The Best Weed Killer Products

Weeds are detrimental to your garden. They can spring up and choke your flowers and plants, turning your garden into an unattractive wasteland. The good news is, there are products available that can kill weeds and even prevent their growth. The best of these products can help you keep your garden attractive and healthy.

Round Up is one of the best-known weed killers. It's also one of the highest rated for effective weed killing. Round up is a chemical-based weed killer classified as non-selective, which means it will kill everything it comes into contact with. Round-Up and other similar herbicides are not ideal if you want to plant in the same area in which you use these products. Round Up is best suited for situations in which you want to remove all weeds and plants, particularly if you want to build a sidewalk or driveway and want to prevent the growth of anything. The active chemical ingredient in Round-Up is isopropylamine salt of glyphosate, which can be harmful to pets and children. When using Round-Up it is best to keep the area blocked off for a day if you feel there will be access by pets or children.

Burn Out Weed and Grass Killer has the same effect as Round Up, though it is cheaper. This is non-selective and not well suited for use in areas where you intend to grow later on. This is also a fast-working product, ideal for eliminating weeds growing between cracks in sidewalks and other structures. The active ingredients in this herbicide are citric acid, clove oil and sodium lauryl sulfate. The last active ingredient is chemical and makes this unsafe for pets and children.

Triple Threat Selective Weed Killer is an effective product, particularly for hardy weed varieties such as clover and chickweed. This is a selective weed killer that can be used safely in flower beds to remove weeds without doing damage to your plants and flowers. Triple Threat combines MCPP, 2, 4-D and 2, 4-DP. These are all chemical compounds that kill a variety of weeds, however, in concentrated ares leaves the ground safe for future planting.

In addition to weed killers purchased in the store, you can use vinegar. Because of its acetic acid concentrations, vinegar can effectively kill weeds. Since acetic acid degrades in water, avoid using vinegar if you believe it will rain. Vinegar is a safe, natural alternative to chemical-based herbicides. Another natural weed killer is rock salt, but like non-selective weed killers, rock salt will kill pretty much everything. It needs only a light sprinkling to be effective.