How to Identify and Kill Melbourne’s Most Common Weeds
Identifying weeds early is the secret to maintaining a pristine Melbourne lawn. Our local climate and heavy clay soils often encourage specific “invaders” that can quickly choke out popular grass varieties like Sir Walter Buffalo, Kikuyu, and Couch. If you want to maintain a healthy yard, it’s important to identify weeds as soon as they appear.
1. Bindii (Jo-Jo)
- Identification: A low-growing weed with fine, carrot-like ferny leaves. It is infamous for producing painful, prickly seed heads in late spring and summer. Spotting and identifying weeds such as bindii will make removal easier.
- How to Kill: The best time to act is autumn to winter before the prickles form.
- Selective Herbicides: Use products like Amgrow Bin-Die or Bow and Arrow which are safe for most lawn types including Buffalo to target and identify weeds for proper control.
- Manual: Hand-pull small patches, ensuring you remove the entire plant and root.
2. Capeweed
- Identification: A flat-growing rosette with large, deeply lobed grey-green leaves and a distinct white, woolly underside. It produces yellow, daisy-like flowers with black centres from late winter to summer. As soon as you identify weeds like capeweed, take action fast.
- How to Kill:
- Manual: Use a hand weeder or small spade to dig out the central taproot completely; if left, it will regrow. For successful manual removal, it’s vital to identify weeds quickly.
- Chemical: Treat larger infestations with a selective broadleaf herbicide containing dicamba or bromoxynil (ensure the product is Buffalo-safe if applicable).
3. Onion Weed & Onion Grass
- Identification: Thin, green, strappy leaves that smell like onions when crushed. They grow from white bulbs that produce many small “bulblets” underground. Identifying weeds such as onion grass early makes their eradication less challenging.
- How to Kill: This is one of Melbourne’s hardest weeds to eradicate.
- Critical Tip: Never pull these weeds by hand, as this triggers the bulblets to detach and sprout into new plants.
- Method: Dig the entire clump out with a spade, or use specialized herbicides like Ferris WG for severe cases. It is much simpler if you identify weeds at the start of the growing season.
4. Winter Grass (Poa Annua)
- Identification: A bright green, soft-leaved tufted grass that thrives in Melbourne’s cool, wet winters. It is easily spotted by its prolific white, feathery seed heads. Once you identify weeds such as winter grass, you can protect your lawn from spreading seeds.
- How to Kill:
- Prevention: Apply a pre-emergent herbicide like Barricade in autumn to stop seeds from germinating, and remember to identify weeds before they increase.
- Removal: Hand-weed early before seed heads appear, as a single plant can drop thousands of seeds. Promptly identify weeds to keep your yard tidy.
Expert Weed Control Tips for Victorians
- Identify First: Always use a guide like the Weeds of the South-East or the Gardener’s Companion to Weeds to ensure you choose the right treatment. In addition, the ability to identify weeds with confidence helps stop infestations early.
- Buffalo Warning: Many common weedkillers contain chemicals that will kill Buffalo lawns. Always look for “Buffalo Safe” on the label.
- Health is Defense: The best way to prevent weeds is to maintain a thick, healthy lawn through regular fertilising and proper mowing height.
Would you like a step-by-step spray guide including the best mixing ratios for your specific lawn type? Before you start, remember it’s crucial to identify weeds for effective results.