Weeds growing between the cracks in your patio and paving stones give an untidy look to your yard.
Removing them by hand is time-consuming. And they often come back again.
But you can make the job a lot easier by using a good weed killer.
The best weed killer for patios and pavers is Ortho Groundclear Vegetation Killer.
It’s one of the most powerful products available, killing most weeds and grasses. And it prevents weeds from growing in the treated area for up to a year at a time.
The top choices at a glance:
- Ortho Groundclear Vegetation Killer – Best Overall
- Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer – Best Budget Choice
- Green Gobbler Vinegar Weed Killer – Best Natural Weed Killer For Patios & Pavers
All links lead to Amazon, where you can find more information & customer reviews.
The Best Weed Killer For Patios And Pavers: Reviews
My top 8 selections contain chemical and natural weed killers.
To help you kill all the vegetation growing between your patio and paving stones I’ve chosen the most powerful and effective options available.
Ortho Groundclear Vegetation Killer
Ortho Groundclear is a powerful weed killer that can kill most common weeds and grasses.
It contains the active chemical ingredients glyphosate and imazapyr, at 5% and 0.8% concentration respectively. And it has residual activity in the soil that gives you weed control for up to a year, preventing new weeds from growing.
This makes it an excellent choice for spraying in locations where you don’t want anything to grow. Such as pavers, patios, sidewalks, walkways, and around foundations.
As a systemic weed killer, it kills to the root so the weeds don’t grow back. And you’ll notice it working quickly after application, with wilting and discoloring visible within hours. Although you can expect the usual couple of weeks to kill the weeds that it takes with systemic herbicides.
Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer Concentrate
Spectracide is another fast-acting weed killer. You can start seeing results just a few hours after application. And weeds are often killed within 24 hours.
But this won’t always happen. The quickest and best results are seen with small and young weeds. You can expect it to take longer to kill mature weeds.
It contains the herbicides dicamba, diquat, and fluazifop-p-butyl. This gives it both contact and systemic properties. Allowing for fast results immediately after spraying. And killing the roots to prevent them regrowing.
This combination also gives you both selective and non-selective herbicides. So it will kill all vegetation you spray it on.
A useful feature of this weed killer is that it dries in around 15 minutes. Allowing you to get the job done even on days that threaten rain.
As well as being one of the best weed killers for patios, it also works as an insecticide. Killing any insects that are infesting your paving cracks.
Compare-N-Save Concentrate Grass and Weed Killer
Compare-N-Save is a budget weed killer that’s very popular with homeowners.
It’s a post-emergent weed killer that consists of 41% glyphosate. And it will kill any unwanted weeds growing through your patio and between pavers.
As a systemic weed killer, it kills weeds to the root so they don’t grow back again.
But unlike RM43, it doesn’t offer residual control. So new weeds may sprout and grow in the area.
As a systemic weed killer it takes time to work its magic. With a couple of weeks needed to kill the weeds completely.
RM43 Weed Preventer Total Vegetation Control
RM 43 is one of the strongest and most effective weed killers available on the market.
It acts as a post-emergent herbicide that kills weeds already growing. And it has pre-emergent properties to prevent weed seeds germinating in the treated area. With the residual activity stopping unwanted plants growing in the cracks between your patio and pavers for up to 1 year at a time.
The main ingredients that give it its powers are two non-selective herbicides: 43% glyphosate and 0.8% imazapyr. These can kill all broadleaf weeds, grasses, and grass-like weeds.
And because these two herbicides are both systemic in their action, they also kill the roots, preventing the plants from regrowing.
The effective formula contains a surfactant that helps the weed killer stick to the weeds. This increases its uptake into the plants and leads to a better result.
But systemic weed killers also require patience. Because they kill plants slowly from the inside it takes a couple of weeks for them to die.
Green Gobbler Vinegar Weed Killer
Green Gobbler is a high-strength vinegar that consists of 20% acetic acid solution. It’s excellent at killing weeds on contact. And it’s fast-acting, with results noticeable in a few hours.
It’s a non-selective weed killer, so it kills all vegetation that you spray it on. But because it’s not systemic, it only kills the parts of the plant it makes contact with.
So although it’s easy to kill weeds above the ground, it’s not as likely to kill the roots. So the weeds might grow back. And you will have to spray them again as they regrow to keep the weed problem under control.
One of the advantages of using high-strength vinegar is that it’s a natural weedkiller. Some people prefer to not use chemicals in their yard as it’s safer and better for the environment.
But because it can still burn, you should use protective clothing while spraying.
A disadvantage compared to chemical herbicides is that it’s not as cost-efficient.
Roundup Super Concentrate Weed & Grass Killer
Roundup is well known for being a powerful vegetation killer that kills everything you spray it on.
This means it’s not a good choice for using around your grass around flowerbeds.
But it’s very suitable for spraying weeds growing through your hardscapes.
