Do you need it?
I know many would rather not use weed killer, in most cases it simply isn't necessary.
Hand weeding is often easier, quicker and just as effective, Pick the head and pull the roots then your done.
It's free and unless your whole garden is overgrown, has a lot of weeds or some particularly tough ones your almost always better off doing it manually.
Sadly this doesn't work on all weeds.
Perennials such as Ivy or Brambles can regrow from even a small fragment of root. Don't get it all and you'll be back to square one.
Annuals such as daisies will quickly spread their seed far and wide, don't get them early enough and they will spread, kill them to late and they will pop up elsewhere.
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How do weed killers work?
Most of the popular weed killers work by disrupting the photosynthesis process of the plant.
You simply apply the weed killer and it is absorbed by the plant, the weed killer acts as a poison and kills the plant.
Please note, you should always take care with garden chemicals. Weed killers when used incorrectly can be hazardous to the environment. Always read the label & follow the instructions for safe use.
There are two main types of weed killer. Systemic and selective:
- Systemic weed killers will kill everything.
- Selective weed killers won't, these are commonly used in lawns to kill lawn weeds.
What are some of the strongest?
Different strokes for different folks. Different weeds and locations require different kinds of weed killer.
Therefore there is no one strongest weed killer that works everywhere.
Instead there are numerous strong weed killers that are suitable for different jobs.
Glyphosate:
The worlds most popular weed killer. It is used across the world in gardens, farms & public places. We love this stuff. It's not difficult to see why, it's an effective and super strong weed killer.
Glyphosate is systemic, will kill grass and pretty much every other plant it touches. Used to kill annuals, perennials, woody perennials and tree stumps.
Glyphosate is used with 85% of GM crops grown globally.
Worldwide we consume roughly 650,000 tonnes of Glyphosate annually worth around $6.5 billion and it's use keeps on increasing in large part due to it's use with GM crops (source).
Vinegar:
A very popular "homemade" herbicide. Often combined with salt and some dish soap.
It works well in warm conditions and is a non selective weed killer. If over used it can harm your soil PH levels.
Works well on small weeds, would need industrial quantities for large weeds like brambles.
Overall a good, cheap homemade weed killer that is ideally suited for small weeds and small areas.
Salt:
The oldest weed killer. People have been using it for centuries. It's also useful for combating other garden pests. Enemy combatants would salt each others land to prevent crops from growing leading to starvation.
Pretty evil huh? Salt is a non selective and very effective weed removal and prevention tool.
Often combined with water and dish soap it is sprayed onto the weeds which absorb it and they die.
Sodium Chlorate
Was a popular weed killer in the UK that was long lasting and worked very well.
I believe it is now banned as it was hazardous and potentially dangerous as it left residues.
We don't recommend you use this product.
Triclopyr
A selective weed killer that is used to kill woody weeds such as brambles, nettles and unwanted saplings.
It's formulated so that it won't kill grass and can be used safely in turfed areas. Typically mixed with water in a knapsack or sprayer but can also be used in a watering can.
It's one drawback is that it persists in soil for up to 6 months meaning you can't replant after use.
Strong weed killer, that kills everything it touches.
The worlds most popular is also the world strongest weed killer. The winner is Glyphosate.
Why? Because it works well in almost any situation (except lawns and aquatic environments).
It kills 99% of weeds in one application. It's also safe to use as long as it's used correctly.
A special mention goes out to vinegar and salt. If you're just killing some small weeds on your gravel drive or block paving then try one of these first.
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I need to treat a neglected half acre garden, with well established rampant bramble takeover. The problem is that due to the terraced nature and various stone walls much of this is not diggable. I need the most effective and quickest systemic eradicator. Not easy, but have read that a COMBINATON of Triclopor and min 360g/lt Glysophate will definitely do the trick. Is this so? obviously this has to be tackled year on year, but need quick initial clear-out. This is in Devon, so brambles grow most of the year due to the mild, wet climate in Winter.
