Question:
How and when should herbicides be used for weed control?Answer:
In certain situations, a gardener can use herbicides to supplement other weed control strategies. Several factors limit the usefulness of herbicides in the home garden. Most home gardens contain a variety of plants in a small area. This restricts herbicide use because it is unlikely that the herbicide will be labeled for all plants in the garden.
Common broadleaf selective postemergence herbicides available to home gardeners contain one or more of the following active ingredients: 2,4-D, 2,4-DP, MCPP, MCPA, dicamba, triclopyr, carfentrazone, sulfentrazone, quinclorac. Common selective postemergence herbicides for certain grassy weeds available to home gardeners contain one or more of the following active ingredients: Sethoxydim and fluazifop-p-butyl. Common non-selective postemergence herbicides available to home gardeners contain one or more of the following active ingredients: glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium. These products must be used carefully around desired ornamental plants as they can potentially cause injury or death should those plants come in contact with the herbicide. Not all of these herbicides are appropriate to use in all lawn or garden situations.
Herbicides must be carefully applied as they have a high potential to harm both weeds and desirable plants. Always apply herbicides when winds are calm and temperatures are cool to prevent drift and damage to desirable plants. Protect garden plants with barriers like buckets, tarps, or boxes to further reduce problems with drift. They can also be applied with a sponge and wiped onto the leaves of the weed to prevent collateral damage to nearby plants. Herbicides must be used according to the label instructions on the package. Failure to follow directions may kill desirable plants or prevent other plants from being grown in the area.
