12 Best Weed Killers of 2024 [Reviews]

If you could use one word to describe weeds, it would be “persistent.” While you could pull them out one by one, many prefer turning to weed control products. However, not all weed killers are created equally; some are lawn-friendly, while others kill everything they touch. Only some of them are made with less harsh ingredients. Here are the best weed killers available on the market and what makes them a cut above the rest.

Top Picks

1. Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer 2

2. Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer for Northern Lawns

3. Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer for Southern Lawns

4. Ortho GroundClear Weed & Grass Killer

5. Ortho GroundClear Year Long Vegetation Killer

6. Bonide Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Weed Killer Concentrate

7. Natria Grass & Weed Control with Root Kill

8. Green Gobbler 20% Vinegar Weed Killer

9. Sunday Dandelion Doom Herbicide

10. Sunday Weed Warrior Herbicide

11. Southern Ag Amine 2,4-D

12. Ortho Weed B Gon Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Killer for Lawns Concentrate

Top 12 Weed Killers – Reviews 

1. Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer 2

Spectracide’s Weed & Grass Killer 2 is a ready-to-use variant of their weed and grass killer concentrate. This non-selective weed killer spreads to the roots of any plant it comes into contact with, including turfgrasses. This makes it great for getting rid of pesky weeds around driveways, trees, shrubs, and even flower beds, but not so much around the lawn. Just make sure to cover the plants you want to keep.

How fast does it work? This weed killer starts showing results in as little as 3 hours when used properly. Unlike some weed killers, Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer 2 doesn’t linger in the soil for too long, meaning you can replant new flowers, trees, and shrubs in affected areas in a few days.

Will rain wash it away? Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer 2 quickly becomes rainfast; it will be effective even with rain or irrigation after 15 minutes.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: Diquat Dibromide; Fluazifop-p-butyl; and Dicamba, dimethylamine salt
• Package size: 32 fl oz, 1 gal
• Selective: No
• Required equipment: None
• Price range: Affordable

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Becomes rainfast in 15 minutes ✔ Comes with a sprayer and is ready to use ✔ Kills the root ✔ Starts showing results within hours ✔ Affordable ✔ Affected soil can be planted on after a few days ✔ Can be used anywhere	✘ Kills grass, so it can’t be used for your lawn ✘ The sprayer is difficult to use

2. Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer for Northern Lawns

If you want to get rid of weeds like crabgrass on your lawn, then a turf-safe herbicide like Ortho’s WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer is what you should be using. The northern lawn variant controls over 200 kinds of weeds without harming Bermudagrass, buffalograss, tall fescue, fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrasses, and Zoysiagrass. This makes it perfect for spot-treating weeds on your lawn.

How fast does it work? Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer for Northern Lawns starts showing results within the day. It also becomes rainproof after 1 hour, so you don’t have to worry about it washing off the weeds.

Do you like options? This weed killer comes in many variants, such as concentrate, ready-to-spray, and trigger bottle. You can also get it with Ortho’s comfort wand, which offers a continuous stream of the herbicide.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: 2,4-D, dimethylamine salt; Quinclorac; and Dicamba, dimethylamine salt
• Package size: 1.3 gal
• Selective: Yes
• Required equipment: None
• Price range: Relatively affordable

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Ready to use and comes with its own applicator ✔ Kills the root ✔ Starts showing results within hours ✔ Rainproof in 1 hour ✔ Relatively affordable ✔ Safe for grasses commonly found in northern lawns	✘ Not safe for other types of grasses ✘ “Ready-to-spray” packaging doesn’t always work well

3. Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer for Southern Lawns

Like its northern lawn counterpart, Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer for Southern Lawns is safe for many turfgrasses. However, it targets more weeds – over 250 types – while being safer for more turfgrass species. It’s safe to use on the following grasses:

• Bermudagrass
• Fescues
• Kentucky bluegrass
• Zoysiagrass
• Centipedegrass
• Bahiagrass
• Bentgrass
• Buffalograss
• St. Augustinegrass (except the Floratam variety)

What’s the difference between the southern and northern versions? Aside from the number of weeds it affects and the grass types you can use it on, Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer for Southern Lawns is rather similar to its northern lawn counterpart. The southern lawn one is just a tad bit more expensive and comes in a slightly smaller container, so you get less bang for your buck.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: 2,4-D, 2-ethylhexyl ester; Mecoprop-p acid; Dicamba acid; and Carfentrazone-ethyl
• Package size: 1 gal
• Selective: Yes
• Required equipment: None
• Price range: Relatively affordable

