We tested glyphosate-free products to see which ones were most effective.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/bhg-natria-ready-to-use-weed-grass-control-alli-waataja-01-6f5667cc4ce24e6ea91569bd9b9d7dd4.jpeg "A bottle of Natria Grass and Weed Control With Root Kill on a stone")
Better Homes & Gardens / Alli Waataja
Weeds are some of the most resilient plants around. But you don’t need to use harsh chemicals to take them down. “It’s almost like dropping a bomb on something instead of using tweezers,” says Granville Goff, co-founder of the design studio Missille. A spray that lethal can have a long list of unintended casualties, including the beneficial insects and soil creatures responsible for maintaining the health of the plants you want.
To do the least amount of harm to your surroundings while weeding, pull out the plants by their roots or mulch the weedy area. For quicker and less back-breaking results, natural weed killers can do the job. “A lot of people will choose a conventional weed killer because of that instant gratification—it’s brown, it withered, it died, it worked,” Goff says. But something more gentle “can do the same thing.”
We tested natural weed killers and found that these more earth-friendly formulas were effective at zapping a variety of weeds, including dandelions, certain grasses, and thistles. Our picks also gave us peace of mind: we felt safe while applying them and didn’t worry about anyone using the sprayed areas after the products completely dried, including kids, pets, and pollinators.
What We Tested
To find the best natural weed killers, we tested products that did not contain the herbicide glyphosate in our own outdoor spaces, including hardscapes, garden beds, and lawns. We tested for ease of use, effectiveness, safety, and value. To learn more about how we tested tillers, check out our testing process below.
Best Vinegar-Based: Green Gobbler 20% Vinegar Weed Killer
Why You Should Get It
It’s effective, no dilution is needed, and it’s safe for pets and kids once dry.
Keep in Mind
The vinegar-based solution has a strong odor during application, and it is not suitable for use on lawns.
Green Gobbler 20 Percent Vinegar Weed and Grass Killer proved to us that you don’t need to use products with harsh chemicals to control weeds. Made from corn and vinegar, the OMRI-listed formula is potent enough to eliminate anything it touches. As such, it’s not suitable for lawns—it’s best used on mulch beds, driveways, patio pavers, and sidewalks. We tested it on three types of existing weeds growing out of cracks in a driveway.
We liked that no dilution was required to get started, and that the set-up was simple. We attached the sprayer connection to the lid, tugged on the clear tubing to loosen it up, and were ready to spray. While it did take a dozen-or-so pulls of the nozzle’s trigger to get the fluid flowing, we had no issues with the flow rate after that.
The first thing we noticed was the strong smell of vinegar, which thankfully dissipated after the product dried. Upon contact, it appeared to damage the crab grass, spotted spurge, and dandelions taking over the driveway. Within 24 hours, the weeds were brown, shriveled, and dead. Because the vinegar-based solution doesn’t impact plant roots, regular reapplication will be required.
As the product recommends, we sprayed this herbicide on weeds exposed to direct sunlight. By the following afternoon, it had completely dried, leaving the driveway clear and safe for the household’s toddler to color on with chalk. The only thing that held us up during testing was the small font size of the instructions, which made the basic how-tos difficult to find.
Product Details: Active Ingredient(s): Acetic acid 20% | Rainproof: No | Pet/Child Safe: After solution has fully dried | OMRI Listed: Yes
Key Terms to Know
Glyphosate: A widely-used herbicide that is effective at killing all plants on which it is applied, unless they have been genetically engineered to be glyphosate-resistant. It is a controversial ingredient due to its potential effects on environmental and human health.
Easiest to Use: Ortho GroundClear Weed & Grass Killer With Comfort Wand
Why You Should Get It
The fast-acting formula is conveniently dispensed by a battery-powered wand with multiple spray settings and a safety lock.
Keep in Mind
The instructions on the label were not very clear, and it’s not suitable for use on lawns.
The applicator wand is what made the Ortho GroundClear Weed and Grass Killer our pick for the weed killer that’s easiest to use. The attachment is powered by batteries to make direct spraying smooth, steady, and squeeze-free.
Additionally, you can adjust its nozzle to several different spray patterns depending on where you’re aiming. For example, a narrower spray setting might be helpful for targeting weeds around a vegetable garden, landscape beds, or in-between hardscape cracks; while a wider spray setting might work better on gravel. The wand also has a locking mechanism that made us feel safe using and storing this product.
The set up was fairly intuitive despite finding the instructions on the label difficult to follow. Once the wand was in place, the herbicide was ready to use. Because the OMRI-listed formula is non-selective, we did not spot treat lawn weeds or test it on non-weed plants. Instead, we used it to take out dandelions, crab grass, clover, and creeping Charlie growing between patio stones.
