This is probably a good thing, since some herbicides when used improperly could wreak havoc in the home landscape, but are nonetheless safe and effective when applied by a professional. Most of the homeowner products are applied post-emergence , that is, to existing weeds.
Some products selectively kill broadleaf or grass weeds.
A discussion of some of the most useful herbicidal active ingredients follows, with some examples of commercial formulations. Active ingredients, as opposed to inert ingredients, are the herbicidal components of weed control products. Selective, broadleaf herbicides. The broadleaf herbicides, while used in the vicinity of ornamentals, are not labeled for use in ornamentals because they may injure them severely. Injury to ornamentals is easy to identify by the presence of twisted or distorted leaves - 'the growth regulator effect'.