How To Get Rid Of Weeds In Lawn Pet Friendly

Just For Pets Weed Killer Spray

A non-toxic weed killer that was created by pet owners to be four-footer friendly.

About: Just For Pets Weed Killer Spray is a non-toxic, glyphosate-free formula thats made by pet lovers for use in fur-friendly yards. With the included nozzle, just mist unwanted weeds and see results within hours.

And while all of the weed killers we recommend here are safe for pets when used properly, this one is the only one actually created by pet owners. This makes the product the best option for owners who dont want to take any chances with their canine.

Features:

• Use caution around lawns, as this will kill nearby grass
• Some owners had problems with the included sprayer

Green Gobbler Vinegar Weed And Grass Killer

According to the manufacturer, Green Gobbler Vinegar Weed Killer can eliminate any type of common weed in less than 24 hours. Its made from ethanol distilled from corn grain and contains 20 percent acetic acid, making it four times more effective than traditional table vinegar.

There are no toxic chemicals in this formula, which removes weeds from various outdoor surfaces including driveways, sidewalks and mulch beds. More 10,000 Amazon reviewers cited it for its affordable price and fast-acting, effective weed killing.

This is the only product we use for killing weeds! writes verified Amazon reviewer Rita. Natural and organic and kills weeds within a day. Plus, you can dilute to 10 percent from the 20 percent vinegar to stretch it out!

Pure White Vinegar Is A Great Organic Weed Killer

Simply decant white vinegar into a spray bottle and mist the weeds you want to kill. You may need to apply the vinegar several days in a row, but it will do the trick.

Its best to apply your spray bottle of vinegar in the morning on a sunny day because the rays of the sun amplify the effectiveness.

Take extra care with over-spraying vinegar on your lawn and garden. Vinegar in high amounts will also kill your garden plants if you arent careful.

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Roundup And Pets: Is It Safe

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Roundup is a popular weed killer and lawn treatment, but its main ingredient is isopropylamine salt of glyphosate. Monsanto, the manufacturer of Roundup began selling the product in 1974. In 2015, the World Health Organization determined that glyphosate is probably carcinogenic to humans.

In 2019, a California couple won a $2 billion dollar lawsuit after they developed cancer linked to the use of Roundup weed killer. Although the judge cut the lawsuit to $86.7 million, the settlement was upheld.

Dogs like to roll on grass, many cats go for walks on a leash and their paws encounter grassy lawns, and pets often lick their feet or fur while they are lounging around the house. Any non-pet-friendly weed killers they encounter outside can be ingested into their bloodstream.

According to the National Pesticide Information Center, pets that come in contact with wet glyphosate products may drool, have gastric upset, lose their appetites, or become sleepynone of which are noted on the Roundup labeling or website.

If you do choose to use Roundup as your weed-killer of choice, its important to keep your dog away from the treated area and talk to your veterinarian if you have concerns.

What Has The Weed Killer Got In It

Just because a brand says their weed killer is pet safe doesnt mean it is organic, and it is often the case that they are not. A large number of weed killer products contain glyphosate and while this is thought to be harmless to pets once fully dried, there are still some questions about how much it affects the soil, and whether or not it is carcinogenic to humans, despite many companies claims to the contrary.

If a weed killer is organic it will no doubt say so on the labelling and will probably have the words glyphosate free in there somewhere. These organic weed killers usually contain something like aecetic acid, which is a main component of white vinegar and is relatively harmless.

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Why Choose A Pet

If theres one thing we all know about chemicals is that theres always a downside to spraying them around. Pets are curious by nature, and your dog or cat would often sniff or lick the chemicals. That could lead to some serious health problems that would require an immediate visit to the vet. But these are not the only reasons that youd want to make your own pet-friendly weed killer instead of buying a commercial one.

• Chemical herbicides make the area not safe for children for at least 24 hours or more.
• The toxins in the commercial weed killers also kill the other plants, including flowers and perennials you grow in the garden.
• If you spray chemicals in your garden, chances are you will have to get rid of all the veggies that might get contaminated as well.
• Even commercial weed killers that are labeled as safe to use still pose a health risk for pets and children if they touch or ingest the material.
• Toxic chemicals in herbicides stay in the soil for a long time and might even break down into more hazardous materials over time.
• No matter how careful you are, pets will end up touching the chemicals, absorbing them with their paws, and licking them. So its not worth taking the risk with chemical herbicides.

How Long Should I Keep My Pets Away From Weed Killers

Look for information on your chosen products safety label. That should tell you approximately how long you should keep your pet away from the area where you used the product. Err on the longer side of things, just to be safe. Additionally, keep your pet out of the area when youre actually applying the weed killer.

