When should you use a hose end weed killer?

Hose end weed killers are very handy for taking care of large amounts of weeds. You can get a Ready to Spray version that simply hooks onto your hose and away you go, or you can get the more DIY hose end version where you mix a concentrate yourself.

Personally I prefer using the ready to spray hose end versions simply because there is no mess or cleanup. Both options are only ideal for smaller sized yards simply because hoses usually don’t reach very far.

Hose end sprayers also cover large areas of space so if you are only killing a few weeds here or there it’s a lot of wasted chemicals. While I’m not afraid to use chemicals on my lawn, I do believe in using as little as possible. Even though these products are safe for lawns, using them stresses the lawn so the less you use the better.

Once I’ve used a hose end version I’ll then follow up weekly with a ready to spray trigger version. These are usually a one gallon jug with a wand or a trigger sprayer attached. I save the hose end weed killers for the initial attack on weeds when they are abundant and spot spraying would just take too long.

For large lawns I would recommend using a concentrate simply because you’ll save a lot of money over using a ready to spray version.