How does spectracide weed killer work

Search Bar Input Textbox. Max Distance 5 10 15 25 Active Ingredients 2,4-D, dimethylamine salt 7. SDS Product Label - 32 fl oz - 40 fl oz. Weeds Controlled. Directions For Use. It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.

Restrictions and Precautions Do not apply this product in a way that will contact any person or pet, either directly or through drift. Keep people and pets out of the area during application. Do not allow people or pets to enter the treated area until sprays have dried. Do not allow spray to drift onto desirable plants since injury may result.

Do not apply when windy. Do not use on carpetgrass, dichondra, lawns with desirable clovers or legumes, vegetables, fruits or ornamentals. Do not spray exposed roots of ornamentals and trees. Do not apply more than two applications per year. You must wait at least two weeks between applications.

Not for use on turf being grown for sale or other commercial use such as sod, or for seed production, or for research purposes. Do not apply directly to or near water, storm drains, gutters, sewers or drainage ditches. To prevent product runoff, do not overwater the treated area s to the point of runoff or apply when raining or when rain is expected that day.

Rinse applicator over lawn area only. Where To Use. All opinions are our own we pride ourselves on keeping our articles fair and balanced.

For more info see our disclosure statement. Glyphosate kills weeds especially broadleaf , as well as combating grasses that try to compete with crops. Note: A US court recently found that there is a link between glyphosate and cancer and is thus dangerous. To learn more click here. The chemical is absorbed principally through foliage, and in small quantities around the roots. Diquat gets into the soil and attacks the weed at the roots.

Diquat can be fatal if swallowed , inhaled, or absorbed through the skin in significant quantities. Fluazifop-p-butyl is a herbicide, used to kill grasses, without harming broad-leaved plants. The half-life in soils is one to two weeks. It can be highly toxic to fish and aquatic life. Dicamba is often used in pastures, and non-crop areas to control brush and bracken.

Dicamba works by boosting plant growth to the extent that it runs out of nutrients and dies. So, expect to see initial growth with Dicamba containing herbicides. Regarding Active Ingredients, Roundup has the highest concentration of glyphosate, while Spectracide has the higher density of Diquat. There are more toxicity warnings with Spectracide, and the total active ingredient content in the Roundup product is higher. The Roundup product needs to be manually diluted — the lid doubles as a measuring jug, so dilution to the correct concentration is pretty straightforward 6oz per gallon of water, or 3oz per gallon for easy-to-kill weeds.

Using a tank sprayer purchased separately you spray the weeds you want to kill until the leaves are thoroughly wet. Weeds will begin to wilt within 12 hours and should be completely dead within one to two weeks. It can also be used for veg patch preparation or lawn renovation. However, it is not effective on plants like cactus.

You can also use Roundup to remove weeds from a vegetable garden bed before planting. You only need to wait three days after application to plant your seedlings. Roundup has limited toxicity to fish and aquatic creatures. Although you should still limit runoff into water systems, it is not as dangerous as other herbicides. However, it can be more harmful to humans and could even cause cancer. Because of this danger, it is partially or fully banned in more than 25 states , including California.

Always use proper PPE when working with Roundup, including safety glasses and protective gloves. You may also want to wear a respirator to protect your lungs from harmful vapors.

Overall, Roundup is an effective weed and grass killer that can kill unwanted plants quickly. Spectracide has three active ingredients. Of these, diquat dibromide is in the highest concentration.

It kills plants by damaging cell membranes and interfering with the photosynthesis process. It does not move inside a plant and so only damages the parts that it touches.

Fluazifop-p-butyl is another active ingredient in Spectracide, and it works by stopping lipid synthesis. In turn, this damages the cell membranes of the plants. The chemical only works at the site of contact. The final active ingredient in Spectracide is dicamba. It makes plant cells grow and divide abnormally. The weed absorbs the chemical through its leaves, and it travels throughout. The two main active ingredients in Spectracide only affect the areas that they touch. Dicamba can damage the rest of the plant, but it has the lowest concentration in the herbicide.

Although the products begin working immediately, you may not start to see results for several hours, and complete death of the target weeds or grasses may take up to two weeks, according to the manufacturer. Weed Killer with Extended Control adds another herbicide, oxyuorfen, to the mix.

Add 3 ounces of concentrate to each gallon of water for newly emerged weeds. Mix 5 to 7 ounces per gallon of water to for older, actively growing weeds.