# What's your basic herbicide of choice?



## ryeguy (Sep 28, 2017)

Do you go for something that you can grab from any hardware store like Weed B Gon or Spectracide? Or maybe you go for something a little fancier like SpeedZone or Q4? Maybe you make your own by combining a couple things?


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

Personally, my initial approach for emerging weeds in the lawn is to hand-pull.

(There's actually a step before this, though -- I use pre-emergent to give coverage about 8 months a year via 3 different applications of prodiamine at a 3-month rate, with some overlap in two of the treatments.)

Then, for anything which gets past the pre-emergent, my first line of attack is to hand-pull.

If there's too much of something to make hand-pulling feasible, I prefer to use "targeted" herbicides, rather than a 3-way mix.

I use 2,4-D on anything that looks like it belongs in a salad or that I can't identify.

I use triclopyr on anything that I know (from experience) won't be killed by the 2,4-D. For me, this is primarily wild violet and clover.

I use quinclorac (Drive XLR8) on infestations of crab grass. We haven't had any of these in our lawn in a few years (presumably due to the pre-emergent) but it's my "go-to" for crab grass in my neighbor's lawns (at their request) or my son's lawn.

I use mesotrione (Tenacity) primarily to "light up" _poa annua_ and or _poa trivialis_ in the lawn. The _poa annua_ then gets hand-pulled. The _poa trivialis_ gets killed with glyphosate (two applications about 7 days apart), including an extra 6-8 inches of what appears to be only "good grass" all the way around the _triv_-infected area.


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## jimmy (Jul 25, 2017)

I've had pretty good luck with Weed B Gon plus crabgrass (2, 4-D and Quinclorac). I buy the 32 oz concentrate and mix in my hand can or backpack sprayer (this year I finally addressed the growing dandelion problems, so I need a lot). The biggest plus is the 32 oz goes pretty far in my yard and it is cheap. I've tried the hose-end version and hated dragging around the hose and it covers such a broad area that I felt like I wasted it.

If I ever decide to work on the creeping bentgrass in my backyard, I'll either buy some tenacity or just kill it all with glyphosate and reseed. Compared to other herbicides, tenacity is really expensive.

I also bought a big jug of prodiamine last year and that should last me a while for my pre emergent.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

ken-n-nancy said:


> ...There's actually a step before this, though -- I use pre-emergent to give coverage about 8 months a year via 3 different applications of prodiamine at a 3-month rate, with some overlap in two of the treatments...


Amen. The foundation of a good weed control program is pre-emergent. :thumbup:


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Well, if we're talking post emergent control I use Weed B Gon and CCO. I've had good luck with them and I find them on sale a reasonable amount of the time at Lowe's.


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> Well, if we're talking post emergent control I use Weed B Gon and CCO. I've had good luck with them and I find them on sale a reasonable amount of the time at Lowe's.


^^ me too. I usually stock up when they go on sale. :thumbup:


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

ericgautier said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > Well, if we're talking post emergent control I use Weed B Gon and CCO. I've had good luck with them and I find them on sale a reasonable amount of the time at Lowe's.
> ...


A couple years ago I got the 32oz concentrate Weed B Gon on sale for $5. I should've bought more!!


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

ken-n-nancy said:


> I use mesotrione (Tenacity) primarily to "light up" _poa annua_ and or _poa trivialis_ in the lawn. The _poa annua_ then gets hand-pulled. The _poa trivialis_ gets killed with glyphosate (two applications about 7 days apart), including an extra 6-8 inches of what appears to be only "good grass" all the way around the _triv_-infected area.


A-HA! A strategy to separate the Good from the Bad and Ugly!

I have a northern mix of grass and weeds. Its not horrible-looking but could be much better. Next year I'll try my hand at identifying grass and weeds. This year, it's all about locking down the lawn. Control the weeds, build the arsenal, practice solid cultural techniques, observe results, and taking notes (thank you, Evernote).

I'm reading that _poa annua_ and _poa trivialis_ are hard to distinguish from the good grass and that you really have to go nuclear on them and reseed. What a great way to make them raise their grassy hands in defeat!


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

I have found roundup *for lawns* to be very effictive over a large variety of weeds. Its my new go to.


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