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Ready to use and comes with its own applicator ✔ Kills the root ✔ Starts showing results within hours ✔ Rainproof in 1 hour ✔ Relatively affordable ✔ Safe for more grass types, including most varieties of St. Augustinegrass	✘ More expensive than its northern lawn counterpart ✘ Can’t be used on the Floratam variety of St. Augustinegrass ✘ Ready-to-spray variant’s packaging sometimes fails to work

4. Ortho GroundClear Weed & Grass Killer

In contrast to the two Ortho weed killers listed above, Ortho GroundClear Weed & Grass Killer isn’t lawn-safe. This weed killer kills plants it comes into contact with when applied correctly, showing results in as fast as 15 minutes. It kills both broadleaf and grassy plants, weed or not.

It’s organic. Unlike Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer 2, Ortho GroundClear Weed & Grass Killer is listed as safe for organic gardening by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). You can use it around your hardscapes, flower beds, and even around your vegetable garden if you want to; just make sure you’re applying it to the weed itself, and don’t get any on the plants you want to keep.

Here’s something to keep in mind, though. It doesn’t kill the root system like Spectracide does, so you’ll need to dig up the dead weeds to prevent them from regrowing.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: Ammonium Nonanoate
• Package size: 1 gal
• Selective: No
• Required equipment: None
• Price range: Affordable

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Ready to use and comes with its own applicator ✔ Starts showing results within 15 minutes ✔Affordable ✔ OMRI-listed for organic gardening ✔ Can be used in landscape beds and around edible plants	✘ Not safe for grass ✘ Dead plants still need to be dug up as it doesn’t kill the roots ✘ The sprayer fails frequently

5. Ortho GroundClear Year Long Vegetation Killer

Ortho GroundClear Year Long Vegetation Killer is another product that kills both weeds and grasses alike, but this one has the added effect of preventing regrowth for up to a year. This makes it unsafe to use anywhere you want to grow any sort of plants, but perfect for places where green may not be welcome, like driveways and parking areas.

Year-long protection after one hour. This weed killer works fast, killing anything it touches down to its roots. After an hour, Ortho GroundClear Year Long Vegetation Killer starts showing results and becomes rainfast.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: Imazapyr, isopropylamine salt; and Pelargonic Acid and related fatty acids
• Package size: 1.33 gal
• Selective: No
• Required equipment: None
• Price range: Moderate

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Ready to use and comes with its own applicator ✔ Starts showing results within 1 hour ✔ Prevents weeds from regrowing for up to a year ✔ Rainproof in 1 hour ✔ Kills the root	✘ Not safe for grass ✘ No plants will grow on affected areas for up to a year ✘ The concentrated version of this weed killer is not as effective

6. Bonide Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Weed Killer Concentrate

Chickweed, clovers, and oxalis are a few of many weeds that are difficult to get rid of. Luckily, Bonide Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Weed Killer Concentrate targets those and over 100 more tough-to-control weeds like ground ivy and wild violet. Better yet, it’s safe to use on your lawn as well.

Kills to the root. Whether you go with the concentrate or premixed variant, you can expect results within the day as the weed killer makes its way down to the weeds’ roots. However, you will need your own sprayer if you go with the concentrated version.

Just be careful; while it’s mostly safe for grasses, it can injure some, like St. Augustine, centipedegrass, and carpetgrass.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: Mcpa; triclopyr; and dicamba
• Package size: 16 fl oz (1 pint)
• Selective: Yes
• Required equipment: Pump sprayer
• Price range: Affordable

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Has a ready-to-use variant ✔ Kills the root ✔ Safe for most grasses ✔ Affordable, especially as the concentrated version can cover a larger area when mixed	✘ Can injure or kill some turfgrasses ✘ Sometimes 2-3 applications are needed before weeds fully die ✘ The concentrated version of this weed killer is not as effective

7. Natria Grass & Weed Control with Root Kill

If you want a natural weed killer that kills grasses, broadleaf weeds, and mosses to the root, then Natria Grass & Weed Control with Root Kill might be the product for you. This one isn’t OMRI-listed for organic gardening like many of Natria’s other products, but it’s made with less harsh materials than other herbicides.