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Common Lawn Weeds And How To Get Rid Of Them

Even the best-tended lawns come under attack from common weeds. Weed seeds float in on the wind, creeping weeds claim more territory, and weeds you thought you pulled quietly continue to grow. How well your lawn copes with the onslaught depends on the weeds involved, the response you choose and your lawns overall health. Understanding common lawn weeds and the options available to fight them can help you successfully combat the invasion.

To help simplify weed defense, weve charted 10 common lawn weeds, including their characteristics, type and how they spread, and most importantly- how to eliminate them. Weeds, like ornamental garden plants, can be annuals or perennials. Annual weeds, such as crabgrass, complete their entire life cycle in a single growing season, and then die, leaving seeds behind to continue the legacy. Perennial weeds, such as dandelions, come back year after year from their roots, and distribute new seeds to boot. Weeds can also be grass-like, broadleaf or sedge. Choosing the right weed control product requires understanding the weed you want to fight and its stage of growth. Pre-emergent weed controls, sometime called preventers, work to keep weed seeds from germinating and developing. Post-emergent weed controls fight weeds that have already germinated and emerged from the soil.

Is Weed Control Safe For Your Kids And Pets

Across Alberta, thousands of homeowners trust the work of lawn care professionals to service their lawn all season long. Companies make this happen by using synthetic fertilizer and weed control, and organic additives. While many companies take precautions to ensure your treatments are safe for everyone in your household, there are companies that dont disclose the proper information.

In this case, the proper information involves ensuring everyone knows how to safely work with weed control products. By the end of this article, you will have the tools you need to safely apply weed control yourself, or youll know the specific questions to ask the lawn care company to ensure your children and pets will always be safe while you enjoy a beautiful lawn.

To keep this simple, we will categorize weed control into two types: selective and non-selective. Selective weed control means that the active ingredients within the product focus on killing some vegetation, but not ALL vegetation. The herbicide, 2,4-D, is a great example of this as it kills broadleaves but does not harm grass type plants. Non-selective herbicides must be used with extreme care because they will kill 99% of the vegetation it touches, including your lawn, flowers, and vegetables.

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Things To Look For In A Weed Killer

If youre on the hunt for a pet-friendly weed killer, the most important thing is to check the label to make sure its made from all-natural ingredients.

Its also important to know what type of weeds the product can kill. Some formulas are designed to target specific types of weeds, while others can kill dozens or hundreds of different types. Be sure to check the label to make sure that the product youre buying can destroy the type of weeds in your garden.

One other thing to consider is if the product needs to be mixed or diluted prior to use. Most weed killers are ready to use immediately, but some are concentrated and require mixing and diluting with water. You can save yourself some time by buying one thats in a spray bottle, ready to use!

Ready to eradicate those unsightly weeds once and for all? Here are fourteen pet-friendly weed killers to try on your lawn and garden:

As the name suggests, the Just For Pets Weed Killer Spray is pet-safe. Its also effective on a variety of different types of weeds.

It doesnt require any mixing, and theres no need to dilute it with water. Just spray it on your weeds, and youre done!

This product is known to eliminate weeds quickly but thats only one reason to love it. The other reason is that a portion of every sale is donated to animal shelters around the country. With this weed killer, you can protect your pets and help to save others!

Corn Meal Weed Killer Recipe

Ingredients

• Corn Meal for 40 lbs
• Spray bottle $11.99for 4 16 oz bottles

Directions

To prevent weed growth in your lawn, remove all existing weeds first. Then, sprinkle Soil Mender corn meal on your yard. It suppresses the development of small feeder roots and effectively prevents crabgrass, dandelions, curly dock, knotweed, lambs quarters, pigweed, and plantain. It will not hurt the grass in your yard or any other plants.

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Espoma Weed Preventer Plus

Espoma is one of the only weed-killers we found that is safe to use on the lawn. It gets to work and stops weeds from growing in the first place. It will not kill weeds that are already growing, so it has to be applied before seeds germinate.

Our research also found that the only ingredient in Espoma is cornmeal gluten which is great for inhibiting common weeds like crabgrass and dandelion.

It cant be applied to weeds that are already growing, so we chose to recommend Green Gobbler Vinegar Weed Killer instead, even though it can not be used on lawns.

What Harmful Ingredients Should I Watch Out For In A Weed Killer

If youre not shopping specifically for a weed killer thats branded as safe for use around pets, there are a few harmful ingredients you can watch out for in other products, that you may want to avoid if you do have pets frequently around the area where you intend to apply that product.

