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Weeds took over the driveway? Getting a weed killer is the right way to go. We review the eight best weed killers for driveways in this post.
Besides giving your property a value boost and making the area safe for driving, parking, and walking, driveways also add to your home’s curb appeal.
Pulling out the weeds that appear in the driveway can seem like an effective strategy to manage the driveway’s look. However, the weeds grow back quickly, often appearing in previously unoccupied spots.
If common weeds like crabgrass, dandelions, and ragweed have taken over your driveway, it’s time to bring in an effective weed killer to do the legwork.
Finding a weed killer online or at a shop isn’t difficult. However not every weed killer works on all plant species, and the effectiveness of different products can vary a great deal.
Not to mention, weed killers are of different types, making buying the right one that much more complex, and some of them can affect your pet’s health.
In this post, we review the eight best weed killers for driveways and weigh out their pros and cons to help you find the perfect product suited for your driveway.
Table of Contents
Best Weed Killers for Driveways
1. Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer
2. RM43 Weed Preventer
3. Ortho GroundClear
4. Roundup Weed & Grass Killer
5. Killzall Weed and Grass Killer
6. Preen Weed Preventer
7. Doctor Kirchner Natural Weed & Grass Killer
8. Roundup Ready-To-Use Weed & Grass Killer III
1. Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer
If you see many different weeds in your driveway, the Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer is the right product to buy. The spray can kill over 150 species of weeds, making it one of the best weed killers for driveways available.
What’s more, the Spectracide weed killer becomes rainproof in just fifteen minutes after spraying. So, you don’t have to worry about timing working on your driveway right, which is very convenient. That said, the company recommends that you spray the product when the temperature is 60 degrees or warmer.
Spectracide impresses with its fast action and begins to show results in as little as three hours after application. The weeds typically wilt and are destroyed at the root 24 hours after application.
What makes the Spectracide more impressive is that it is cheaper than many other weed killers in the market. However, like every product, it does offer some disadvantages.
It is not ready to use, and you will need to dilute it yourself. The company recommends adding 7 ounces of the product per gallon of water for best results.
Additionally, since it does not come with a built-in sprayer, you will need to look into getting one of the best weed-killer sprayers before using the product.
Overall, though, if you’re looking for an affordable solution to the weeds in your driveway, the Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer will not disappoint.
2. RM43 Weed Preventer
If you’re dealing with particularly annoying weeds in your driveway that keep growing back, the RM43 Weed Preventer can save you a lot of labor.
The combination of herbicides and surfactants, along with the 43% glyphosate content, kills off weeds and keeps them at bay for up to one year after application.
While it’s a little more expensive than the average weed killer, it is a concentrate, and one gallon of it will cover over 17,000 square feet. The brand recommends diluting 7.4 ounces of the product with as much water as you require (up to 10 gallons) to cover 1000 square feet.
The solution will be rainfast two hours after spraying, making it one of the more convenient options to buy if you live in a rainy locale or want to clear your driveway in the monsoon.
One caveat of getting RM43 over other weed killers is that it takes longer to take action. You will not see any results for the first few days after application. However, after two weeks of spraying the solution, all of the weeds in your driveway will die off.
With hundreds of customers vouching for the product’s effectiveness, the RM43 Weed Preventer is a product that’s hard not to recommend as the best weed killer for driveways.
3. Ortho GroundClear
Green, thriving weeds are both annoying to look at and remove. The Ortho GroundClear solution comes ready to use – all you have to do is get it out of the packaging and spray it all over the driveway. It comes with a built-in sprayer, so you won’t have to transfer it to a tank sprayer.
You will begin to see results in 15 minutes, and the weeds will be dead and gone in 24 hours. It’s important to note that you will need to spray the solution directly on the weeds for the solution to work correctly.
While its ease of use makes the product stand out, you must note that the company makes no promises as to how long the weeds will be gone. Customers report that while the weeds disappear in 24 hours, they grow back in a few weeks.
This makes it the best weed killer for driveways if you’re in a pinch. For example, you can get it if you’re expecting guests and want your driveway looking clean the next day.
The spray becomes rainproof two hours after application, leaving you one less thing to worry about. However, the product works best on warm, sunny days.
4. Roundup Weed & Grass Killer
The Roundup Weed & Grass Killer is a super concentrate, requiring only 2.5 ounces per gallon of water to eliminate weeds at the root. The solution is absorbed through the leaves and takes up to three days to start showing results.
