When it comes to selecting a strong weed killer such as a non-selective herbicide, it’s important to ask yourself first: “Do I want anything to grow here in the next six months?”. Typically a strong weed killer will basically ‘scorch’ the earth and prevent anything from growing.
In most cases, these non-selective herbicides or systemic herbicides are used for applications to clear the way around railways, embankments, construction sites, roadways, driveways, sidewalks, gravel areas, and things of this nature where you don’t want any plant life now or in the near future. The active ingredient is typically glyphosate, glufosinate, or sulfosate. The mode of action with these products is a total kill with no regard.
Glyphosate Symptoms on Weeds and Grass
Any plant material (annuals, perennials) that comes in contact with glyphosate (which is systemic) will start to turn a yellowish color in about a week and then be fully dead (brown) in two weeks. Products with glufosinate will start to see a full kill in 3 to 5 days.
So extreme care is always recommended with using products with these active ingredients because you could kill desired plants/grass via spray drift as these herbicides bind to the soil and plant matter.
If you are just wanting to rid weeds in your lawn or garden, please see our selective weed killer reviews here, which will keep your grasses and lawns growing while selectively killing the undesired weeds.
So with that in mind, let’s procede to scorch the earth without mercy.
3 Strongest Non-Selective Herbicides (Most Effective)
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Ranger Pro Herbicide – Strongest Concentrate
Ranger Pro is a non-selective product that you can mix with water at a rate of 2-3oz per 1 gallon of water. Use a sprayer to apply. Be sure to use a Surfacant product as well to help bind the product to the weeds/grass you are applying to.
This will take care of anything you spray it on for a total area kill.
- Glyphosate- 41% (same active ingredient as Roundup)
- Residential areas, Parks and Recreational Areas
- Mix Ranger Pro at a rate of 2-3 ounces per gallon of water.
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Roundup QuickPro – Strongest Powder
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in this powder with a 73.3% in the form of ammonium salt. Or 1 pound of Roundup QuickPro contains .73 pounds of ammonium salt. This bottle makes up to 72 gallons of product so you can use it on a large area or enough for a full season for typical homeowners. It comes with a measuring cup to ensure you are using the right amount of product.
- Roundup QuickPro Herbicide is for use anywhere there is undesirable vegetation. Extra care should be taken to ensure that non-target vegetation is protected from any drift.
- Glyphosate 73.3%, Diquat 2.9%
- The mix rate for Roundup QuikPro is 1.5 ounces per gallon of water.
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Ortho GroundClear – Strongest Ready Made
This product from Ortho provides up to 1 year of weed and grass control. Kills to the root. The active ingredient is Imazapyr .38% per gallon and Perlagonic Acid. This is a great product to control weeds around your driveway, sidewalks, patios, decks, etc.. Ready to go, just use a Surfacant and sprayer to apply.
- Kills and prevents weeds for up to 1 year
- Visible results in 6 hours
- Treats 5X more area (when compared to previous formula)
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How Does Glyphosate Work?
This may be too much info for you but if you want to learn about how glyphosate attacks plants, grasses, and weeds then this is a good video that explains it all and may have you thinking twice about using glyphosate:
Natural Strong Weed Killers
Using vinegar is always the best natural way to kill weeds. I’ve created a weed killer vinegar formula here that you can use to make your own. Overall this is safer for both yourself and for the soil as weeds are actually a counterbalance in the microbiomes in this soil and vinegar is less harsh than glyphosate.
Or you can use a 30% vinegar product that is 6x stronger than store-bought vinegar and it’s non-toxic and safe for humans and pets.
- ✅ 6x stronger than store bought vinegar, industrial-strength solution for indoor or outdoor usage. Use to replace many harmful & toxic chemicals.
- ✅ Biodegradable product, Highly concentrated formula: This vinegar is a powerful cleaning agent that can tackle tough stains and grime. It can be diluted with water to adjust the strength for different cleaning tasks.
- ✅ Excellent for removing hard water deposits, cleaning rust from tools, cleaning soap scum, removing carpet and upholstery stains & cleaning grout.
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See also my exhaustive list of 20 Natural Weed Killer Recipes
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