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Post-emergence herbicides kill established weeds. Your best defence against weeds in your garden is to apply herbicides both before and after emergence.
Weeds are the nemesis of lawn care enthusiasts. Our list of the 9 best herbicides includes a few overall champions (selective and non-selective herbicides) and other winners that are better for killing specific weeds, defeating weeds without chemicals, better for faster results, and better for a combination of weeds and forage.
We even included a nuclear option in case you want to get rid of weed and prevent it from coming back for a year or more.
9 Best Post-Emergent Herbicides
1. Ortho Weed B Gon Plus Crabgrass Control
This selective herbicide is trusted by professionals and homeowners across the country. Ortho Weed B Gon kills the most common grasses and broadleaf weeds without damaging the lawn.
This twist on the original Ortho Weed Killer formula targets crabgrass, dandelion, thistle, dollar weed, and more. This post-emergence herbicide is sold and ready to use with a spray applicator built into the bottle.
Does not require a separate pump sprayer to use. Also sold as a concentrate to cover a larger area for the price, available with a hose spray bottle.
The variety of purchasing options and wide range of target weeds make Ortho’s herbicide our top choice.
It contains dimethylamine salts, and quinclorac and is Ideal For Finger Millet, Dandelion, Clover, Dollar Grass, and Chickweed.
Advantages: Covers full spectrum of common weeds, Many purchasing options, Works on both north and south lawns, Guaranteed, will not kill the grass on your lawn
Disadvantage: Covers less area than other concentrated herbicides, less effectiveness with a selective herbicide
2. Southern Ag 2,4-D Amine.
Southern Ag’s concentrated dimethylamine salt quickly kills broadleaf weeds. With each quart covering 20,000 square feet of lawn, this herbicide will last a while after emergence for most home users.
From a brand trusted by professionals and homeowners alike, this 2,4-D post-emergent herbicide is number two for reliability, effectiveness, and value.
Unlike our top picks, 2,4-D is not formulated for use on grassy weeds such as dallis grass, quack grass, or crabgrass. It contains dimethylamine. It is Ideal For Dandelion, Clover, Chickweed, Plantain, Spurge
Advantages: Best choice of professional lawn care companies, Inexpensive, Works on all types of grass
Disadvantages: Does not work on weeds
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3. Spectracide Herbicide
Non-selective herbicides are less complicated than their selective counterparts. Spray Spectracide on a plant and that plant will die. It’s that simple.
Weed or unwanted plants in your driveway, patio, or sidewalk, Spectracide is the best option for your investment.
Sold ready to use, just aim and shoot. It is Ideal for removing weeds from landscape areas, hard surfaces and
Advantages: Fast acting, starts work in 3 hours, Glyphosate-free, Ready-to-use
Disadvantages: Non-selective, kills weeds
4. Green Gobbler 20% Vinegar Weed Killer
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If the of spreading chemical weed killers scares you, there is a simple natural weed killer. Green Gobbler is a non-selective, vinegar-based herbicide.
Many times stronger than regular kitchen vinegar, this product is an excellent, safe stain treatment. for children and pets. Since this is a non-selective herbicide, once the vinegar has run its course, you’ll need to re-grow seeds to repair bare patches.
Combine this post-emergence herbicide with a pre-emergence herbicide for an all-natural weed control system.
Advantages: Works in less than 24 hours, Organic, Safe for pets and children, Ready to use
Disadvantage: Non-selective, kills grass
5. Scotts turf builder Weed and Feed
The only granular herbicide on our list, this Scotts TurfBuilder fertilizer/herbicide combination works a little differently than other herbicides. In addition to the 2,4-D herbicide, this granular fertilizer stimulates lawn growth by crowding out and suffocating weakened weeds.
Sprinkle Scotts TurfBuilder on a damp turf for the best effect. The Active substance is dimethylamine salts
Advantages: Fertilizes and stimulates growth while killing weeds, Greens the lawn in 48 hours, Easy to spread
Disadvantage: Less effective against crabgrass and other weeds
6. Gordon’s SpeedZone Lawn Weedkiller
If you need fast results, Gordon’s SpeedZone may be the right choice for you. This combination of four active ingredients shows results in just a few hours. SpeedZone works so quickly that you can start overseeding just two weeks after spraying.
This post-emergence herbicide is formulated for use on cool-season grasses such as fescue, bluegrass, and ryegrass. Not suitable for warm season grasses such as St. Augustine, Bermuda, Zoysia, and Bahia.
Advantages: Faster-acting selective herbicide Remarkable results, A little goes a long way
Disadvantage: Harmful to Bermuda grass, Zoysia, and other warm-season grasses.
7. Quali-Pro Quinclorac 75 DF
Quinclorac 75 DF 1 lb. is the most effective finger millet solution on the market, especially when combined with Quali-Pro’s Prodiamine preemergent.
Advantages: Best crab weed killer on the market, A little goes a long way, Can be mixed with other herbicides.