Glyphosate is one of the most harmful weed killer ingredients and the main ingredient in most popular weed killers. Unfortunately, glyphosate is a carcinogen.

Trimec is another popular weed-killer ingredient. It is considered safe for both pets and children if used as directed, but you will have to keep pets and children away from the wet liquid for a few hours after application. When wet, the ingredient is still considered harmful. If this is a worry for you, youll want to avoid trimec in your chosen weed killer.

Lastly, sethoxydim is considered slightly toxic if ingested and irritating if touched. It can cause skin and eye irritation and inhalation can cause throat and nose irritation.

For the safest options for your pets and overall family, avoid weed killers and other products that contain any of the above.

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Smother Them With Grass

This step is better off done when the larger weeds are gone, but one of the best ways to get rid of weeds in your lawn is to let the grass outgrow them and deny them space to live!

You can do this by feeding your lawn the right fertilizer I highly recommend the Sunday Lawn Care subscription fertilizer plan.

About The Author

Aaron is the founder of and Essential Home and Garden. He likes to spend his spare time with his family, and doing DIY projects in the home and garden.

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Vinegar Salt Or Sugar

Did you know that you have effective weed killers sitting on your pantry shelf? Vinegar is a great pet-friendly weed killer when sprayed directly on the weeds you want to kill. You may have to spray vinegar a few times on more tenacious weeds, but it’ll get the job done, especially when it’s hot outside. Salt can also be an effective weed suppressant since salt makes soil unsuitable for plants. This is ideal for gravel or patio areas where you want to discourage any plants from growing. Finally, sugar is a surprisingly effective pet-friendly weed killer. Sugar makes soil temporarily inhospitable for plants and is an excellent way to kill weed trees, vines, and bushes that pop up and are difficult to pull out.

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Best Pet Friendly Weed Killers That Are Safe

Thing is, the really strong industrial style weed killers arent the safest of chemicals to be spraying around if you have kids or pets, and that is why I thought itd be a good idea to review the best pet friendly weed killers that are safe for the garden use.

These are either organic weed killer compounds that are safe immediately, or ones that dry quickly without leaving a harmful residue and allow your pets and children to play in the sprayed area soon after.

It should come as no surprise that most of the biggest names in the weed killer world are featured here, as each has their own pet friendly weed killers to offer. Theyve formulated their compounds to go inactive once they touch soil which exponentially makes them safer for your pets.

Our reviews are impartial, in-depth, and we will let you know exactly what we think of each product, good or bad. So, without further delay, lets get started on the best pet friendly weed killer reviews.

Whats The Best Way To Get Rid Of Weeds

Having taken a close look at the several weed control options available, we have concluded that using chemical-based selective herbicide products and organic vinegar are the two best methods for getting rid of weed growing on your lawn. Although techniques like pulling weeds by hand and newspaper mulching are popular methods for getting rid of weeds, they are not as practical as our two picks, nor can they be sustained for long-term use on extensive lawns.

Chemical-based selective herbicide products.

Selective herbicides are chemical weed control products that kill or suppress specific plant species while leaving other plants unharmed. They are available in a diluted ready-to-use mixture or concentrated form. Modern selective herbicides are designed with complex chemical formulas to tell-apart different broadleaf and grass plant species for more weed-killing efficiency. This makes selective herbicides a better option for removing weeds from your lawn than non-selective herbicides such as Roundup, which kill all plant types.

Benefits of selective herbicides.

Tips on using selective herbicides.

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Are There Any Pet

Some homeowners like to use granular weed killers, rather than liquid products. However, this is rarely the best option for pet owners.

Most of the pet-safe granular weed killers are actually pre-emergent weed killers, rather than products thatll kill existing weeds. And if youre going to use a pre-emergent weed killer around pets, you may as well just use something completely non-toxic , such as corn gluten meal.

At this time, we arent aware of any granular weed killer wed feel comfortable recommending for pet owners. If youre aware of one that may be suitable, let us know in the comments below.

Herbicides For Weed Removal In Lawns

If your entire lawn is completely overtaken with weeds and nothing has seemed to work in terms of pulling up weeds, fertilizing, keeping the grass at 2-4 inches, and watering properly, the final resort is herbicides.

Beware of roundup, as it is not only toxic to other plants, but extremely toxic for humans and pets.

According to thisoldhouse.com, Some herbicides work only within a certain temperature range others work only when applied at a specific time of year.

So always make sure to always follow the instructions carefully, and confirm that the grass you are growing can grow well utilizing that particular herbicide.

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