Get your dog a milk crate? - Aug 04, 2010
Your dog may need a milk crate to sit on this summer if you don’t spray your lawn for bindii now. The perfect growing conditions have encouraged broadleaf winter weeds like clover and bindii to thrive. Clover is a big problem in lawns because the white flowers attract bees by the thousands in spring and when you tread on the bees they sting your feet. Bindii seeds are designed by nature to stick in your feet so you spread the seeds as you walk.
The good news is these weeds can be controlled using a selective weed killer. We have been trialing a new product that kills broadleaf weeds in all lawns including soft leaf buffalo. It is called Richgrow Bindii killer for Buffalo lawns. It can be used on all lawn types.
Before spraying, you will need to measure your lawn area to determine the square metreage. This is very important because you need to apply 30 ml of chemical in 5 litres of water over 50 square metres.
Most people just mix up the spray and then spray the entire lawn. Often the lawn is over 100 square metres so the product doesn’t work because you have used it at half strength. I hear this complaint often in the nursery.
Don’t mow your lawn for 7 days before or after spraying or the product won’t work either.
For hard to kill weeds like clover you may have to spray again after 7 days. If you are worried about your pets, keep them off the lawn until the spray has dried. This often only takes about 20 minutes.
The best time to kill weeds is when they are actively growing so declare war on weeds this weekend.
Tim Pickles is a CNP horticulturist and Director of Tim’s Garden Centre 2 Queen St Campbelltown 46267022