Whether you have a manicured garden or a few pots with freesias, weeds can be a true annoyance to many gardeners.
Popping up through cracks in concrete and even invading vegetable or fruit patches, it seems that even the most dedicated gardener can find their back-yard paradise infested with unwanted growth. While you can, of course, always pull up weeds by hand, many people have found this method ineffective, particularly against one of the true banes of the weed world; the dandelion. Although the top may be gone, the roots are prone to regrowth and breakage, meaning that you can either pull up these weeds with gentle precision or you will have to resort to an alternative solution.
Many people dislike the use of strong chemicals in their back gardens and understandably so. In years gone by, many weed killers have contained very potent chemicals, which if sprayed or administered incorrectly, could pose a threat to surrounding plants and even the lives of pets and other creatures, such as wild birds or hedgehogs. With many British native species in decline, more gardeners than ever are searching for a gentler solution to their weed problems, that will not only kill the weed, but will not pose a threat to life.
Of course, mix a potent chemical with weeds that appear in lawns frequently, and you risk damaging that pristine looking lawn you have worked hard to maintain; what can you do?
Luckily, there are some things to look out for in lawn weed killers!
Our top pick
Miracle-Gro Evergreen Complete 4in1 7kg
An in lawn weed killer that also boosts the quality of the grass, whats not to like about this product claims?
However, caution is warranted when spreading this onto the awn; too much in one area can scald the grass and actually cause more damage. But, as we did not have a spreader and were advised against spreading it by hand, that was a minor irritation.
But, when spread correctly, these granules seemed to do the job but, unfortunately, it was almost impossible to spread the correctly; the container did not help with the task and we were left with a lawn that had scald lines, where too much product was placed in one area. It takes a while to get the
job done, but when applied correctly, the weeds did die, and our lawn did look better. Just don’t spread it without a mechanical spreader.
- Creates a thicker, greener and healthier lawn whilst killing weeds and moss
- WaterSmart formula helps absorb water and nutrients more effectively, helping to protect your lawn against drought and stress
- For ideal results, apply using an EverGreen or Scotts spreader to ensure even coverage
- After applying this product in accordance with the label instructions keep children and pets away from treated areas until the granules have been watered in thoroughly and the areas have dried
- Use from April to September
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Selective
OK, so it goes without saying that when you are spraying vegetation with a chemical designed to kill, you will want this chemical to be able to differentiate between the weeds, surrounding flowers and your lawn.
When looking for a suitable lawn weed killer, ensure that any mixture that you pick is selective; these are designed to kill broadleaved weeds like clover and dandelions but, it is vital that you use them correctly! If not, you will end up with a lot of brown patches in your lawn. Yikes!
Safe
Going back to an earlier point, if you have children, pets or other animals that use your yard, you will not want them to come into contact with any dangerous substances.
Therefore, when choosing a lawn weed killer, always ensure that it is safe for use around animals and children. While the majority of mixtures that you can purchase have been designed with safety in minds, it is always worth double checking the ingredients and the warning labels just to be safe.
Concentrated or premixed?
As odd as it may sound, there are some weed killers available that may require mixing.
While we typically imagine all products to be premixed and ready to use, if you have a more persistent weed problem, it is likely that you are going to encounter a concentrated liquid in your searches. If you are renowned for your attention to detail and don’t mind a trial and error process, then a concentrated mixture that you dilute at home may be for you. Be aware though, that if used incorrectly, these mixes can be dangerous to your lawn, so may not be suited for use the day before
a garden party!
If you want something that is a bit weaker and easier on surrounding plant life, then you may want to pick a premixed alternative. Simply spray and walk away! While easier on the surrounding vegetation, premixed weed killers may require repeated applications to work and so will require a bit of patience on your end.
Pricing
As obvious as this sounds, when you are searching for an effective lawn weed killer, price is going to be one area to pay attention to.
Like most things in life, you get what you pay for; cheaper types of weed lawn killer contain diluted versions of the chemicals you are likely to find in higher end brands but, if you only have a minor weed problem, then it may be worth spending a little less.
Of course, included in the price is the volume; if you have a garden that could rival Kew, then you are obviously going to need a weed killer than has enough liquid to work on a large area. In cases of larger gardens, it may be wiser to choose a concentrated lawn weed killer, allowing you to dilute it yourself.
What we did
For this review, we took it upon ourselves to try out 5 lawn weed killers below.
We reviewed them based on the criteria mentioned above and observed how effective they were at keeping the weeds down a month after we had applied them. The weeds we used them on included clover, dandelions and the common daisy. Here is what we found out!
Resolva 3 Litre RTU Extra Lawn Weedkiller
A reasonably priced premixed formula, this weed killer comes in a ready to use bottle.
As a premixed solution, this has a limited range and cannot be diluted. However, this may be the perfect answer if you have a smaller garden dominated by weeds! But it has a fair deal of safety warnings on the back and does not store well in colder weather.
It also seems to have a limited range of uses; our dandelions appear slightly wilted, but the buttercups appear fine! It does not seem to have damaged the surrounding lawn, but we would be more impressed if it damaged the weeds! On an interesting side note, the weeds do appear to be growing at a slower rate than those who were not sprayed with it, so maybe it will need multiple
applications to be more effective. We shall see!