The results lived up to our expectations: the weeds were dead within one hour of application. Until the next time it’s needed, the wand folds in on itself and tucks into a slot on the side of the packaging for convenient storage.
Product Details: Active Ingredient(s): Ammonium nonanoate | Rainproof: In two hours (upon drying) | Pet/Child Safe: After solution has fully dried | OMRI Listed: Yes
Best Concentrate: Sunday Weed Warrior Herbicide Concentrate Starter Pack
Why You Should Get It
The pre-measured concentrate is easy to mix in its eco-friendly, refillable pouch, and it kills weeds down to the root.
Keep in Mind
One of our testers experienced a slightly scratchy throat after application, and it’s not suitable for use on lawns.
We loved that there is no measuring required to mix this natural weed killer concentrate. Pour the whole bottle of concentrate into the reusable pouch and fill it up to the clearly labeled gallon marker with water from the hose. Then screw the cap onto the pouch to seal. Our pouch was missing a cap, so we used a clean one from another product in its place, which luckily fit.
A battery-powered wand completes the Sunday Weed Warrior Herbicide Concentrate Starter Pack, which attaches to the totable pouch. After soaking weeds in flower beds and patio cracks, we saw most of them turn brown within 20 minutes. We found that it worked fast on crabgrass and spotted spurge, although it was slower to impact plantain. After 24 hours, all sprayed weeds looked worse off.
We felt the concentrate went pretty far and that the pouch was sturdy enough to refill and use again and again. Besides the inconvenience of the missing cap, the OMRI-listed formula gave us a slightly scratchy throat after spraying it. However, that didn’t stop our tester from purchasing a refill bottle. If you think you may be sensitive to the formula, consider wearing a face mask while using it.
Product Details: Active Ingredient(s): Ammoniated soap of fatty acids | Rainproof: In three hours (upon drying) | Pet/Child Safe: After solution has fully dried | OMRI Listed: Yes
Best Fast-Acting: Natria Grass and Weed Control With Root Kill
Why You Should Get It
We saw results on various weeds and grasses within 15 minutes.
Keep in Mind
It’s not OMRI-listed, and we could not find instructions on the label for pet and child safety.
We were impressed by the speed of this natural weed killer. We could see it taking effect on Bahiagrass and leafy weeds like Chamberbitter in as little as 15 minutes. By the 24-hour mark, the targeted grass and weeds had almost disintegrated.
It’s also a speedy process to set up Natria Ready-to-Use Weed and Grass Control. We plugged the spray handle into the container and it was ready to go without any fuss. The spray nozzle was noticeably accurate, which allowed us to eliminate weeds and grasses in garden beds without accidentally spraying desirable plants. Because it’s non-selective, we did not test it on lawns.
We found the instructions to be straight-forward and self-explanatory; however, we couldn’t locate information on the label for pet and child safety, so use this option with extra caution and allow it to dry completely before letting children and pets outside.
Product Details: Active Ingredient(s): Ammoniated soap of fatty acids and maleic hydrazide | Rainproof: In three hours (upon drying) | Pet/Child Safe: Not listed | OMRI Listed: No
Best for Organic Gardening: Avenger Organics Weed Killer Concentrate
Why You Should Get It
This formula uses a natural citrus-oil base that feels safe to use. The weed killer is also visible upon application and is effective in cool, cloudy conditions.
Keep in Mind
The spray bottle caused hand fatigue, and it has a powerful and lingering citrus scent.
The most earth-friendly way to kill weeds is to dig them out by their roots. When that isn’t an option, you might consider getting rid of them with a natural, organic product such as Avenger Weed Killer.
It’s made with an oil extracted from orange peels that kills plants—including lawn grasses—by dehydrating their blades and leaves. It has a powerful citrus scent to match, which unfortunately lingered for hours after application. We don’t recommend spraying it right before an outdoor party.
When we tested this product on weeds in flower beds and driveway cracks, we found that the organic formula worked faster on some and slower on others. It was almost immediately effective on tender weeds like oxalis, which turned yellow within five minutes of application, and completely withered up within a day. Dandelion leaves and crabgrass were visibly affected within hours of application and dried up within 48 hours.
We liked that the organic formula appears white on plants and sticks onto them right after spraying, making it easy to see if you’ve missed any spots. Because traditional spray bottles are not ergonomically designed, our testers’ hands got fatigued after treating a large patch of weeds with this organic formula.
Product Details: Active Ingredient(s): d-Limonene | Rainproof: In one hour (upon drying) | Pet/Child Safe: After solution has fully dried | OMRI Listed: Yes
Best Broadleaf: Sunday Dandelion Doom Herbicide Spot Treatment
Why You Should Get It
It’s formulated for killing a range of broadleaf weeds in lawns and can help suppress lawn diseases.