It contains a strong glyphosate solution of 50.2%. Giving it the ability to attack plants systemically, working its way around their circulatory system to destroy the roots.
And most of the time you just need one application to do the job.
It’s very similar to Compare N Save. But it has a higher concentration at the recommended dilution. And unlike RM43 and Ortho, RoundUp weed killer doesn’t offer the same level of residual control.
But it has a strong reputation for getting the job done. Whether your weeds are growing between stones, pavers, or through gravel.
Doctor Kirchner Natural Weed Killer
Doctor Kirchner’s combines high-strength vinegar, seawater, and soap, to create a highly effective natural weed killer.
The vinegar burns the weeds on contact. And the salt draws water out of plants causing them to dehydrate. The soap is added as a surfactant to help the mixture stick to the leaves and enhance the results.
This means it has some added extras over Green Gobbler. But this is usually reflected in the price.
As it’s non-selective you have to be careful not to spray it on desirable plants near your patio. But because it isn’t systemic it will only do a small amount of damage if you have an accident.
And because it doesn’t kill the roots, weeds will sometimes regrow. So you might need to repeat the treatment from time to time to keep them under control.
It’s best used to kill small, young weeds. By the time they become large and mature, it might be difficult to take care of them with vinegar.
But you have to be careful when spraying between the cracks not to get vinegar on pavers as it can cause damage to them.
The product is long-lasting and you can safely store it for years without losing its potency.
BioAdvanced DuraZone Weed & Grass Killer
This weed and grass killer from BioAdvanced has the advantage of being ready-to-use. So there’s no mixing of chemicals and water in a tank sprayer. You can get straight to work and spray it from the bottle.
It’s a non-selective herbicide that kills all plants growing through your patio and pavers.
And it also has residual activity. Preventing weeds from growing through the cracks for 6 months at a time after application.
It contains the active ingredients diquat, glyphosate, and Indaziflam. This gives it contact and systemic action. Providing quick results and killing to the root. Results are often seen within a few hours. But it can take 2 weeks or more to completely kill stubborn weeds.
What To Look For In A Paver & Patio Weed Killer
Here are the important things to consider when choosing the best weed killer for patio and pavers:
Is It Selective?
Weed killers are either selective or non-selective.
Selective weed killers only kill certain types of weeds. Usually, this is broadleaf weeds. And sometimes grass-like weeds such as nutsedge and crabgrass. But they don’t kill all grasses.
They’re good weed killers for flower beds and lawns as you can use them safely without harming the desirable plants in your garden.
Non-selective weeds kill all plants you apply them to. This makes them a better choice for killing weeds between patio stones, brick pavers, and driveway cracks.
You don’t want anything growing there. So you don’t need to be selective about what weeds you kill and which ones you leave behind.
Is It Contact Or Systemic?
As the name suggests, contact weed killers start to kill weeds immediately after you spray them. This leads to fast results. But if they don’t make contact with the roots the weeds might grow back.
Systemic weed killers are absorbed into the plant. Then they’re translocated around the plant’s circulatory system, killing it from the inside. Eventually, they work their way down to the roots, killing them as well. By completely killing the plant systemic herbicides prevent it from regrowing.
The best weed killer for pavers and patio stones will ideally kill the roots so they don’t regrow. This makes less work for you. Unless you don’t mind doing the job regularly.
You can get weed killers that combine both systemic and contact herbicides.
Does It Have Residual Activity?
Some weed killers are persistent in the ground for many months. This residual activity prevents weeds from sprouting and growing in the treated area.
This can be a problem for gardeners who might want to replant the area. But it’s great for use on your patio and between pavers.
Some of the best patio weed killers can keep the weeds away for most of the year. Significantly reducing the amount of work you need to do.
Natural vs Chemical
You can get both natural and chemical weed killers.
Some people don’t like using chemicals in their yards because of potential health concerns. Particularly if they have young children or pets regularly playing there.
Natural weed killers, such as vinegar, can do a good job, but they don’t usually have the same long-lasting results. So you’ll have to spray between your pavers more often.
So chemical herbicides are usually the best weed and grass killers for large areas.
Application
You need to mix bottles of concentrate in a good weed killer sprayer before use. But you can also get ready-to-spray products that allow you to spray directly from the bottle.
This is quicker and easier. But it makes it harder for you to vary weed killer concentration. Which is useful when dealing with stubborn or mature weeds that are difficult to kill. And spray tanks can be easier to use when treating weeds over larger areas.
Final Thoughts
Using a herbicide makes weed control a quick and painless process. And as long as you choose the right product, you can get long-lasting results without damaging your patio or paving stones.
But it’s not your only option. If you don’t mind putting in a bit more work you can also consider a good paver weeding tool. This has the advantage of removing the roots as well. And can be a useful addition to using weed killer as you can easily dig out any leftover plant material.
