Picking the right herbicide can be tricky, as there are so many different types. Here we hope to shine some light on this and help clear some things up. We will discuss the differences between selective and non-selective herbicides. We will discuss the differences between soil sterilants and weed killers as well.
Selective Herbicides
Selective herbicides are used on our lawns to kill weeds but not the grass. These weed killers are absorbed through the leaves themselves, therefore are to be applied to an uncut lawn. If you have cut the lawn then you need to wait a week or so for the weeds to grow back. You will need to put down these herbicides when low temperatures are consistently above 50° and high temperatures are below 85°. Many herbicides say rainproof in 3 to 12 hours but allowing it to sit 24 to 48 hours without being watered or rained in is ideal.
Granular weed and feeds
Granular weed and feeds need to be put down on a wet yard. Early morning while there is still dew on the ground, as weed and feed sticks to a wet weed better than a dry one. Again, do not cut the grass before applying. Watch the forecast, as we do not want it to rain for 48 hours. You can water it in after 48 hours and cut the grass. Weed and feeds will kill over 200 broadleaf weeds but it does not kill crabgrass.
Granular Weed Stop + Crabgrass Preventer
Non-selective Herbicides
Non-selective herbicides are designed to kill anything it is sprayed on. These are labled as grass and weed killers, brush killers and soil sterilants.
Grass and Weed Killer
Spectracide Grass and Weed Killer
Brush Killers
Soil Sterilants
Soil sterilants are different than other grass and weed killers, as they are not absorbed through the leaf of the plant that they are killing. They bind to the soil to make the soil ungrowable for up to a year. Because it essentially contaminates the soil, do not put it under the canopy or drip line of desirable trees and plants.
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