Good / Effective over the counter Weed Killer..?

[Drifthopper]

What is a good over the counter weed killer..?

I'm in Western NY, and it just seems like the stuff from Home Depot / Wal Mart ( Round up in the jug, Orthro, Wal Mart brand .....etc... ) just doesn't work that good.

I'm thinking about buying a container of RM 43 ( Tractor Supply ) but Seeing mixed reviews when searching about it on line.

 

[jyoutz]

What is a good over the counter weed killer..?

I'm in Western NY, and it just seems like the stuff from Home Depot / Wal Mart ( Round up in the jug, Orthro, Wal Mart brand .....etc... ) just doesn't work that good.

I'm thinking about buying a container of RM 43 ( Tractor Supply ) but Seeing mixed reviews when searching about it on line.

Don’t buy pre-mixed, just concentrate. It depends on your purpose. If you want to kill grass and weeds both, then it’s hard to beat Roundup or it’s generic (gycophosphate). If you want to kill broadleaf weeds in grass but not harm the grass, use a product with 2-4-D. But be warned, if you use near the feeder roots, 2-4-D will also kill trees and shrubs.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

commercial selective and non selective herbicides have been around for a long long time.
national brands from reputable sources should do what they advertise.

are you sure you are using the products as intended and per label instructions (right product, right time, mixed properly, and applied at right application rate).
are you expecting results that are not intended

when I used to work I can honestly say almost 100% of the time the chemicals used performed as described unless they froze over the winter or applicator error like mixing too weak or not meeting application rates, timings, dry out times or expecting results from a product not intended for purpose.

 

[dirtydeed]

What is a good over the counter weed killer..?

I'm in Western NY, and it just seems like the stuff from Home Depot / Wal Mart ( Round up in the jug, Orthro, Wal Mart brand .....etc... ) just doesn't work that good.

I'm thinking about buying a container of RM 43 ( Tractor Supply ) but Seeing mixed reviews when searching about it on line.

For fairly easy to kill weeds/grasses, I've been using a brine solution. Simply dissolve as much salt (I like rock salt the best) as you possibly can in some water, mixing vigorously. Two passes spaced about a week apart in dry weather takes care of them for quite awhile.

Otherwise, roundup 2-4D. If you don't want to kill grass (only broadleaf weeds) liquid Trimec works very well.

 

[ayak]

When I use glyphosate (typically the generic concentrate from TSC), with my hard water, I always need to add some ammonium sulfate (AMS) to make the glyphosate more effective. Also a non-ionic surfactant helps the gly stick to the green parts of the weed better.

 

[KKBL]

I have used RM43 concentrate for years. It is 43.7% glyphosate and claims up to 1 year of vegetation control. You wont see results overnight, it takes a few days to work.
RM18 is fast acting, but is only 18% glyphosate, and no claim for length of time preventing new growth. Prices have gone way up on both in the last few years.

 

[dirtydeed]

saw another video last night on another home made weed killer solution...

straight vinegar, some dawn dish soap and some salt. It put the hurt on weeds and grass within 4 hours.

 

[The Evil Twin]

saw another video last night on another home made weed killer solution...

straight vinegar, some dawn dish soap and some salt. It put the hurt on weeds and grass within 4 hours.

Yup. I use that on the gravel driveway. Except the Dawn part. The wife buys some fancy dish soap. So the driveway smells like lemon & basil. Still......Kills everything that is green.

 

[GeoHorn]

Yup. I use that on the gravel driveway. Except the Dawn part. The wife buys some fancy dish soap. So the driveway smells like lemon & basil. Still......Kills everything that is green.

Yeah…the odor does that….

 

[The Evil Twin]

Yeah…the odor does that….

You aren't kidding. I actually got some cheap dish soap to wash my travel mug because the fancy pants dish soap left a hint of lemon smell. Even after a thorough rinsing. Had to pour my coffee out.

 

[Creature Meadow]

For killing grass/weeds etc. I use 41% gycophosphate mixed at 1.5 ounces to the gallon, the TSC brand is what I use. Takes about a week or little less to see results. I found it is key to only spray when things are growing and not during a dry spell when the grass/weeds are in a dormant state to preserve life.

I knew rain was coming the other day high % so I sprayed the day before, presto 4 or 5 days later and all is turning brown.

I do one application a year of 24D to control broad leaf around the farm. The for mentioned Trimec from TSC works well for me at the same 1.5 oz to the gallon rate.

Best of luck in your quest!

 

[RCW]

saw another video last night on another home made weed killer solution...

straight vinegar, some dawn dish soap and some salt. It put the hurt on weeds and grass within 4 hours.

Thanks for that one.

Might try it near the house where the Boxer is apt to lick stuff up…..

I’m sure not recommended, but better than him licking up Roundup or 2-4 D.

Boxers are known to be very busy and will lap up a lot of stuff in a hurry.