I don’t envy you, SBK brushwood should work well
I want to kill everything, that means brambles weeds exct , what do I buy,and where , thank you
Glyphosate based weed killers should do the job
what have you got to kill off mares tail?
Try Kurtail
Hello. I really need advice on how to get rid of unwanted grass, shrubs etc. I have a useless piece of area that there’s nothing I can do with but I’m liable for keeping it trim..a job that I cannot do…so I would like advice on strong killer to eliminate them.
Glyphosate is good and will kill pretty much all plant life
Great information, Thank you.
I have horsetail weed I’ve used300 pounds of rosette and it’s still growing widely,can you help please.
Try Kurtail, it’s specifically made for the problem
I have approx 16-17 square metre of fencing covered in ivy. would you kindly recommend one of the glyphosate weedkillers.
I have read all reports on them and all of them reckon they are the best but customers seem to have had bad results on some of them,thank you.
Any one should work, you will probably need to apply multiple times
What is the best weed killer to kill off horse mate tail
There is a product called Kurtail
I found an old plastic bucket of Sodium Chlorate in a friend’s garden shed. I remember using the stuff long ago quite safely from a watering can with a rose sprinkler. I believe the mixture to have been 2 dessert spoons to 10 lt. Please could you verify?
Kind regards,
McGillycuddy.
Sadly it was before my time so I can’t help
My patio has about 600 paving slabs and it an on going hard work to get rid of weeds, because of a little pet dog I use burning flame it become expensive buying gas cannisters.
My questions; As per your tip using salt.
Salt, is that normal table salt?
How much salt, and washing soap per one litre of water.
How long before my pet dog need to wait before going on the patio?
For salt and washing soap your dog will be fine. Use as much salt as you can. Normal table salt will work fine
Sodium chlorate was used by the IRA for bombmaking and was banned. (They shifted to Semtex anyway.)
It likely does not leave a dangerous residue. Potassium chlorate would be a serious fire and explosion hazard but sodium chlorate is deliquescent and absorbs water from the atmosphere preventing this risk.
I have a 15-gallon spray tank that I use to put down weed killer (ground clear). can you tell me what the ratios would be using vinegar, salt, and dishwashing liquid? Do you need any water?
Use as much vinegar as possible, a squeeze of dish soap and a lot of salt. Table salt is cheap and depending on the vinegar + type of weeds a 50/50 dilution usually works
Hi , I have used 20% vinegar successfully before, and have more coming from on line purchasing ( UK ) . However, the sprayer has now ” melted ” due to the acid content. Do you know of any acid resistant sprayers ?
Would appreciate your advice
Thanks , Mike
Sadly the acid will melt some types of plastic, you could try a lower strength or cheap watering can
We haven’t found anything that works, homemade or store bought. An employee of our electricity company gave us a small sample of the formula they use to keep the power lines free of trees and brush, trying it this weekend, hope it works.
I have tried all of this, the only thing that I have found that works is acid that is used to strip paint, like Klean-Strip.
Excellent reviews. What proportion of salt boiling water Vinegar and washing up liquid do you suggest?
Many thanks
At least 50% vinegar, as much salt as you can mix, smaller weeds will die quicker
How much salt to vinegar to water and the other one that starts with the G I’m a first time home owner with a bad back and have lots of rocks and the former owner told me if I don’t get the weeds out of the rocks the HOA WILL FINE PER WEED so I need to know what kills dandelion weeds to the root.
Very useful info so thank you but will any work on bamboo
Yes, they all should
Tried pulling them cutting digging spraying the salt vinegar soap and store bought crap a few more times then I should. I need the big guns what kills weeds? I have Clover , dollar weed, sedge, and I call baby dollar weed. Its small leaf 1/4 the size and grows like a mat rather then a stem up. Need to level the yard and start again since heavy equipment tore up the yards
Try Glyphosate based weed killers, they are the most popular for a reason 😉