6 Best Broadleaf Weed Killers to Keep Your Lawn Healthy

Updated on by Jared Belson | Please note that there may be affiliate links on this page.

Weeds can do a lot of damage to your lawn and they can also ruin your landscaping. Since broadleaves are almost always the culprits, you should keep one of the best broadleaf weed killers on hand at all times. That way, you can address the issue as soon as it arises.

In this article, I’ll share my top weed killer picks as well as tips on when and how to use them for maximum effect.

Best Broadleaf Weed Killers for Spot On and Broadcasting Applications

This is a powerful formula known for its economic efficiency. It contains up to 46.3% active ingredients, making it highly concentrated. Its recommended use is anywhere between one to four pints for treating a single acre of lawn. Depending, of course, on is the seriousness of your weed problem.

With the Southern AG weed killer, you can control most broadleaf weeds as well as some woody plants that can cause your lawn to wilt and die. Due to how potent the formula is, I also recommend using it around your lawn, perhaps along fence lines, on ditchbanks, as well as other ornamental turfs.

The formula comes as a concentrate. Therefore, you’ll have to mix up to three tablespoons per three to five gallons of water to get a decent amount. Enough to cover 1,000sq.ft. It’s preferred to use a low pressure sprayer when treating for weeds.

  • Very potent
  • Easy to mix
  • Good value for money
  • Treats a variety of woody plants and weeds
  • May kill St. Augustine grass too after repeated treatments

This 32oz bottle can be the ideal choice for brush and weed control. It’s safe to use on grain pastures as well as in non-crop areas and on ornamental turf and lawns. What’s even better is that you can use this as an aquatic weed control substance.

The treatment is best applied when weeds are growing. As it’s not a pre-emergent weed killer, the timing of the treatment will be important. And as the formula isn’t the most concentrated, you may need repeat applications if you’re dealing with deep-rooted weeds such as bur ragweed, whitetop, perennial sowthistle, and others.

That said, it’s important not to overdo it either. I recommend doing a maximum of two broadcast applications per year. Otherwise, you may stunt the growth of your lawn, ornamental plants, or even kill them. Note that Bent and St. Augustine grass aren’t safe from this formula. Therefore, it’s recommended to only use it for spot treatments.

  • Full-spectrum broadleaf killer
  • Aquatic control substance
  • Post-emergent weed control
  • Above average kill time
  • Not very efficient against dandelions

The Monterey Turflon Ester contains 60.45% Triclopyr as the active ingredient. This makes for a very powerful formula, one that should be handled with extreme care. It’s not a broad-spectrum broadleaf killer but it handles the tougher cases and also helps with bermuda grass and ragweed control.

This is categorized as a post-emergent herbicide – and it’s fast acting too. However, unlike other products, this one is intended for use only on cool season grass. The one pint bottle is enough when diluted to treat up to 20,000sq.ft.

If you’re looking for massive coverage, this may be the right product for you. I should also point out that you can use this on more than just your lawn. When used as recommended, the formula can help protect fruit trees, some vegetable plant beds, as well as ornamental plants.

However, note that this isn’t the cheapest herbicide you can find. And, it also doesn’t come with a sprayer or a wand applicator either.

  • Professional-grade specialty herbicide
  • Ideal for cool season grass
  • Massive coverage
  • Fast-acting
  • A bit expensive

This is a 2-in-1 formula that provides broadleaf weed control as well as soil nourishment. It comes in granular form for easy application and a slower release. Thanks to this formulation, the nitrogen used as nourishment provides feeding seven or eight weeks after application.

The weed killer component should handle over 250 common broadleaf weeds, including the harder-to-kill varieties. The granules are safer to use even in broadcasting applications as they won’t coat healthy lawn and thus won’t burn it.

It also helps that the nourishment component will speed up root growth. This means that it not only restores some nutrients to the soil but it will also enhance the lawn’s ability to retain water. However, it isn’t a formula I would recommend to use on St. Augustine or carpetgrass.

That said, 13lbs of granules will take care of up to 5,000sq.ft. of other common turfs and ornamental lawns. It’s best not to apply more than one treatment per 30 days. And, keep in mind that this is also a post-emergent weed killer.

