Products That Kill Weeds & Grass but Not the Plants
Products used to control troublesome plants are known as herbicides. Herbicides are divided into two types: selective and nonselective. To target a troublesome plant, such as a weed, without killing all the surrounding plants, choose a selective herbicide. Does this Spark an idea?
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Identification
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Selective herbicides are specifically designed to kill undesirable grasses and broad-leaved weeds. They may be applied to prevent growth in the early stages of germination, in which case they are called pre-emergence herbicides. Post-emergence herbicides are applied when the undesirable plants are actively growing.
Types
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The first type of selective herbicide was 2,4-D, which was introduced in the 1940s. Other types of selective herbicides include mecoprop, dicamba, pendimethalin, trifluralin, benefin, siduron, linuron, dithiopyr and prodiamine.
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Considerations
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Even selective herbicides can damage surrounding desirable plants when they are improperly applied. Selectivity will only be successful when herbicides are applied at the appropriate rates and times. Always read product labels carefully and apply as recommended.
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