Carrot Weed (Cotula australis)
After you read this, you will be able to:
- Identify Carrot Weed, Annual Buttonweed or Bachelor’s button.
- Know what conditions favour Annual Buttonweed.
- Know the best cultural and chemical options to control Carrot Weed.
Over Autumn and Spring, the seed germinates and then quickly grows. From late Winter to Spring, the plant produces flower stems, and then flowers. Then as Summer closes in, annual plants usually die or the top growth dies if they are perennials.
Bachelor’s Button is a prostrate, low-growing weed, although it grows up to 12 cm tall. It has much divided (carrot-like) hairy leaves. This is the reason Carrot Weed is often mistaken for Bindii.
The flower heads are button-like and yellow or white with no ‘petals’. From Spring to Autumn the flowers are on slender stalks.
Annual Buttonweed spreads by seeds, so to manage this weed focus on treatment before it seeds.
We discuss the cultural and chemical options to control this weed in your lawn and turf.
How to Identify Carrot weed.
How to remove Carrot weed from your lawn.
Cultural and chemical options control Carrot Weed, Cotula, Bachelor’s Button or Annual Buttonweed.
Cultural control of Carrot Weed.
If Bachelor’s Button isn’t a major problem, you can remove it by hand. However, you need to remove all of the root system to prevent regrowth.
This weed likes damp, moist soils. So deal with any drainage issues and don’t over water. If the soil is compact, carry out a soil aeration programme. This allows air exchange, and helps excess water move out of the rootzone.
Chemical control.
Non selective options include Glyphosate (Rapid Fire 800). If you use this and water quality is an issue then we recommend the use of ProForce Manta Ray.
In conclusion
A native weed, Carrot Weed favours moist soils. So the first step to manage this weed is to identify any drainage issues. The second step, before you apply any weed killer, is to maintain a healthy turf surface.