Keep in Mind
It’s not OMRI-listed, and it’s not suitable for sidewalks or walkways.
If you have a lawn that is infested with broadleaf weeds, we recommend using Sunday Dandelion Doom Broadleaf Herbicide for quick and effective results. Although no dandelions were present in the lawn during our testing, we sprayed this natural weed killer on thistles.
Even though thistles are such tough, thick weeds to kill, we found that this formula was effective. Most of the thistle leaves in direct sun shriveled up and turned brown after 24 hours and were even more visibly affected after a second application the next day. Based on its performance with thistles, we think it would have a similar impact on dandelions.
The herbicide comes with a battery-powered wand attachment that has both direct spray and misting options, making it efficient to coat entire sections of lawn. We found the instructions to be easy to follow, and we appreciated that it came with illustrations to make them even easier to understand.
We had no issue connecting the components to the lid of the jug. While the product leaked during shipment, we didn’t feel unsafe taking it out of its protective plastic bag and wiping it clean.
We didn’t detect any negative impact on lawn grass during testing. However, this natural weed killer is not suitable for all surfaces. Because iron is one of the main ingredients, the formula is a red, rusty color that can stain sidewalks or walkways. So, keep on the grass.
Product Details: Active Ingredient(s): FeHEDTA | Rainproof: In three hours (upon drying) | Pet/Child Safe: After solution has fully dried | OMRI Listed: No
The Bottom Line
For keeping lawns weed-free, Sunday Dandelion Doom Broadleaf Herbicide wipes them out without negatively impacting the look of your grass. For cracks in and around hardscapes or stone without a lingering odor, Ortho GroundClear Weed and Grass Killer acts fast, uses a battery-powered wand, and has an adjustable nozzle that put us at ease with a safety lock.
Our Testing Process
We started our testing process by carefully choosing which natural weed killing products to trial, focusing on formulas that did not contain the herbicide glyphosate.
To ensure that products advertised as organic were truly organic, we cross referenced their labels with the Organic Materials Review Institute’s (OMRI) Products List, a directory of more than 9,000 products that are OMRI listed to the US Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program standards.
We looked to source both pre-emergent and post-emergent natural weed killers, although most of the products we came across were for post-emergent use. We also looked for natural weed killers that were suitable for all yard spaces, including hardscapes like driveways and sidewalks as well as garden beds and lawns.
We spent two weeks testing each natural weed killer for effectiveness. We noted the pros and cons for its ease of use, starting with the clarity of instructions on the label, ease of assembly, and if other products like measuring cups were needed to get started.
We then applied the natural weed killer to various areas in our outdoor spaces and timed how long it took to show visible results and how long it took to shrivel the weeds dead. We reported whether or not its performance lived up to our expectations.
Even though natural weed killers can do less harm to the environment than traditional weed killers, they still contain potent ingredients. We noted how safe we felt while applying the formula, as well as how safe it made us feel allowing pets, kids, and/or people back into the area afterward. After testing, we evaluated whether the price was fair for the performance of each natural weed killer.
Better Homes & Gardens / Laura Miller
What to Know About Natural Weed Killers Before Shopping
Active Ingredients
Active ingredients are the substances in weed killer that have an effect on the plant material. They are identified by their scientific name on all weed killer labels. Even on natural weed killer products, the active ingredient’s scientific name may be difficult to recognize.
“A lot of things that have chemical names are from natural products that you just aren’t going to have interacted with in your everyday life,” says Jarid Kroes, manager at Portland Nursery. “Water is dihydrogen monoxide. You know, that’s a funny way of saying it, but that’s just what water is.”
Acetic acid is the scientific name for the main component of vinegar, which is the active ingredient in Green Gobbler 20 Percent Vinegar Weed and Grass Killer. But don’t run out and dump your salad dressing on your weeds.
“The vinegar that’s in a salad dressing has got a pH that’s safe for consumption, but a concentrated vinegar has a pH that would really harm you if you were to ingest it,” Goff says. While a concentrated vinegar is potent, it’s “not as harmful to the soil” as other active ingredients can be.
“It creates more or less favorable conditions for certain types of bacteria, fungi, and all the creatures that make up the biome to persist or vacate,” Goff explains. “It doesn’t kill everything indiscriminately.”
The tradeoff for this soil-friendly ingredient? The sharp smell. “Well, just think of it as pickles,” Goff says with a laugh. “Honestly, it doesn’t stick around. That smell dissipates almost immediately. It’s at least going to be more familiar to you than a harsh chemical smell.”
