Weed problems
Bindii
Bindii, onehunga or jo-jo is a common weed with prickly seeds. Plants first emerge with the early winter rains and seeds form between spring and summer.
They are hard to remove manually because the roots need to be removed totally to avoid regrowth. Use a registered selective herbicide in June and again in August to kill the weed.
Grasses
Summer and winter grasses should be controlled with registered pre-emergence herbicides applied on established lawns before the weeds germinate. Apply in May for winter weeds, and August/September for summer weeds.
Other broad leaved weeds
Other broad leaved weeds such as capeweed, carrot weed, dandelion and oxalis can be controlled with a selective herbicide available from hardware stores. Some are general lawn-feeding and weeding chemicals and can be applied with the garden hose. These are generally not as effective as targeted weed killers. These lawn 'feed and weed' type products can be damaging to buffalo grass and can kill ornamental plants. If ornamentals are sprayed unintentionally, wash them down thoroughly. Always follow label instructions carefully.