- Kills weeds in your lawn with damaging the grass; contains mecoprop-P and dicamba
- Ideal for effective control of broad leaved weeds including dandelions, daisies, white clover, yarrow, buttercups, self heal, deadnettle, speedwell and broad-leaved docks in lawns
- This products adjustable spray or jet trigger head feature allows for wide large area or targeted application
- This pack will treat a 120 m2 area (equivalent to 12 car parking spaces)
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Roundup Fast Action Weedkiller 3L
Safe to use around children and animals, this weed killer boasts also being eco-friendly, and breaking down into the soil 7 days after use for easy replanting.
There seems to be a bit of a design flaw with the actual sprayer part of the bottle; it worked sporadically, and at times didn’t spray at all.
Once again, it seemed to stop the growth of our garden weeds and, while there was some browning on the leaf’s edges, they didn’t shrivel and die as they do on the adverts! However, a few days after it was sprayed, it appeared to be doing the job, the weeds were starting to die and after a week,
they had died completely, with no damage to the lawn. Patience is the key with the premixed weed killers, so don’t use them if you are hosting a barbeque the next day!
- Fast action ready to use weed killer that kills the weeds and roots with visible results in 1-2 days
- Kills most garden weeds with a single application; up to 3 minutes of continuous spray when using 3 L option
- Kills the roots so weeds dont come back
- Children and pets need not be excluded from treated areas (once dry)
- Degraded in the soil by micro organisms
- Leaves no harmful residues to allow replanting within 7 days
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Weedol Fast Acting Weedkiller 3L
Another weed killer that advertises how it is safe to use around children and pets, this options also boasts being able to see results 1hours after use; pretty fast acting if you ask us!
However, as much as we wanted this premixed formula to work, it seemed we were able to drown weeds in it to little effect. In the majority of cases, our dandelions, buttercups and other weeds showed some sign of wilting but, even days later, were seen to recover and even regrow! Also, as we
were impressed by the claims of this product working within 24 hours, we applied it liberally.
But, for the price, you get what you pay for; some younger weeds fell victims to it spray and died while more established ones carried on regardless; this may be more suited to preventing weeds from reaching full size and spreading.
- When you need fast results - visible results in 1 hour and dead weeds within 24 Hours
- Ideal for flower beds, borders and vegetable patches before sowing or planting
- You can plant or seed within 24 hours of spraying
- can be used around the bases of roses, ornamental shrubs and trees and under hedges
- Children and pets need not be excluded from treated areas (once dry)
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Miracle-Gro Evergreen Complete 4in1 7kg
An in lawn weed killer that also boosts the quality of the grass, whats not to like about this product claims?
However, caution is warranted when spreading this onto the awn; too much in one area can scald the grass and actually cause more damage. But, as we did not have a spreader and were advised against spreading it by hand, that was a minor irritation.
But, when spread correctly, these granules seemed to do the job but, unfortunately, it was almost impossible to spread the correctly; the container did not help with the task and we were left with a lawn that had scald lines, where too much product was placed in one area. It takes a while to get the
job done, but when applied correctly, the weeds did die, and our lawn did look better. Just don’t spread it without a mechanical spreader.
- Creates a thicker, greener and healthier lawn whilst killing weeds and moss
- WaterSmart formula helps absorb water and nutrients more effectively, helping to protect your lawn against drought and stress
- For ideal results, apply using an EverGreen or Scotts spreader to ensure even coverage
- After applying this product in accordance with the label instructions keep children and pets away from treated areas until the granules have been watered in thoroughly and the areas have dried
- Use from April to September
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Enviro Works 5 Litre Fast Acting Natural Weed Killer with Long Hose Trigger
A liquid weed killer promising fast results and a single application method, this product seemed extremely promising; glyphosate free, children and pets did not have to evacuate the area, while this liquid also boasts being able to decompose naturally into the soil. Ticking all the boxes (in theory) so far!
But, as we thought this sounded too good to be true, it seems it was; after one hour, the more established weeds still looked healthy and so, it seems unsuited for more stubborn dandelions or clovers. It was able to wilt smaller weeds but even so, this ‘powerful’ and ‘natural’ product failed to deliver in relation to its time promises, meaning that our smaller weeds were still up and about a day
later, and only showing signs of wilt.
But, as it requires dilution, we may need to try it in a more concentrated form to truly kill the weeds; our lawn looks good though, with no damage noticed.
- Fast action ready to use weed killer that kills the weeds and roots with visible results in an hour
- Kills most garden weeds with a single application
- The product is biodegradable allowing replanting once the targeted weeds have died.
- Comes with Long hose trigger
- Glyphosate Free
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Conclusions/ what we found!
OK, so it seems weeds are made from really potent stuff and we can sympathise with the makers of these weed killers trying to take them on.
But, having said that, we cannot overlook the promises made by some of these weed killers which, despite our frustrations, never came true. Many of the killers, were weak and, even those who boasted accelerated treatment times failed to deliver.
However, we have to pick the most impressive and it is, without doubt, the Miracle Grow Evergreen all in one. Although difficult to spread evenly, these granules did kill all the broad-leafed plants in our garden and did improve the appearance of the lawn. The downside? It takes a while to work and we would have preferred if it had been a bit more friendly to children and animals.
It seems that when searching for an effective weed killer, dilute or premixed options can only kill the weakest of weeds, which is great if they are emerging in your garden when you apply the spray. But, for more established areas of wild foliage, you will need something stronger which, unfortunately, is
rarely beneficial to wildlife or children.
If you have a jungle of weeds that need tackling, invest in a mechanical spreader, put on gloves and get the Miracle Grow Evergreen started a week before that upcoming garden party.
