Let’s Create A Foundation
The best weed killer for Arizona is completely dependent on a number of factors (I’m sorry it’s not a blanket answer). However, before we can get into all the factors, let’s take a step back so that we can build a foundation. Weeds in Arizona are like lawns in the Midwest; they grow until you cut them down (or kill them).
No matter what part of the state you live in (Southern, Mid, Northern), your needs for weed killer will be different. And depending on your part of the State, the weed varieties will be different, thus requiring slightly different weed killer needs. So let’s dive into the factors that will help you decide what’s the best weed killer for you.
Looking for right product to kill weeds in Arizona?
1: Identify the Weed
The first factor to consider for the best weed killer for Arizona is to identify what weeds you have. If you don’t know what weeds you have, then killing them will be challenging. To identify your weeds, begin by taking photos of three to five of your most common weeds. Then do a Google search like “what are common weeds in Prescott Arizona?” Google will display images of common weeds and you can cross-check what weeds you have, then make a list. Once you have your list, it’s time to learn a little bit about each weed variety.
Click the link here to check out our article on Common Northern Arizona weeds!
Puncturevine: a common Arizona weed
2: Life-Cycles Of Weeds
The second factor to learn about is what is the life-cycle of the weeds you’re dealing with. Let’s use Puncturevine as an example and do a Google search for “Puncturevine.” Once you get Puncturevine information, you want to look for a couple very important things. First, what is the life-cycle of the Puncturevine?
Annual, Biennial, and Perennial are the three life-cycle stages of landscape weeds.
Annuals
Annual weeds have a one year life cycle; they germinate in Spring, grow quickly, flower, produce seed, then die in Winter.
Biennials
Biennial weeds have a two year life cycle; they germinate in Spring and grow and in the second year they flower, produce seed, then die.
Perennials
Perennial weeds live for many years and produce flowers & seeds throughout their life cycle.
From a Google search, we learned that Puncturevine is an annual weed. Why is this important? It’s important because we also learned that the Puncturevine can produce nearly 10,000 seeds per life cycle. This means that your one weed could produce another 10,000 weeds in future years, and this is only from one weed! Therefore, expediency is key to eradicating the Puncturevine because it spreads so fast.
3: Broadleaf weed or grassy weed?
The third factor to consider to kill weeds in Arizona is, are you dealing with a broadleaf weed or grassy weed?
Broadleaf weeds are characterized by wide, flat leaves, and they tend to look more “shrub-like” in their appearance.
Grassy weeds are characterized by narrow, blade-like leaves, and they tend to look like wild grasses found in the wild. Broadleaf or grassy is important because, depending on the variety, they may be more challenging to eradicate.
Sedge Weeds can also be found in Arizona. A sedge weed is a grass-like plant with stiff, triangular stems and narrow leaves that thrives in moist soil and spreads aggressively through underground tubers or rhizomes.
4: Current & Future Goals
The fourth factor to consider for the best weed killer for Arizona is your current (and future) goal. When people have weeds growing, they typically want them gone as soon as possible. In this example, there are a couple options for you.
First, you can trim down the weeds, which gives you immediate visible results. However, if the weeds are not sprayed after they’re trimmed, they’ll most likely grow back in the ensuing weeks. Second, you can pull out the weeds by hand to ensure the roots are removed. This will prevent those pesky weeds from growing back.
The third option (the option that we recommend) is to spray the weeds with weed killer while they are full in size. What we mean is that we want to spray weed killer on the weeds before they are trimmed down. When the weeds are full size, they have more surface area to suck in the weed killer. This gives the weeds a higher likelihood of dying from the weed killer.
If the weeds are trimmed, then weed killer is sprayed on what’s left, then the likelihood is very low that the weed will suck up enough weed killer to kill the root. At that point you’re left with a living weed that will grow back and continue giving you problems.
A Weed-free Arizona yard
5: Post-Emergent information
The fifth factor to consider for dealing with pesky weeds is what type of post-emergent treatment should I spray on my weeds. When you look at any store that sells weed killer, you’ll see many options. We have not used every option so we can’t speak to them. However, what we’ve found most useful for killing weeds is a Glyphosate based active ingredient with Diquat.
Between these two ingredients, you get quick visible results browning/burning of the weed along with ultimate killing in the very near future. To find something similar to what we use is somewhat challenging. That’s because we buy our products separately, then mix them together in our tanks.
As for what weed killer you should spray on your weeds, if you’re not interested in ordering/mixing products, then your best bet is to purchase the concentrate version of whatever weed killer you decide. Then read the label for your rate, then double that rate in your mix for the best results.
Remember that this is for most weed killers purchased from a landscape store (as opposed to where professionals like us purchase our weed killer). This is because store-bought weed killers are typically weak and their rates often lead to poor results. The concentrate allows you to spray a higher rate, as opposed to ready to use pre-mixed weed killer, giving you more control of your application.
6: Pre-emergent information
The sixth factor to consider is future weed prevention. The product that we are referring to is called pre-emergent. Pre-emergent is a product that kills weeds when they’re babies, before you ever even see them. If you don’t want weeds to grow in your landscape in the future, then pre-emergent is the product for you. We’ve written an entire article about pre-emergent, which you can read here. In this article we will give you a high-level overview so you can decide if pre-emergent is right for you.
The first thing to know about pre-emergent is that it takes time before it prevents weeds. We tell our customers to expect very little weed kill in year one, but each year after they’ll see it work wonderfully.
The second thing to know is that the quality of pre-emergent is vitally important. We use the best pre-emergent on the market, while our competitors use an average-at-best pre-emergent.
The third thing to know is that the quantity of pre-emergent used is extremely important. The rate we use leads to becoming weed free in just a couple of years, while our competitors use a lower rate.
The fourth thing to know is that timing is not as important as you’ve been trained to think. Therefore, starting the pre-emergent process is the most important thing.
The fifth thing to know is that consistency is mandatory for weed control success. If you only spray one pre-emergent treatment, it’s like throwing money away. Only when you apply pre-emergent multiple times per year will your landscape become weed free.
How to pick the best weed killer for Arizona
In Conclusion: How to pick the best weed killer for Arizona
Throughout this article we’ve given you the step-by-step process for the best weed killer for Arizona.
- Identify the weed
- Learn the life-cycle
- Learn broadleaf or grassy
- Current & future goals
- Post emergent information
- Pre-emergent information
From this list, you’ll be able to kill and prevent nearly any weed you want. While this may seem overwhelming at first, it really isn’t. And if you aren’t interested in doing this yourself, then call/email us today.
Northern Arizona Weed Control
Want help from a pro?
We are experts at weed control. The only services we offer are for weed control. We will undoubtedly be able to provide you with the highest quality weed control available in Northern Arizona.
Matt Rotty
Thank you so much for reading this article and have a wonderful day!
Want to learn more?
Read When is the best time to apply pre-emergent in Northern Arizona? to learn more about how to select the best pre-emergent weed control company!
For videos on how to control weeds, check out our YouTube channel!