  • Ideal to use during droughts
  • Good residual control
  • Adds nutrients back into the soil
  • Very easy to use
  • Not safe for use on all lawns

The PBI Gordon Amine Weed Killer is one of the most popular products in this category, despite the fact that its use is restricted in quite a few states. The formula is powerful, containing 46.4% of the main active ingredient.

Results show in just a few days after application. In addition, it can induce weed death in up to two or three weeks. Depending on how resistant the weed strains are.

Although it’s mostly used on small grains, grass seed crops, corn, and other similar applications, it does have its use on lawns too. However, I only recommend it for spot applications since broadcasting applications may seriously harm a variety of lawns.

Because it’s easy to mix, this concentrate can be spread with a variety of equipment, from ground applicators to hand-held, to aerial applicators. That said, no sprayer or wand applicator is included with the PBI Gordon Weed Killer bottle.

  • Water-based formula
  • Highly concentrated
  • Broad-spectrum broadleaf weed killer
  • Controls woody plants too
  • Not for broadcasting applications on lawns

If you don’t own a large property and you’re trying to do some weed control on small patches of land, this could be the right product for you. The Spectracide Weed & Feed is a dual-action herbicide which kills weeds and also feeds your lawn.

The 20% nitrogen component can add missing nutrients back into the soil, help lawn roots retain water, and handle drought a lot better. At the same time, the 2,4-D amine salt will kill broadleaf weeds, albeit slowly.

Although this isn’t the fastest weed killer, the formula is efficient and a lot safer to use on lawns than others. Even better, it comes in a spray bottle. This doesn’t mean that the formula is ready-to-use.

However, if you connect it to a garden hose sprayer, you’ll be ready to treat up to 7,500sq.ft. in no time. I recommend using low water pressure and a very wide dispersal pattern, if you can adjust your sprayer.

Among the most common weeds this Spectracide formula will eliminate you’ll find dandelions, chickweed, clover, mallow, and other broadleaves.

  • No need to mix
  • Standard garden hose connector
  • 20% nitrogen component for nourishment
  • Very budget-friendly
  • It kills weeds very slowly

How to Spot Broadleaf Weeds

Although they’re usually easy to spot, being so different from normal grass, people still have a difficulty grasping the essentials about broadleaf weeds. It’s important to understand that not all of them are perennial in nature.

It’s also important to understand that all broadleaf weeds feature wide leaves as well as a big center vein connecting all the small ones which branch out. Other than this similarity, broadleaf weeds can look wildly different.

Are They Hard to Control?

Even when using the best broadleaf weed killers, it can be difficult to control the reemergence of some weeds. Perennial weeds, in particular, are notoriously hard to control. This is why it’s often advised to use both pre-emerging and post-emerging weed killers, for a more thorough treatment.

There are also various weeds that have developed a resistance to the most commonly used herbicides. As such, manufacturers will instruct you on which strains will require different concentrations of the formula.

And it’s also why some weeds should be killed with spot treatments and not broadcasting treatments. A broadcasting application of a very potent formula may also burn the lawn.

A Safer Way to Control Weeds

No matter how organic or safe a herbicide is to use, nothing beats the good old fashioned handpicking of weeds. If you only have to treat small patches of turf, then you might want to consider the manual approach.

To do this, you’ll have to pull the weeds out. Be sure to take them out, roots and all. Simply cutting them with garden scissors won’t do the trick as the weeds will soon grow back and their roots will still take away nutrients from your lawn.

One thing to note is that some broadleaf weeds can be deeply rooted. In those cases, you may not be able to pull the weed roots out without also pulling out grass roots. That’s why it’s best to familiarize yourself with various types of common broadleaf weeds, before you start your search for a good herbicide, or take matters into your own hands.

Kill Your Broadleaves Quickly and Efficiently

Almost no herbicide will take care of your weed problem in a few hours or a couple of days. It’s a process that takes time. But no matter how fast or how long it takes for a formula to finish the job, it’s important to pick the right product for the weeds you identify. Using the tips in this article should help you do just that without worries.

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