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.
What is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum, non-selective herbicide, meaning it kills anything it comes in contact with. It works by preventing weeds and plants from making certain proteins that are needed for plant growth.
This widely used herbicide is mostly used to control broadleaf weeds and grasses and is included in several other leading herbicides including RoundUp and certain products in the Ortho lineup. Read the Glyphosate fact sheet for more info on this herbicide.
Glyphosate Herbicide 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. Learn about selective weed killers and their best uses.
So with that in mind, let’s procede to scorch the earth without mercy.
5 Strongest Weed Killers (Best Non-Selective Herbicides)
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1. 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.
- Residential areas, Parks and Recreational Areas
- Easy to use
- Non-Selective Herbicide
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2. 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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3. 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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4. Syngenta Tenacity Turf Herbicide
Syngenta Tenacity is one of the strongest contact weed killers in this space and helps to treat insects, weeds and fungus. It is both pet and human safe and can be used to eliminate over 46 different types of weeds. Wondering what weeds Tenacity controls?
This non-poisonous, pre-emergence, and post-emergence lawn treatment can be applied before weed appear or after weeds have taken over your lawn.
Tenacity isn’t an organic weed killer but contains mesotrione – a sulfur compound that enters the weeds and stops them from photosynthezing.
Pros:
Cons:
Personal Verdict
Tenacity has saved my lawn from weeds more times than I can remember. While I agree it is an excellent herbicide to tackle many different of tough weeds, it has to be used at the right time for the right situation.
- Tenacity herbicide eliminates weeds at seedlings so new grass can flourish without harm.
- Surfactant improves pesticide effectiveness when mixed together for spraying weeds in lawn or garden.
- Tenacity is selective post-emergent, systemic herbicide to control grassy & broadleaf weeds on established turfgrass.
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5. Dr. Earth Fiskars Machete
When shopping for strong natural weed killers, Dr. Earth Fiskars Machete is the first product that comes to mind for several reasons, starting with its ability to kill grasses and broadleaf weeds.
This highly effective weed killer kills weeds to the root when used as directed, that is during the hottest parts of the day.
Pros:
Cons:
Personal Verdict
I’m a big fan of natural remedies to get rid of lawn weeds and Dr. Earth Fiskars Machete is my go-to choice in this space. Being a natural weed killer, I was surprised with the results and the extent of weeds it eliminated from my lawn.
- Will also kill grasses and broadleaf weeds
- When used as directed, formula is People and pet safe
- Highly effective formula that kills to the root
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How Does Glyphosate Weed Killer 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:
What Is the Strongest Homemade Weed Killer?
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
FAQs
Q. What Can Kill Weeds Permanently?
A. There are several methods to kill weeds permanently. If your lawn is riddled with weeds, the first thing to try is hand-pulling as many weeds with their roots as you can.
Next, apply a homemade weed killer to see the number of weeds it wipes out. If there are any weeds left, apply any one of the strong herbicides mentioned on this list.
There may be sleeping weeds hidden in the lawn but remember that only the seeds located in the top two inches of the soil will germinate. You can even apply a weed barrier to choke out weeds and prevent them from germinating.
A weed barrier is basically a type of cloth that prevents the weeds from getting access to sunlight, killing them eventually. However, the cloth will still allow essential nutrients like moisture and penetrate to penetrate the soil.
Final Thoughts
If you have tough weeds in your lawn, your best bet is to use a strongest weed killer to eliminate them permanently like my top choice Ranger Pro Herbicide.
There are several strong weed killers to choose from but it’s important you read the manufacturer instructions on the label for the right way to apply the product. Ranger Pro is easy to apply and from my experience is more effective that any other product I’ve used.
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