 

[chim]

What works for me:

Yard - Gordon's Liquid Weed n Feed Concentrate (50,000 SF coverage per 2-1/2 gallon jug)

Chemical Mowing around poles, outbuildings, etc - 41% Glyphosate mixed

Near the house I just mixed up vinegar/salt/Dawn and sprayed yesterday. I'll check how that works over the next days / week.

We have a bumper crop of poison ivy in some trees not too far from the house and in the fence row. It's an area where English ivy, mulch, etc where the kids don't play. Probably hit that with Glyphosate or Brush-b-Gone.

 

[DaveFromMi]

What works for me:

Yard - Gordon's Liquid Weed n Feed Concentrate (50,000 SF coverage per 2-1/2 gallon jug)

Chemical Mowing around poles, outbuildings, etc - 41% Glyphosate mixed

Near the house I just mixed up vinegar/salt/Dawn and sprayed yesterday. I'll check how that works over the next days / week.

We have a bumper crop of poison ivy in some trees not too far from the house and in the fence row. It's an area where English ivy, mulch, etc where the kids don't play. Probably hit that with Glyphosate or Brush-b-Gone.

For poison ivy, use triclypr. I use it for that, all kinds of briers, bush honeysuckle, Japanese honeysuckle, and other invasive brush. TSC sells a generic called Brush Tox.

 

[Donystoy]

I use round up for dangerous weeds like poison ivy or those in the hog weed family. Some time ago I got severe burns when I tried to cut the flowers from a wild parsnip plant before spraying it. I was trying to protect the pollinators. I use 24d for broadleaf weeds. I find it works best in the spring when the weeds are growing rapidly and the temperature is around 70 deg F.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

What works for me:

Yard - Gordon's Liquid Weed n Feed Concentrate (50,000 SF coverage per 2-1/2 gallon jug)

Chemical Mowing around poles, outbuildings, etc - 41% Glyphosate mixed

Near the house I just mixed up vinegar/salt/Dawn and sprayed yesterday. I'll check how that works over the next days / week.

We have a bumper crop of poison ivy in some trees not too far from the house and in the fence row. It's an area where English ivy, mulch, etc where the kids don't play. Probably hit that with Glyphosate or Brush-b-Gone.

For the vines I recommend Crossbow or a generic Crossroad. It's 2,4-D + triclopyr. You can mix it with water, surfactant and dye and area spray. This will kill woody and broad-leaf plants, without killing most grasses.

But for vines in trees, mix 1-1/2 oz in 1 qt diesel oil + dye. Cut the vines down low and dip/brush/dribble/spray the cut ends with the mix within 5 - 10 minutes. I've used this on sweetgum cut stumps to prevent regrowth. You can also use it as a basal application on smaller stems, but you'd need to be careful not to get it on desireables, and it takes longer to work.

If you don't want to use diesel you can use other oils but, hey, you've got a diesel tractor!

 

[chim]

I've been doing seaches the past couple of days on different chemicals. It has been mentioned that triclopyr can kill nearby trees. One site even showed the triclopyr being painted onto the poison ivy vine with what looks like a HF chip brush. They cautioned against spraying the vines with it because it endangers the tree the vine is attached to. Anyone have that experience?

The method PoTreeBoy outlined might be possible for me when the surrounding vegetation is dormant and I can see what's what. The fence row is really thick now. A couple days ago I had to do a double take while mowing next to the fence row. The side mirror brushed what at first looked like a tree branch. As it went by the window the foliage didn't match the tree. Closer inspection revealed it was indeed poison ivy from a big vine higher in the host tree.

 

[leveraddict]

saw another video last night on another home made weed killer solution...

straight vinegar, some dawn dish soap and some salt. It put the hurt on weeds and grass within 4 hours.

Yes I have been using this but it works best when applied in hot direct sunlight! It doesn't kill down to the root. In a few weeks that weed starts growing again! Back to roundup!

 

[DustyRusty]

I have a bunch of sumac trees that are popping up in the gardens. Is there something that can be applied to them that will go down to the roots and kill them off? I found the one big tree and was able to cut that one down. It had gotten started behind a bunch of pines and wasn't seen until the pines were cut down.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I've been doing seaches the past couple of days on different chemicals. It has been mentioned that triclopyr can kill nearby trees. One site even showed the triclopyr being painted onto the poison ivy vine with what looks like a HF chip brush. They cautioned against spraying the vines with it because it endangers the tree the vine is attached to. Anyone have that experience?

The method PoTreeBoy outlined might be possible for me when the surrounding vegetation is dormant and I can see what's what. The fence row is really thick now. A couple days ago I had to do a double take while mowing next to the fence row. The side mirror brushed what at first looked like a tree branch. As it went by the window the foliage didn't match the tree. Closer inspection revealed it was indeed poison ivy from a big vine higher in the host tree.

The Crossbow will definitely kill hardwood trees. I sprayed a batch on some small hardwoods growing in loblolly pines and it killed them without harming the pines. You also have the potential for drift, especially with 2-4D. I don't know of anything that'll kill vines without killing deciduous trees. I like the cut stem approach since it's targeted vs shotgun.