Disadvantage: Not effective on broadleaf weeds
8. Sedgehammer Plus Turf Herbicide
Sedgehammer Plus Turf Herbicide 13.5 grams (2 packs) Nutsedge is notoriously difficult to control and can be a real thorn in the side of a lawn enthusiast.
Sedgehammer is a specialty product that removes yellow and purple walnuts, working down to the root to prevent further sprouting. If you are patient enough to wait a week or more before seeing results and want a tried and true nutshell killer, Sedgehammer is a safe bet.
Due to Sedgehammer’s price per square foot, we recommend using this product as a nut edge stain treatment in conjunction with another selective herbicide.
Advantage: Cash on Nuts, Easy to use, just mix and spray
Disadvantage: Slower results, doesn’t work well with other weeds, Expensive
9. RM43 Total Vegetation Control RM43
Total Vegetation Control to prevent weeds with glyphosate 43%. RM43 is a nearly permanent solution. This material kills everything it touches, leaving the soil sterile for up to a year after application.
If you’re tired of weeds growing where they shouldn’t or want a quick fix for problem areas, RM43 is a perfect choice. Ideal for Killing all plant life and stopping germination.
Advantages: Kill everything, and Prevents new weeds from sprouting for up to a year.
Disadvantage: Not selective, kills grass and garden plants
Tips for Buying Post-Emergence Herbicides
When purchasing a post-emergence herbicide, there are a few key factors to take note of. The type of weed you are dealing with, the type of grass you have, and your budget.
Summer grasses like Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Bahia are so similar to herbaceous weeds that certain herbicides can harm them. If you have any of these types of grass, make sure your post-emergence is labeled safe for use on southern lawns.
Ortho Weed B Gon is safe for all types of weeds. A more complicated but surefire way to ensure a selective weed killer won’t harm your lawn is to buy the active ingredients separately (Southern Ag 2,4-D and Quali-Pro Quinclorac on this list) and look for the exact one Recipe to mix the needs of your lawn grass type.
Cool-season grasses like bluegrass, ryegrass, and fescue are more resistant to herbicides, but it’s still important to read the label, especially if you’re buying in an area where both types of grass are common.
Depending on the type of weeds or the many types of weeds you are dealing with in your garden, you will need different weapons in your arsenal.
For example, most post-emergence herbicides are formulated for broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, clover, plantain, and dock, or herbaceous weeds such as crabgrass, dallisgrass, and goosegrass.
If you have trouble with one or the other, a selective herbicide will treat your lawn with minimal effect on your lawn.
Use 2,4-D herbicides on broadleaf weeds and quinclorac herbicides on grassy weeds for the best effect.
If you have problems with a variety of weeds, both types of grass and foliage, don’t worry. You can purchase a ready-to-use broad-spectrum herbicide or mix your combination of herbicides.
Just follow all manufacturer’s recommendations and use the full amount of dilution for each ingredient.
Post-emergent herbicides have more to do with chemical preference and cost than effectiveness, as they are all designed to kill any plant matter on contact.
The three non-selective herbicides on our list are presented by three well-known representatives: Spectracide is the most affordable, Green Gobbler is natural and pet-friendly, and RM43 prevents weeds from growing back for up to a year.
Health and Environment Tips
Herbicides are safe to use if the manufacturer’s directions are followed carefully. Avoid direct contact between the chemical and the skin. In RM43 and several other branded herbicides, it has been studied as a carcinogenic or carcinogenic chemical.
While the results were inconclusive, there is some controversy surrounding glyphosate use that may influence your purchase decision.
Concerns about chemicals in groundwater, particularly in areas where food is grown, can impact local laws governing the use of herbicides and pesticides.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best post-emergence herbicide?
The short answer is that all post-emergence herbicides work differently. Weed B Gon Plus Crabgrass Control is our best complete selective herbicide.
We also found that the best non-selective herbicide is Spectracide Weed and Grass Killer and the best natural herbicide is Green Gobbler 20% Vinegar
Is it safe to use an herbicide?
Yes, as long as you follow all directions on the post-emergence herbicide package. When working with chemical compounds, you should wear long sleeves, trousers, closed shoes, and gloves.
Be sure to heed the warnings and keep children and pets off your lawn for the time indicated on the herbicide label.
Will a post-emergence herbicide prevent weed regrowth?
It depends. Some post-emergents like RM43 also contain a weed barrier. Many post-emergent plants penetrate the soil and destroy weeds underground.
The best way to be sure is to combine your herbicide with pre-emergence treatments in spring and fall.
Final Thoughts
There are two main categories of post-emergence herbicides, selective and non-selective. Selective herbicides are spread throughout the lawn, attacking weeds while keeping the lawn alive.
Non-selective herbicides kill all plants they come in contact with and are best used on rough areas like driveways, borders, and spot treatments.
Follow the tips in this article to get the best results.
