Winter weeds: How to identify and remove them in Aussie gardens

Common winter weeds in Australian lawns and gardens

Bindii

Bindii is a low-growing winter annual weed that often starts germinating in autumn. While it’s best known as a lawn weed, it can pop up anywhere there’s open or compacted soil. In lawns, it often goes unnoticed through the cooler months, but by spring and summer it becomes a real problem just as we’re spending more time outdoors. As it matures, it produces hard, prickly seed heads that make walking on the lawn an uncomfortable experience and the seeds easily stick to shoes, socks and pets, helping it spread. Mowing can also help spread the seeds if they’re already formed.

Tiptoeing across the lawn to avoid burrs is usually a clear sign you’ve got bindii. But it’s much easier to manage earlier in the season, so look out for its low, feathery, parsley-like rosette and small yellow flowers before the prickly seed heads appear.

The right tool for the job: Best removed with a hand weeder or a three-prong weeder cultivator, lifting the entire rosette before seed heads form to stop it spreading. 

Tip: If your lawn is a bindii battlefield it could be a sign of poor soil nutrition, so thicken and improve the health of your lawn with a lawn specific slow-release fertiliser. Apply it in early autumn, before Bindii season. It also helps to keep your lawn a little longer in autumn and winter to help stop bindii from invading. Bindii also flourishes in hard compacted soil, so stay on top of your aerating.

Oxalis

Oxalis is a common broadleaf weed that can quickly become a problem in lawns, garden beds and paved areas. It grows from small underground bulbs and spreads easily, making it hard to get rid of once established. It thrives in the cooler months, putting on lush growth through autumn and winter before producing small yellow flowers in spring. 

It’s easy to recognise by its clover-like leaves made up of three heart-shaped leaflets. Oxalis often forms dense patches that compete with other plants for space, water and nutrients. When hand-pulling small infestations or young plants, it’s important to remove as much of the plant and surrounding soil as possible, as any remaining bulbs can quickly reshoot and spread.

The right tool for the job: Use a weeder hoe or hand fork to dig down and remove as many bulbs as possible, not just the leaves. 

Chickweed

Chickweed is a fast-growing annual weed that thrives in the cool, moist conditions of autumn and winter. It forms dense mats that can smother seedlings and compete with lawn grasses and garden plants for water and nutrients. Left unchecked, it spreads quickly and produces large amounts of seed, allowing it to return year after year.

It’s easy to recognise by its small oval leaves, fine stems and tiny white star-shaped flowers. While it may look harmless, it can take over bare soil fast. Young plants are easy to pull by hand, especially in moist soil, so regular checks through winter and early removal are the best way to keep it under control.

The right tool for the job: A hand weeder or long handled multi-surface weeder is ideal for lifting shallow roots and mats, especially when the soil is moist for easier removal.