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Ortho Ground Clear Vs Roundup: Which Herbicide Is Better For Your Garden?

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As a homeowner, you are guaranteed to experience weed infestation at some points. Not only are these unwanted plants found in your lawns and gardens, but they can also make their way into patios, bricks, driveways, etc. 

If left untreated, the grass may prevent other trees from growing properly, suck the nutrients out from the soil, and tamper with the overall landscape. Therefore, it is essential that you use a suitable herbicide to get rid of these invasive weeds. 

But which product should you choose? When confronted with the two most popular choices – Ortho Ground Clear Vs Roundup – it is natural to feel confused.

But worry not, because the comprehensive article below is more than ready to explain the pros and cons of each item for you!  

Overview Of Ortho Ground Clear & Roundup

Ortho Ground Clear and Roundup are both weed killers, which are best known for their powerful performance in the herbicide manufacturing industry. While these two brands are equally popular for gardeners, their ingredients and main usage vary slightly from one another.

Ortho Ground Clear

Ortho Ground Clear prides itself on a high concentration of imazapyr and glyphosate, allowing the substance to break through hard, weedy surfaces and eliminate grassroots completely. 

It is compatible with virtually all kinds of grass, which means you can put Ortho Ground Clear on the entire area of vegetation and let it take its toll. Since this product is fatal, you would want it to stay away from your cultivated plants. 

Roundup

While Roundup shares the same amount of glyphosate as its counterpart, the weed killer does not have imazapyr. This difference makes Roundup more tolerant towards your soil and the roots of other desirable trees

If you need something to remove the stubborn grass sandwiched between your rows of flowers, or weeds that compete with your herbs for air and water, this brand is a reliable option.

Similarities Of Ortho Ground Clear Vs Roundup

1. Active ingredients

When looking at what makes Ortho Ground Clear and Roundup possible for weed removal, glyphosate stands out as the key factor. It is a synthetic compound verified for killing grass, especially perennial ones. The presence of this chemical turns these two products into highly effective herbicides.

2. Package

Both Ortho Ground Clear and Roundup are available in bottles of different sizes, depending on the user’s preferences.

Roundup Ortho Ground Clear vs Roundup 3
Roundup via Amazon

3. Formulas

The two manufacturers are flexible with their offers and prepare a variety of choices for customers. You can find Ortho Ground Clear and Roundup in the form of liquid, concentrates, gel, spray, ready-to-use, etc. 

4. Precautions

Herbicides are not benevolent for the human body as well as the surrounding environment. Direct, extended exposure to such harmful substances can increase the risk of cancer and other serious illnesses. 

If used recklessly, they can kill even the beneficial plants, destroy the land’s texture, affect the micro biosystem, and contaminate the water. Therefore, you have to be extremely careful when using and storing weed killers.

Differences Of Ortho Ground Clear Vs Roundup

1. Active ingredients

While Ortho Ground Clear and Roundup both have glyphosate, the former contains a hefty amount of imazapyr, marking its divergence from the latter. 

Imazapyr is capable of passing through the plant tissues and stopping them from producing enzymes for growth. Thus, it can infiltrate deep inside the undesired grasses and make sure they cannot come back later. 

Since imazapyr is not selective, not only does Ortho Ground Clear a nightmare for weeds, but it is also detrimental to other plants in your gardens.

Ortho Ground Clear Ortho Ground Clear vs Roundup 2
Ortho Ground Clear via Amazon

2. Time needed for results

Ortho Ground Clear promises a total discharge of unwanted plants within a few hours. The chemicals inside this product are high-performance, essentially dismantling the grassroots as soon as they make their way through the land.

On the other hand, you will have to wait roughly half a day for Roundup to kick in. 

3. Maintenance

Ortho Ground Clear is fast-acting and long-lasting in terms of impact, which calls for no re-application. However, it is not water-resistant. Should the weather rains before Ortho Ground Clear fully works, you might need to pour another round of weed killer on the targeted areas,

Roundup has the edge over the other item in this category, as it can fight off against humidity and moisture. Once applied, there is no need to redo until you start to see weeds growing again.