The high-strength formula makes it more effective than most other weed killers, and since you don’t need to use as much of it, buying one bottle will help you cover a larger area than other products. The product has a convenient dilution chart that makes it easy to make the right solution for your driveway.
Customers report that weeds are yellow and wilt within a week and don’t grow back. What makes this Roundup product more impressive is that it is rainproof in 30 minutes. So if you live in a rainy location, this is the right weed killer to get.
You will need to use a tank sprayer to spray it over your driveway, which is a little inconvenient. Another disadvantage of the product is that it is not safe for animals because of its high-strength formula.
It’s best to keep your pets and children off the driveway until the weeds absorb the solution.
While you can spray it on any day, ensure that it isn’t too windy since the spray could travel to plants that you don’t want to get rid of.
All in all, this is the best weed killer for driveways that are large and have a lot of weeds.
5. Killzall Weed and Grass Killer
Like the Roundup Weed & Grass Killer, Killzall is another high-strength weed and grass killer. It’s the best weed killer for driveways with annoying weeds like Bermuda, running bamboo, and wandering Jew. These weeds clump up and make your driveway look extra messy.
The label comes with clear instructions, helping you dilute the concentrate correctly. You will only need five tablespoons of concentrate per gallon of water. You can use a bottle of the solution to treat up to 25,000 square feet.
The diluted solution is potent enough to burn your skin, so you must wear gloves when you use this product.
If you have pets, you must be very careful using Killzall. While it won’t stick to your pet’s paws after it dries, it can affect your pet if they accidentally lick it off a weed or another surface.
The weeds you spray on will die at the root in 14 days and won’t appear again. But it’s important to note that if it rains within 24 hours of application, the solution will not work.
6. Preen Weed Preventer
If you’ve noticed a few weeds growing on your driveway, but there’s not a lot of them yet, the Preen Weed Preventer can save you a lot of time and effort killing weeds.
Since it is a powder, you do not need to spray it. All you have to do is remove the weeds from the area and scatter the powder over where it grew. Then, pouring water on it will activate the formula. The company guarantees that the product will block weed growth for three months.
One of the biggest advantages of using the Preen Weed Preventer is that you can use it any time of the year. Additionally, the product can cover an area of up to 2560 square feet and prevents the growth of over 200 different species.
Customers can’t help but recommend the product because it saves them a lot of labor in the long run.
7. Doctor Kirchner Natural Weed & Grass Killer
The Doctor Kirchner weed killer is the most effective 100% natural weed killer, making it the best weed killer for driveways to buy if you have pets or children. The solution is made from ocean water, food-grade vinegar, and commercial-strength soap.
Since it’s 100% natural, you don’t have to worry about protecting your hands during application or keeping your pets and children off the driveway until the spray dries. You don’t have to dilute the spray, either.
You can directly pour it into your tank sprayer and cover the weeds in your driveway to the point of wetness for best results.
You will see the weeds browning within 24 hours of application, and the weeds should be eliminated within a week. The best part about the product is that it is non-selective, making it just as effective as any chemical-based weed killer out there.
8. Roundup Ready-To-Use Weed & Grass Killer III
Spraying the driveway can take a lot of time and effort if it’s large. If you’re looking to get the job done quickly and without much hassle, the Roundup Ready-To-Use Weed & Grass Killer III is the best option for you.
The Pump ‘N Go sprayer allows you to spray the formula with relative ease, and the convenient no-mix formula becomes rainproof in 10 minutes. The spray shows results in three hours, and the weeds are dead and gone within a day of application.
Its fast action and relatively easy application make it the best weed killer for driveways that need their busy homeowner’s attention.
Spraying it once is all you need to do to avoid working on your driveway all season.
The Takeaway: Which Weed Killer to Buy?
There’s no such thing as the “perfect” weed killer since every home and homeowner is different and requires different solutions.
If you’re looking for a safe weed killer, the Doctor Kirchner weed killer will be the best weed killer for your driveway. On the other hand, if using chemicals is no problem, the Killzall and Roundup concentrates are your best bet. If you don’t own a tank sprayer, buying the Roundup Grass Killer III or Ortho GroundClear is the right way to go.
If using strong weed killers doesn’t seem like a good idea to you, you could look into getting your hands on the best weed torch you can find.
Weeding vegetable gardens with weed killers is possible, but risky, since it may harm desirable plants. Thankfully, there are other ways of making your vegetable garden grow faster.
