How To Kill Weeds With Broadleaf Herbicide

Does it feel like you’re losing the battle against weeds in your yard? Broadleaf weeds, like dandelion and clover, are notoriously difficult to manage. Consider using a broadleaf weed herbicide as a safe and easy way to quickly reclaim your lawn without breaking the bank or your back.

When a few patches of clover popped up in my lawn, I didn’t think much of it and left them alone, but I quickly regretted that decision as these few patches quickly took over. After a few weeks of watching me pull each weed by hand, a neighbor suggested I try a broadleaf herbicide. Within days, the clover started to wilt and disappear, leaving my lawn looking great.

Here, we’ll discuss the best practices for using broadleaf herbicides, including when and how to apply them, with tips from two seasoned lawn-care experts, Tylor Harrington from Berkshire Turfgrass Specialists and Joe Churchill from Reinders.

What Is Broadleaf Herbicide?

There are two major types of weeds: broadleaf and grassy. Broadleaf weeds have leaves, like dandelions and creeping Charlie. Grassy weeds, such as crabgrass and quack grass, look more like clumps of grass. The best method to kill weeds depends on which type you’re dealing with.

Broadleaf herbicide is a type of weed killer that targets leafy plants, not grasses.

How does broadleaf herbicide work?

Broadleaf herbicides target the unique biochemical and cellular structure of broadleaf weeds, which differs from grass or food crops. That’s why you can treat broadleaf weeds in your lawn, and the grass is unaffected. Broadleaf herbicide is absorbed through the leaves and then circulated by the plant to its root systems, effectively killing the entire plant.

What doesn’t broadleaf herbicide kill?

Most broadleaf weeds are dicots, and most grasses are monocots. This different cell structure means that broadleaf herbicides will not affect (kill) your grass. Food crops that have been engineered to resist broadleaf herbicides will also be unaffected.

It’s an effective way to get rid of weeds, but it will also kill landscape plants, so take care to keep it off the plants you like.

How To Mix Broadleaf Herbicides

Broadleaf herbicide may come in liquid or granule form. If it’s a liquid concentrate, it must be mixed with water before application, although some liquid weed killers come pre-mixed.

The correct ratio of water to herbicide concentrate will differ depending on the kind you buy. Check the instructions that come with your specific weed killer. It’s important to follow the instructions exactly. “Liquid herbicides will suggest amounts per one gallon of water. Granular products will suggest either pounds per thousand square feet or will state how much ground one bag will cover,” Churchill says.

How to Apply Broadleaf Herbicide

Follow these steps to apply broadleaf herbicide:

Wear rubber gloves, long pants and sleeves, socks and shoes to keep the herbicide off your skin.

If using liquid herbicide, start at one end of your lawn and begin spraying the grass. Then, fan the spray from side to side as you walk slowly backward. This technique ensures even coverage for the lawn and prevents you from walking through the herbicide.

Apply granular herbicides to damp grass using a drop or broadcast spreader. Treat in the early morning while the grass is still wet with dew, or water lightly before application. Adjust the spreader setting to comply with the manufacturer’s recommended spread rate. Then, walk back and forth in a straight line across the lawn with slightly overlapping passes until you’ve covered its entirety.

Follow directions regarding temperatures and rainfall. Some products only need a few minutes or hours between application and rainfall, while others may recommend a day or two. Avoid spraying herbicides on windy days, and don’t irrigate your lawn for at least 24 hours after application.

When to Apply Broadleaf Herbicide

The best time to apply broadleaf herbicide is late summer and early fall. “The fall is a great time to spray for early emerging winter annuals as well as the hard to kill weeds such as ground ivy or violets,” Harrington says. During this time of year, broadleaf weeds send nutrients to their root systems before their leaves die off. Apply an herbicide then, and it is absorbed through the leaves and transported to the roots to prevent it from returning in the spring.

While fall is ideal, spring treatments can also be effective. Churchill recommends treating dandelions in the spring when they are flowering. Harrington says spring “is a great time to spray lingering winter annual broadleaf weeds and regular broadleaves that start popping up in warmer weather.”

FAQ

Are broadleaf herbicides safe for humans and pets?

“If applied according to the instructions on the label, these herbicides are designed to be safe for use,” Harrington says. Follow all manufacturer directions carefully, including wait times to allow children and pets to use a treated area. Most recommend waiting until the spray has dried or granules have dissolved.

What are the best broadleaf herbicides?

Most broadleaf herbicides contain 2,4-D as the active ingredient, but the best ones also contain MCPA or MCPP and Diclofenac to address the widest range of broadleaf weeds. These are often marketed as “Three-Way” broadleaf herbicides.

How do you deactivate broadleaf herbicide?

If you’ve misapplied broadleaf herbicide, you can use activated charcoal to absorb or neutralize it. “Also, drenching the area with water immediately after application will help,” Churchill says.

How do you dispose of broadleaf herbicide?

Broadleaf herbicides are considered hazardous waste, so they should be disposed of as such. Most communities have transfer stations that will accept hazardous waste on certain drop-off days. “[Empty] containers used for herbicides are supposed to be triple rinsed and then holes poked in the bottom so that they cannot be re-used,” Harrington says.

Are there any alternatives better than broadleaf herbicides?

A thick, healthy lawn will compete for nutrients and crowd out broadleaf weeds, so it is one of the best deterrents. “A use of a pre-emergent herbicide will also help prevent weeds from germinating,” Harrington says.

About the Experts

• Joe Churchill is a Senior Turf Specialist for Reinders, a major distributor of lawn care products throughout the Midwest. Churchill is certified in Turf Management and has over 25 years of experience in the turfgrass industry.
• Tylor Harrington is the owner and operator of Berkshire Turfgrass Specialists. He has a degree in Turfgrass Management from University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture. He worked grounds keeping in professional sports (mostly baseball) before moving back home to Dalton, Massachusetts to open his business.

Sources

• Iowa State University Extension and Outreach “Yard and Garden: Timing and Application of Broadleaf Herbicides.” (2017)
• Kansas State University “Turfgrass Information: Broadleaf Weeds – Chemical Control.”