Do you love to walk barefoot walk through your lawn?

To feel the cool blades of grass through your toes?

Don’t let the ghastly Bindii wreck your fun this summer.

Late winter to early spring is the best time to get on top of your Bindii weed problem.

Bindii weed (soliva sessilis) is a common lawn weed originally native to South America. It’s now well established in many places around the world and has become particularly invasive in Australian yards and playing fields.

It’s a low-growing weed that first appears in winter with small feathery leaves similar to a carrot top or parsley before developing a small bright flower. When spring comes along it produces a prickly seed pod that penetrates anything from our feet, pet paws, bike and car tyres and soles of your shoes.

Luckily, there are many easy and effective ways to control and remove bindii weeds. Management methods include removing bindii by hand, spraying your lawn and prevention measures like keeping the lawn well maintained.

Control Bindii with Lawn Maintenance

Like many nuisance weeds, the presence of bindii in your turf is telling you something about the health of your lawn. A healthy and well-maintained lawn is far less likely to be invaded by weeds.

If bindii is in your turf, it could be telling you one or several of the following things:

• You’re mowing your lawn too low
• Your turf needs feeding
• Your soil is compacted and needs aerating
• Your soil is too acidic

Water and fertilise your lawn regularly and raise the mower height to avoid scalping the grass. Turf that is cut too low can develop patches, inviting weed invasion. A high lawn naturally prevents weeds by smothering them.

Any bindii that develops over winter can be effectively removed by hand pulling the seedlings. However manual removal can be very tedious in a badly infested lawn or large area.

Preventing bindii invasion through regular maintenance can be difficult and time-consuming, especially when you’re hit with extreme weather conditions. Dry weather, in particular, can cause lawns to thin out and die back.

Kill Bindii by Spraying Your Lawn

The most effective way to stop bindii from infesting your turf is to spray it in late winter or early spring as soon as the leaves appear and before the prickles develop. While it’s best to do this in late winter, herbicides will also work later in the year but may not rid your lawn from the prickles if they are already present.

The easiest control method is to blanket-spray all affected areas of the lawn with selective herbicides. This should kill bindii within 7-10 days. Most weed killers contain bromoxynil and MCPA. Herbicide products are sold under various trade names in small packs and will also kill other broadleaf weeds.

Using the Right Spray for Your Lawn

The concentration of the active herbicide will vary in different products so it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label. Some products also contain dicamba. This is useful when other weedy clovers or oxalis species are present but is unsuitable for buffalo lawns and can harm nearby trees and shrubs.

Knowing what kind of turf you have is crucial. Bindii and Clover selective herbicide is suitable to spray on many lawns including Couch, Zoysia, buffalo and Kikuyu. Remember to refer to product labels for directions and to ensure it is suitable for your lawn.

If you have any questions about lawn care and maintenance or are wondering which turf variety is best for your lawn, don’t hesitate to contact our team. Check out our lawn range and call us on 1800 887 253 for a chat.