Iron, or FeHEDTA, the active ingredient in Sunday Dandelion Doom Broadleaf Herbicide, is another standout ingredient. “It’s one of the only selective weed killers that I’ve seen,” Kroes says.
“Iron is a nutrient in the leaf,” Kroes explains. “If you get too much iron, like you can get too much of any nutrient, you can get poisoned. Broadleaves are way better at taking in the iron. When it’s applied to them, they get poisoned by it, basically. But grass absorbs iron way slower. So it doesn’t kill the grass. It’s a pretty nifty little thing to kill the weeds on your lawn.”
Organic vs Natural
Customers shopping for organic weed killers need to be savvy. Unlike food-item labels, herbicide labels are not strictly regulated by the USDA. Any weed killer can use the term “organic” on its packaging.
“If the organic moniker is important to you, look for the OMRI tag,” Goff says. Products that are OMRI-listed, like Ortho GroundClear Weed and Grass Killer and Avenger Weed Killer, have to meet rigorous third-party standards that qualify them for organic use. Spy this label to feel more confident that the weed killer you’re shopping for will meet the organic standards you’re seeking.
The term “natural” can be equally elusive. While people generally understand it to mean ingredients sourced from nature with little-to-no processing, there is no clear-cut definition. Without one, the government or third-party agencies can’t regulate it.
To prevent confusion and avoid misinterpretation as a safety claim, the Environmental Protection Agency does not allow “natural” on the labels of products it regulates, including weed killers.
Better Homes & Gardens / Viveka Neveln
Other Natural Weed Killers We Tested
BioSafe Systems 7601-1 Weed and Grass Killer Concentrate
We can’t deny that BioSafe Systems 7601-1 Weed and Grass Killer Concentrate was quick and effective—we could see results on weeds including crab grass and poison ivy within an hour. But the packaging left too much to be desired for us to recommend. The print on the label was hard to read and we couldn’t really understand the instructions.
Because the large jug had no spout or spout attachment included, we found the natural weed killer concentrate intimidating to pour. No other equipment or accessories were included either, which means we had to purchase a hand sprayer and small measuring cup to mix and use. Even though the price includes two, one-gallon jugs, we found the upfront costs too steep to be worth it for the average weed killing job.
Better Homes & Gardens / John Beard
Your Questions, Answered
Can you use weed killers in raised garden beds?
Technically, weed killers can be used in raised garden beds. But there are several downsides to it.—including risk of contamination. “Raised beds can be kind of tight quarters,” Goff says. “I would be hesitant to spray there because I can only control where it drifts so much.”
Drift can kill nearby plants that are germinating, stunt the growth of young plants, or damage parts of established ones. Because of this, weed killer—even natural formulas—should not be sprayed in raised beds with vegetables, fruits, or herbs.
What’s more, it might simply be more difficult to use weed killer spray in raised beds than pulling weeds by hand. “The soil in a raised bed shouldn’t be overly compacted like it can be in the ground,” Goff says. “So the roots of weeds in raised beds should let go much, much quicker. I think you would honestly spend more time making sure that you only spray what you want than to yank it out.”
Are weed killers harmful to beneficial insects?
Weed killers of any kind can be harmful to bees, moths, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
But there are precautions you can take to avoid harming wildlife while whacking weeds, like applying weed killer spray during a time when beneficial insects are less active.
“That may mean going out in the evening to spray,” Goff says. “Or just stop spraying if you notice that there are a lot of bees or butterflies in the area.”
If you’re applying weed killer to a space that attracts less wildlife, say the expanse of a concrete driveway or a siloed parking strip, it’s still a best practice to control the spray as much as possible. “I always bring a piece of cardboard with me to protect anything behind or around where I’m spraying.”
Can you use weed killer year round?
It depends on your climate. “Maybe if you’re somewhere that’s warm enough to grow, typically that’s 60°F or above, it’s probably fine to spray year round,” Kroes says. But if you live somewhere with distinct cold or wet seasons, Goff says “any efforts would probably be lost. For one, no sun. And two, it’s going to just get rinsed off by the rain.”
If the weed you’re battling has a seeding season in the colder months, use prevention measures. “Keep it from going to seed until you have favorable weather conditions to apply the product that you want to use,” Goff says. “Lop them off at the top before they go to seed, or as they’re starting to set seed or flower.” A move like this will interrupt a weed’s growth and ultimately slow its spread.
Who We Are
Kate Puhala is a freelance writer and gardener based in Portland, OR. To write this piece, she researched natural weed killers in-depth online and spoke to Granville Goff, co-founder of the design studio Missille, and Jarid Kroes, manager at Portland Nursery.
What is BHG Recommends?
Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they’re worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn’t an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.
For more Better Homes & Gardens news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens.
We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
English