Selective Herbicides

Selective herbicides are chemicals that are designed to kill or damage specific broadleaf and grassy weeds while sparing others.

By spraying a lawn with selective herbicides, specific target weeds will be harmed by the product while your desired grasses and plants will be unaffected.

Selective herbicides are great to use when you see weeds growing in areas among your desired grasses and plants so you don’t have to worry about being careful with spot treating and getting chemicals on your grass and harming them in your efforts to kill the weed.

Selective herbicides are very easy to use. Simply mix the selective herbicide of your choice in a handheld sprayer with water according to the label directions. Then you can apply to the targeted plants you want gone and that's it!

Shop our top recommended selective herbicides below. If you need help on choosing the right product or would like more information on applying the product properly, our experienced lawn care experts will be happy to help you.

Our Recommendation

Farenheit Herbicide is a metsulfuron-methyl (MSM) selective for broadleaf weeds and turf. It controls many different weeds found in cool and warm season lawns. Farenheit Herbicide can be used on the entire lawn or as a spot treatment, leaving the grass unharmed.

Farenheit Herbicide is a dual-action systemic herbicide which means it works through the leaf surface and the roots. When using farenheit herbicide you’ll spray the target weed itself and then spray around the weed so it will soak in through the roots, making it much more likely to kill the plant.

2,4-D Amine Selective Weed Killer - 2,4-D Amine Selective Weed Killer is used to eliminate broadleaf weeds and brush. It is formulated to protect most grassy lawns, turfs, and various crop areas from unwanted weeds. It can also be used to control unwanted aquatic weeds and trees.

User Guide

Tools Needed

• Pump Sprayer
• Farenheit Herbicide (Or your choice of selective herbicide)
• Nanotek Surfactant

PPE

• Chemical Resistant Gloves
• Dust / Mist Mask
• Safety Glasses

Step 1: Measure and Mix The Herbicide

Determine how much herbicide you need for your application by calculating the square footage of the area to be treated. To do this, measure and multiply the target area's length and width (length x width = square footage).

For 2,4-D Amine, you can mix 0.72 to 1.1 fl. oz. in a gallon of water per 1,000 square feet. For example, if you have a 2,000 sq. ft. yard to treat, you will need to mix 1.44 to 2.2 fl. oz. in 2 gallons of water. 

One bottle of farenheit herbicide, can treat up to 1 acre of turf when mixed with a gallon of water. Place the appropriate amount of product in a gallon hand sprayer with the appropriate amount of water and shake until well mixed. You can also add it to a hose-end sprayer bottle.

The use of a non-ionic surfactant is also recommended to allow the herbicide to better cover and stick to the target weeds. We recommend using Nanotek Surfactant.

Step 2: Apply the Product

With your PPE on, begin spraying the target area making sure to keep the sprayer nice and low to ground close to the vegetation so it doesn’t drift from wind.

Spray lightly and make sure you don’t spray any of your desired grass. Even though the product is a selective herbicide you will still want to spot treat.

Get the vegetation wet but not to the point of runoff as you down want the chemical dripping onto other plants that are non-target. Be particularly careful to avoid spraying non-target tree roots.

Step 3: Reapply As Needed

You should start to notice yellowing in just a couple of days and within a week or two the plants should be dead. In some instances, you might have to reapply until the target weeds are completely dead.

Things To Consider

• It’s important to identify your specific weed to find the best selective herbicide for your target weed and one that will work on your grass type.
• A pump sprayer is the preferred piece of equipment to use because it will help you get more precise control and also avoid as much drift as possible. It’s also wise to label the sprayer as “selective” because you don’t want to cross-contaminate the chemicals in the sprayer with non-selective herbicide and potentially kill your yard.

Key Takeaways

• Selective herbicides are a chemical product designed to kill specific broadleaf or grassy vegetation while leaving desired grasses and plants unharmed.
• Our top recommended herbicides are farenheit herbicide and 2,4-D amine selective weed killer.
• Reapply selective herbicides as needed when dealing with more persistent weeds.