of options for weed killers. I will try a few of the brands that you recommend and see which one works best for my yard. Thanks for taking the time to write a through overview!
I really used to think all weed killers were basically the same, and I would just blindly grab any one of them off the shelf. But now after reading your article, I realize how naive I was and I really have a lot to learn about product selection is this category. Thanks for revealing the pros & cons!
Well my biggest concerns were effectiveness and safety and I’m glad I found what I was looking for in this article. Thank you.
Great information. From reading this, I would go with the Systemic weed killers. The slower yet more thorough approach will get down to the root of the problem and produce more lasting results.
Good thing is that these are all affordable solutions. Great post, thanks for sharing!