TZONE SE Broadleaf Herbicide for Tough Weeds - 1 Quart

The Verdict

If you’ve battled wild violet, ground ivy, or creeping Charlie, you already know the frustration: most broadleaf herbicides bounce right off them. TZONE SE is the chemical that lawn care pros reach for when the standard stuff fails. Sold as a 1-quart jug, it’s a concentrated selective herbicide that targets over 60 broadleaf weeds while leaving your turfgrass alone.

What’s actually in the bottle

You’re getting a 1-quart jug of liquid concentrate. Mix it at 1 to 1.5 fluid ounces per gallon of water, and that quart stretches to roughly 21,000 square feet of lawn. That’s a substantial coverage advantage over many competitors. The “SE” stands for the solvent-enhanced formulation, which helps the active ingredients penetrate waxy leaf surfaces — the exact reason it works on weeds with thick cuticles like wild violet and ground ivy.

How it performs in real-world use

The active ingredients are a four-way blend: sulfentrazone, penoxsulam, dicamba, and 2,4-D. This combination attacks weeds through multiple modes of action, which reduces the chance of resistance building up. Buyers report visible results — curling, yellowing, and dieback — within 7 to 14 days. One reviewer noted: “I’ve tried everything on wild violet. This is the first thing that actually knocked it back after two applications.” Another mentioned it cleared a yard full of clover in about three weeks with a single pass.

The 2-hour rainfast window is genuinely useful. You can spray in the morning and not panic if an afternoon shower rolls through. It’s also effective at soil temperatures down to 45°F, giving you a longer spring and fall window than many alternatives.

Where it falls short

You need to buy a surfactant separately. The label requires a non-ionic surfactant at 0.25% volume/volume — skip it and you’ll see significantly reduced uptake on waxy-leaved weeds. That’s an extra $10 to $15 and an extra trip to the store.

The smell is real. Multiple buyers describe it as potent, especially during mixing. One put it plainly: “Wear a mask. The concentrate stinks and the spray drift will make you cough.” It dissipates after drying, but mixing indoors is a bad idea.

It’s also not a one-and-done product. TZONE SE kills existing weeds but has minimal soil residual activity. New seeds that germinate will come up untouched, so plan for a second application 4 to 6 weeks later, especially if you’re dealing with wild violet that has established rhizomes.

Who should buy this

• Homeowners with stubborn perennial weeds — if clover, wild violet, or ground ivy have taken over patches of your lawn, this is the right tool.
• People who want professional-grade results — this is the same active ingredient family used by commercial lawn applicators, at a fraction of the cost per treatment.
• Anyone who’s tried Ortho or Spectracide and been disappointed — this is a genuine step up in efficacy.

Skip it if you’re looking for a weed-and-feed product or a ready-to-spray bottle. This requires a sprayer and a bit of mixing math.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How long until I see weeds die? A: Initial wilting appears in 3 to 5 days, with full dieback in 10 to 14 days. Don’t reapply before 2 weeks — you’ll just waste product.

Q: Will it harm my lawn? A: Applied at label rates to established turfgrass, no. It’s selective. But avoid spraying on stressed, newly seeded, or dormant lawns — the label explicitly warns against this.

Q: Can I use it on vegetable gardens or flower beds? A: No. This is strictly for lawn areas. The dicamba component will damage ornamentals and anything edible. Use a dedicated garden herbicide for those spaces.

The Verdict

Buy it if: You’ve got hard-to-kill broadleaf weeds that standard products can’t handle, and you’re willing to follow the label precisely — including the surfactant requirement.

Skip it if: You want a grab-and-go sprayer bottle, or your weed problem is just a few dandelions. A cheaper selective herbicide will do the job.

At 4.6 out of 5 stars across 229 ratings, TZONE SE earns its reputation. It’s not the cheapest or the easiest option, but for tough weeds, it’s the one that actually works.

Where to Buy

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Last updated: 2026-08-06. Ratings and prices current as of review date. Verify on Amazon before purchasing.