Where do you use it? You can use this weed control product not just in your flower beds but also on your driveway, sidewalk, patio, and more, as it doesn’t stain. In 5 days, you’ll even be able to add new plants to affected areas if you want to. The one place you may not want to use it is on your lawn unless you plan to kill off the old grass and reseed.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: Ammoniated soap of fatty acids; and Maleic hydrazide
• Package size: 24 fl oz, 1 gal, and 1.3 gal
• Selective: No
• Required equipment: Pump sprayer if you use the concentrated version
• Price range: Moderate

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Ready to use and comes with a sprayer ✔ Kills the root ✔ Starts showing results within the day ✔ Can be used on flower beds and doesn’t stain bricks, concrete, or asphalt ✔ Made with natural ingredients	✘ Not safe for grass ✘ The sprayer doesn’t work very well

8. Green Gobbler 20% Vinegar Weed Killer

Green Gobbler 20% Vinegar Weed Killer is another alternative for homeowners that want less harsh non-selective herbicides. This herbicide is OMRI-listed, making it safe for organic gardening. 

Like the other natural and organic options on this list, you can use it almost anywhere except your lawn unless you’re planning to kill it, too. It doesn’t stain bricks, concrete, or asphalt.

Why is it lower down the list compared to its alternatives? Unfortunately, Green Gobbler 20% Vinegar Weed Killer doesn’t kill weeds to their roots, so you’ll still have to pull out the dead weeds to prevent regrowth. Additionally, this product has a strong vinegar smell that can linger for days after use.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: Vinegar derived from corn
• Package size: 1 gal
• Selective: No
• Required equipment: None
• Price range: Moderate

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Ready to use and comes with a sprayer ✔ Starts showing results within the day ✔ Can be used on flower beds and doesn’t stain bricks, concrete, or asphalt ✔ OMRI-listed for organic gardening	✘ Not safe for grass ✘ Doesn’t kill the roots, so you have to pull out the dead weeds ✘ Has a strong odor that can linger for days ✘ The short cord on the sprayer makes it difficult to use

9. Sunday Dandelion Doom Herbicide

Are you dealing with pesky dandelions, buttercups, clovers, and thistles on your lawn? Sunday Dandelion Doom Herbicide has your back, killing these and more to the root.

Triple-action. Not only is it safe for grass, but it can also actually help bolster your lawn’s defenses. The iron HEDTA in this weed killer can help make the grass greener. It also helps suppress dollar spot, rust, snow mold, and other lawn diseases.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: Iron HEDTA
• Package size: (2) 32 oz. packs
• Selective: Yes
• Required equipment: None
• Price range: Moderate

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Ready to use and comes with a sprayer ✔ Starts showing results within the day ✔ Safe for grass ✔ Iron helps green up turf and suppresses lawn diseases ✔ Kills the root	✘ Bottle leaks ✘ Effects take longer in shaded areas

10. Sunday Weed Warrior Herbicide

Sunday Weed Warrior Herbicide is another non-selective herbicide that’s OMRI-listed for organic gardening. Like other non-selective herbicides, it kills almost everything that it touches — weeds, mosses, and grasses, too. Use it around driveways, sidewalks, mulched areas, and more, but not on your lawn.

How does it work? Its weed-killing powers come from herbicidal soap, which kills plants by stripping away the protective coating on their leaves. This dries up the affected plants, showing results in as little as 20 minutes.

However, Sunday Weed Warrior Herbicide doesn’t kill the roots unless you expose the root and apply the herbicide to it. Either way, you’ll still need to get down and dirty to fully remove weeds from your lawn.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: Ammoniated soap of fatty acids
• Package size: (2) 32 oz. packs
• Selective: No
• Required equipment: None
• Price range: Moderate

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Ready to use and comes with a sprayer ✔ Starts showing results within the day ✔ OMRI-listed for organic gardening ✔ Doesn’t stain and can be used on asphalt, mulched areas, sidewalk cracks, and more	✘ Not safe for grass ✘ Doesn’t kill the roots unless you apply it directly on the root ✘ Bottle leaks

11. Southern Ag Amine 2,4-D

If you don’t mind waiting a while for visible results but want a product that kills to the root, then Southern Ag Amine 2,4-D is not a bad choice. This weed killer targets over 100 tough-to-control broadleaf weeds and woody plants while keeping your turf untouched.

How much do you need to use? This herbicide can cover 1,000 square feet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of concentrate. Just make sure to mix it properly and use a low-pressure spray, avoiding the plants that you want to keep as much as possible.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: Dimethylamine salt of 2,4-D-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
• Package size: 1 quart
• Selective: Yes
• Required equipment: None
• Price range: Moderate

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Kills to the root ✔ Can be used in non-lawn areas ✔ Safe for grass ✔ Covers a large area when mixed properly	✘ Can kill your grass too if applied incorrectly ✘ Takes a while to show results

12. Ortho Weed B Gon Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Killer for Lawns Concentrate

Like its name suggests, Ortho Weed B Gon Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Killer for Lawns Concentrate targets chickweed, clover, oxalis, and other tough weeds. You can buy this product in a concentrate, concentrate plus sprayer, and ready-to-spray variant.

