Common Broad-leaf Weeds
- Catsear: Often confused with dandelions, catsear is a perennial weed with upright yellow flowers. Its presence in your lawn can indicate a lack of nutrients in the soil, so consider testing your soil and improving its nutrient levels.
- Clover: A low-growing perennial weed commonly found in lawns. Regular watering, especially in summer, can weaken and reduce clover growth over time.
- Onehunga (Prickle Weed): This annual weed has yellow flowers and prickly seeds. To eliminate it, you must spray before the flowers bloom (usually by October) and then reapply in November for two consecutive years.
- Oxalis: A bulb-based weed that is difficult to eradicate. When sprayed, oxalis drops baby bulbs, which grow into new plants. To manage it, you must respray as soon as you see oxalis starting to reappear.
- Creeping Oxalis: A perennial weed with small yellow flowers that is hard to kill. Regular treatment is essential for control.
- Hydrocotyle: Known for causing lawn problems, hydrocotyle is resistant to many common weed sprays. To manage it, lime fertiliser should be incorporated annually and combined with a targeted spray program.
- Convolvulus (Bindweed): A creeping weed with arrow-shaped leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers. To kill, cut the stem close to the ground and remove the foliage, then swab the stump with a wood vine weed killer, such as Yates Woody Weedkiller.
Grass Weeds
- Couch Grass: Also known as twitch, dog grass, or summer grass, couch grass goes dormant during winter but resurfaces in warmer months. It can be invasive if not kept in check.
- Poa: A common annual grass that appears in clumps, often with a different colour from the surrounding lawn.
- Paspalum: This grass weed is problematic in New Zealand, especially during summer when it produces large seed heads. Paspalum can grow to 30 cm even after mowing and becomes dormant in winter.
Treatment
Once you've identified your weeds, visit one of our stores and speak to one of our knowledgeable team members. We can help you select the right products to kill and control your specific weed issues.
After Care
After treating the area for weeds, apply Weed Weapon Preventer Granules to prevent the regrowth of bulbils, which are particularly effective against oxalis. To ensure continued success:
- Avoid disturbing the soil for six months after application.
- If the soil is disturbed, reapply the preventer. While seeds won’t sprout in the treated area, this product is safe for planting other plants (except edibles).
Long-Term Solutions
For a more lasting solution on patios, paths, and driveways, consider Weed Weapon Long Term. This product kills the sprayed weeds and remains active in the soil or on surfaces, preventing regrowth for up to 365 days, depending on environmental conditions. Important note: Weed Weapon Long Term is a non-selective herbicide. It will kill any plants it encounters during the 12-month active period, including those already present in the treated area.
