Cobblers pegs (Bidens pilosa)
- Cobblers Peg is a big seed producer. One plant is able to produce over 30,000 viable seeds.
- These seeds can remain dormant for many years.
- The seeds of Cobblers Peg are easily dispersed and
- Farmers Friend is able to grow in a wide range of habitats.
After you read this, you will be able to:
- Identify the Cobblers Peg, Beggars Tick or Farmers Friend.
- Know the habitat of the Farmers Friend or Beggars Tick and
- Know the best cultural and chemical options to control Farmers Friend or Cobblers Peg.
Cobblers Peg is an Environmental weed in NSW and QLD. The distribution map is courtesy of The Atlas of Living Australia.
How to Identify Cobblers Pegs.
Heavy frosts, kill the above ground parts of plants quickly grow back from the roots. It can withstand temperatures down to –15 C.
Category: Broadleaf (Dicot).
Photosynthetic Pathway: C3 Weed.
Flower: Cobblers Peg. flowers all year round. Its small flower-heads are 5 to 15 mm across, and have multiple tiny yellow tubular flowers in the centre. Sometimes it has white petals that are 2 to 8 mm long.
Height: Farmers Friend is up to 1.8m high, but usually 20 to 90 cm tall. It doesn’t tend to produce its distinctive seed heads until it is at least 1 m tall.
Leaf length: The toothed leaves of Cobblers Peg are 2.5 to 13.5 cm long.
Reproduction: Farmers Friend reproduces only by seed with an optimum temperature for germination being from 20 to 35 C. The seeds also require access to light to establish and it doesn’t grow well in shade.
The seeds survive up to 5 years, but once they germinate, Cobblers Peg produces viable propagules in under a year.
These seeds have hooked bristles which attach to clothes and animals. They also disperse by vehicles, water, and in agricultural produce.
Comments: Farmers Friend has a strong tap root.
Habitat: Cobblers Pegs is a weed of gardens, parks, roadsides, and waste areas.
Farmers Friend is a good soil indicator weed of disturbed soils. For more information check out our weed ID Chart.
How to control Cobblers Peg in your lawn.
You can control Cobblers Peg by cultural and chemical means.
Cultural control of Cobblers Pegs.
- Hand weeding and mowing will control the weed but is best done before it flowers.
- Cobblers Peg does not compete well in the shade, so maintain a healthy dense turf. This means mow at the right height for the turf type present.
- Hygiene is also important. If you or machinery moves into areas where Farmers Friend is present, a good habit to get into is to wash down machinery. Also, ensure seeds of Cobblers Pegs are not carried on clothes between infested and ‘clean’ areas.
Chemical control of Cobblers Peg.
Pre-Emergent Control of Cobblers Pegs.
Post Emergent Herbicides for Cobblers Pegs.
In Australia, there several selective post emergent options to manage this weed in turf. The following control this weed.
- Quali-Pro Nutmeg (Bentazone).
- Quali-Pro Negate (Rimsulfuron, and Metsulfuron-methyl). You can only use this on warm season turf.
- 2,4-D (amine) and
- Dicamba all control this Cobblers Pegs.
Campbells Stature (MCPA, Bromoxynil and Diflufenican) suppresses it, and you can’t use this on home lawns.
Non Selective Control of Cobblers Pegs.
Non selective options for Cobblers Pegs include Glyphosate (Rapid Fire 800), Numchuk Quad and Cortex Duo.
If you use Glyphosate and water quality is an issue then we recommend the use of ProForce Manta Ray.
