Garden weeds steal valuable water and nutrients from your plants, so get on top of them quick before they take over your garden! The key to effective weed control is in the identification. Yates Problem Solver helps identify common weeds in the garden and shows you how to best control them.
You've watered, fed and looked after your garden – but some weeds are inevitable. Not all weeds are equal though; while some are obviously annoying, such as prickly Bindii and fast-spreading broadleaf weeds, others are deceptively attractive; Holly, Morning Glory and Lantana all look lovely – but can take over your garden quickly, stealing nutrients from other plants.
How to prevent weeds
Grass weeds are most easily removed before they start to flower and set seed, so if you get rid of them as soon as you notice them, you'll need to spray less often.
Moss, algae and lichen can be prevented by improving drainage, letting in as much sunlight as possible, and pruning overcrowded branches and any overhanging growth from neighbouring plants to improve air circulation.
Some weeds such as paspalum and privet can be controlled by removing with a sharp knife, for weeds like Privet it is best to trimming right back and apply a cut stump treatment of Yates tree & Blackberry Killer to prevent redevelopment of more seeds. the plant.
Common weeds to look out for
Broadleaf weeds usually have wide leaves that hug the ground and are found in gardens and lawns. Some of Tthese weeds are perennials (they don't die after one season) and simply become dormant at certain times of year – so don't be fooled into thinking they've died if they've stopped growing. Winter perennials include white clover and dandelion, and summer perennials include curly dock and plantain. Yates Weed 'n' Feed controls large areas of common lawn weeds, such as clover, bindii and dandelions, on most lawns including Couch, Queensland Blue and Kikuyu. Available in both hose-on and granular formulas, and a special formula for Buffalo grass, it gets rid of flatweeds while leaving vertical blades of grass standing tall. It also acts as a fertiliser, containing iron and nitrogen to keep grass looking lush and green.
Bindii is a low-growing, spreading, annual weed with fern-like leaves and small green or yellow flowers. Seeds drop from the plant in mid-summer and are further spread by foot traffic or on the fur of animals. When weeds are actively growing, Yates Bindii and Clover Weeder Concentrate can be mixed with water and sprayed across the grass. It contains two different weedkillers, which allows the control of a wide range of weeds. Yates Buffalo PRO Selective Bindii & Broadleaf Weed Killer Hose-On is a hose-on application that's easy to apply with no mixing needed.
Onion weed is a perennial weed with white flowers and thin green leaves that have an onion smell when crushed. Seeds form in summer and autumn and are spread mostly by wind blowing the seeds into new areas. To control this fast growing weed, apply Yates Zero Weedkiller Super Concentrate with the Zero Weeding Brush. This has a specially developed valve on the brush so only treated plants are affected by the spray, allowing you to avoid contact with other plants while you're applying it.
Lantana, Oxalis and Blackberry might look pretty but they are invasive, and can easily overtake a garden, smothering other plants. Yates Zero Ultra Tough weedkiller is a ready-mixed, easy to use spray that kills tough, woody weeds, including their roots. It includes a Vanishing Blue Highlighter so you can see where you've sprayed, and is rainproof in 30 minutes, so you can spray and go, leaving your garden to return to its former glory. Blackberry, Privet, Lantana and other woody weeds can also be treated with Yates Tree and Blackberry Killer which travels from the foliage to the root system, working from the inside out. It's also the ideal way to kill unwanted tree stumps.