Where can you use this? This weed killer is safe for a lot of grasses, but not all of them; it won’t harm buffalograss, fescue grasses, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrasses, and Zoysiagrass. It will harm Bahiagrass, Bermudagrass, centipedegrass, Kikuyugrass, or St. Augustinegrass. It’s also not ideal to use around fruits, vegetables, or flowers.

Specifications

• Active ingredients: Triclopyr, triethylamine salt
• Package size: 16 fl oz (1 pint)
• Selective: Yes
• Required equipment: Tank sprayer
• Price range: Affordable

Pros and Cons

What We Liked	What We Didn’t Like
✔ Has a ready-to-spray variant ✔ Kills to the root ✔ Safe for some turfgrasses ✔ Relatively affordable	✘ Can injure some grass types ✘ Ready-to-spray variant’s packaging doesn’t always function properly  ✘ Takes a while to show results

Buyer’s Guide to Weed Killers

With all of the weed killer options on the market, how do homeowners figure out which ones are worth trying? There are many types of weed killers out there, like pre-emergent herbicides, post-emergent herbicides, and even weed and feed products. Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a weed killer.

Selective vs. Non-selective

What are you trying to eliminate and where? Different weed killers can target different plants depending on their formulas. If you want to control weeds on your lawn, opt for a selective herbicide that only targets broadleaf weeds like dandelions. 

A non-selective herbicide will injure or kill any plant it touches, so they’re the product to use in places where anything green is unwelcome, like your patio or a gravel patch. You can also use selective herbicides to clear your lawn for reseeding. If you need to apply this type of product near plants you want to keep, you can protect them with plastic or cardboard and spray away.

Rain Tolerance

Herbicides work only if given time to sit on the target weeds, so rain and irrigation can be a disaster. While you can control when you water your lawn, you can’t fight Mother Nature. If you live in an area where it rains often, you may want to consider how fast a weed killer becomes rainproof.

Some weed killers take hours to become rainfast, while others become rainproof within an hour. If you’re worried about water washing away your herbicide, pick a weed killer that becomes rainfast quickly.

Root Killer

When applying weed killers, you might think they’ll kill the whole plant. However, not all herbicides are systemic; they only kill the parts that they’re directly sprayed on. 

You’ll need to dispose of the whole weed — with all of the roots — to prevent it from coming back if you use a non-systemic herbicide. Many weeds can regrow from their roots.

If you’d rather not deal with manual weed removal, you should use a weed killer that kills to the root instead. You’ll still want to remove the dead weeds from your lawn to get rid of the eyesore, but you won’t have to worry about getting all of the roots.

Natural and Organic Ingredients

Many herbicides are made with harsh chemicals; some of them are even made with glyphosate, which is a controversial chemical that can negatively affect health. However, not all herbicides are harmful.

Natural and organic weed killers tend to be less harsh and safer for pets and children. Some of the ingredients in organic herbicides include vinegar and herbicidal soap.

Fast-acting

Of course, the speed at which weed killers do their job can be a big factor in choosing a product. Some herbicides start showing results within hours, while others take a few days. Pick the herbicide that works at the speed you want.

Ready-to-Use

Weed killers can come in either ready-to-use/premixed form or concentrated form. Concentrates need to be mixed but can yield more herbicide than their ready-to-use counterparts. If you just need a bit of weed killer to spot treat, or if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of mixing concentrate, then you should pick up a ready-to-use weed killer instead.

You can check out this video by The Lawn Care Nut for more tips on choosing a weed killer for your lawn.

FAQ About Weed Killers

Call in the Pros for Hassle-Free Weed Control

Weeds are inevitable; they can find a way to grow even on the most well-manicured lawns. So, homeowners must make a choice: Live with them, or get rid of them. However, controlling weeds can be time-consuming and expensive if you buy an ineffective product.

If you’d rather not deal with the weeds, then it’s time to hire a lawn care pro. LawnStarter can connect you with a lawn care company near you that’s equipped to handle all kinds of lawn care maintenance, including weed control, lawn mowing, fertilization, and more. 

Professional weed control treatments cost around $65 – $120 on average, but it depends on where you live and the size of your property. Get a free quote today to find out how much it would cost to hire a lawn care professional for help with your weeds.

LawnStarter participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other retailer affiliate programs. LawnStarter may earn revenue from products promoted in this article.