Australian Guide to Getting Rid of Bindis From Your Lawn

Featured Image: Soliva sessilis (bindi) I Photo by Harry Rose I Flickr (cropped) I CC BY 2.0

Bindi weeds are some of the most difficult weeds to get rid of in your backyard. They’re also so small you might miss them.

And even if you know they’re there, it can be a challenge to remove them.

So, how do you get rid of bindi weeds?

How to identify Bindi weeds

Also known as Soliva sessilis (previously Soliva pterosperma), Bindi plants have flowers that are very small and greenish-yellow in colour.

To properly identify Bindi weeds, the first thing to look for is a rosette of leaves (ie, a whorl of leaves that radiates from a common point).

The seed prickles are extremely sharp and make it unpleasant to walk barefoot on infested lawns.

Bindi flowers in Autumn and Winter, maturing into seeds that grow during Spring and Summer.

Bindis can grow anywhere in your garden, including vegetable patches or lawns.

How to get rid of Bindi weeds

Removing by hand

If you’re happy with a more hands-on approach, your best option is to pull them out.

When the soil is moist and the bindi weeds are young and tender, they can be easily removed by hand using a garden weeding knife or weeding tool.

Ensure that you remove the roots of each plant so they can’t grow back.

The best time to attack these weeds is in spring before they start flowering and going to seed in October/November.

Spraying

If you’re plagued with bindi weeds, then spraying is likely your best option.

The quickest and most effective way to kill broadleaf weeds in your lawn is to use a selective herbicide designed for this purpose.

These herbicides are classified as ‘selective’ because they’ll kill the weeds but not your grass. This means they target bindi weeds without damaging your lawn.

Here are a few that you can try:

• Yates Zero Bindii Clover Weeder (view at My Deal)
• Amgrow Bin-Die (view at Aussie Gardener)
• Dicamba M Selective Herbicide (view at Amazon)

According to The Department of Primary Industries, effective herbicides for Bindii treatment will contain bromoxynil plus MCPA, or dicamba.

A selective herbicide is best applied using a weed sprayer to cover all areas where the weed is growing.

Note: If you have buffalo grass, be careful which herbicide you choose, because some will damage your lawn. While many herbicides containing only bromoxynil are safe to use on buffalo grass, those containing dicamba are not. If in doubt, check the instructions on the container.

Are there natural methods for removing Bindis?

Vinegar and salt can be an effective method, but it can also be harmful to grass, other plants, and the soil. Be sure to only remove bindis from areas where contact with the vinegar won’t kill other plants.

Boiling hot water can burn bindis and kill them. Again, make sure that the area you are pouring boiling water on doesn’t contain any other plants or grass you don’t want to be killed.

Remember, removing bindis by hand may be the best option for removing them from your patch of turf or garden beds. While it can take a while, it is the only method that doesn’t involve using herbicides or the risk of damaging other plants.

How to prevent Bindis from growing

To prevent bindis from growing on your lawn, you’ll want to create the least favourable conditions possible.

Bindis thrive in full sun and hot, dry weather. But by keeping your lawn healthy and strong, you can keep them out of the picture.

Here are some tips:

• Feed your lawn regularly with a balanced lawn fertilizer
• Mow regularly to keep your lawn at a good height
• Regularly remove weeds
• Make sure your lawn gets enough water

With regular mowing, feeding, and watering, you can create an ideal environment for grass and an unfavourable one for pesky bindis.

When is the best time to spray Bindis?

The best time to spray Bindis is on warm and dry days when temperatures are above 10 degrees and below 30 degrees.

This allows the herbicide to be absorbed by the weed before it can evaporate or be washed off by rain, sprinklers or heavy dew.

The ideal conditions for treating weeds and grasses with herbicides include morning or late afternoon.

You’ll also want low wind, low humidity, slight moisture in the soil, and plants that are not under drought stress. This will ensure maximum uptake of the herbicide by the target plant.