4. Effectiveness

Ortho Ground Clear can keep weed and other unwanted plants dead for up to a year, giving you a weed-free area with just one single application. 

But the efficiency of Roundup is not that resilient. The product is able to control the growth of weeds, but it will wear off soon enough. That is not to mention how Roundup often fails to deal with unyielding grasses. 

Should you come across particularly tough grasses, increase the amount of herbicide needed to clear them up.

5. Best use 

Roundup Ortho Ground Clear vs Roundup 4
Roundup via Amazon

Ortho Ground Clear delivers irreversible damage to all surfaces and kills many types of vegetation. Therefore, it is only suitable to use in places where no plant is welcome, namely driveways, walkways, patios, front yards, etc. 

Remember, once you have used this product in the named areas, they are unlikely to sustain any being.

At the same time, Roundup is more limited in its usage. It does not affect the roots of all plants and only works with certain types of grasses. Hence, Roundup is an excellent choice if you want to focus on killing persistent weed in a specific location. 

And it is less permanent than Ortho Ground Clear, which means you can take advantage of this feature and use the product for anti-weed preparation before starting a garden. 

Which Is Better: Ortho Ground Clear Vs Roundup?

In the battle of Ortho Ground Clear vs Roundup, it is not easy choosing a winner. Instead of pondering over the best product, it makes more sense to determine which product is more suitable for your needs.

Are you looking for a way to get rid of invasive weeds once and for all? If yes, then go for the former. Ortho Ground Clear is designed to exterminate all kinds of plants that you might find disturbing, and the outcomes tend to be satisfying. 

Feel free to use it even on the hardest, thickest layers, as the powerful substance can penetrate them effortlessly.

But for those of you who wish to keep other plants going strong even after applying the herbicide, consider using Roundup. Its impact is not as widespread and pervasive, which lowers the chance of land infertility. Removing dandelions, clovers, nutsedge, or crabgrass will be a piece of cake.

FAQs

1. Does Roundup kill animals?

The manufacturers do not specifically state the threats posed to animals if they happen to come across Roundup. However, herbicides are generally toxic to all living beings. 

Even if they do not kill animals, they can still be dangerous for their health. Thus, it is better to keep animals away from Roundup to avoid any accidents. 

2. How long does Ortho Ground Clear stay in soil?

Imazapyr – the active ingredient in this product – is formulated to keep the soil free from grasses and weeds for up to 12 months. So, it is safe to assume that Ortho Ground Clear remains in the used area throughout the timeframe. 

3. Is there any alternative to chemical herbicides?

Heinz White Vinegar Ortho Ground Clear vs Roundup 4
Heinz White Vinegar via Flickr

If you dislike manufactured herbicides, there are some recipes made by natural ingredients that also kill weeds. But bear in mind that their effects are much duller and take longer to be fully effective.

  • Vinegar: Vinegar is rich in acetic acid, which breaks down the foliage tissue and disassembles the cell membranes of grasses. Researchers have suggested that vinegar concentrations ranging up to 10% will suffice when it comes to weed control.
  • Oil: When combined with a desiccant, oil permeates through the external layers that protect the insides of grasses. 
  • Salt: Salt sucks the moisture out of grass stems, leaves, and roots, essentially depriving them of the much-needed nutrients to sustain life.  

4. Should you wear a mask when using Ortho Ground Clear and Roundup?

Absolutely. The ingredients of these two herbicides can lead to health problems in humans, and they can travel to your internal organs via the respiratory system. 

A mask would provide decent protection against these risks. If possible, you should also wear a pair of gloves and other protective gear. Letting your bare skin come into contact with herbicide – regardless of its form – may lead to itchiness and irritations.

>> Related Post: Tordon Vs Roundup: Identify The 4 Main Differences


Conclusion

Now that you have finished this guideline, choosing between Ortho Ground Clear vs Roundup should be easy enough. Do not forget to check out the conditions of your weed-infested areas before determining which product to use. 

If you find these tips and tricks helpful, send them forward to other homeowners and see what they have to offer!