Winter Grass (Poa annua)

24 July 2022

“One year of seeds brings seven years of weeds!” – This could not be any truer than when it comes to the fight against Winter Grass in your turf.

If you have an invasion of Winter Grass, you’ll definitely want to treat it before it goes to seed.  If you allow it to drop its seeds, next winter it will be back, twice as bad as it was the previous year. Best plan of attack is to treat it as soon as it appears or better yet, apply a pre-emergent like Oxafert to stop it germinating at all.

What is Winter Grass?

 Winter Grass, or Poa annua as it is scientifically known, is a low growing turf grass. It has soft, drooping green leaves grown in tufts with triangular shaped seed heads.

Winter Grass is widespread in Australia and spreads throughout the cooler months.

When does it appear?

This weed begins germinating in the soil in some areas as early as March. You will start to see it emerging within your turf as the temperatures begin to decline. It will continue to spread throughout the Winter months.

How do I get rid of Winter Grass?

Winter Grass can be removed very easily by hand as it doesn’t have particularly deep roots. It doesn’t have any runners and will grow in simple clumps. Removing it by hand can be somewhat tedious so fortunately there are specifically targeted herbicide controls you can use.

Winter Grass Treatment

Winter Grass Killer is a selective control that will kill Winter Grass by targeting the roots, so it is extremely important to spray early in its life cycle before seed heads appear. Munns Winter Grass Killer is another option that is safe to use on kikuyu lawns.

Winter Grass Prevention

Targeting it before it emerges is the key to preventing it from germinating and going to seed. A pre-emergent like Oxafert can be applied and it will target the Winter Grass before it emerges from the soil.

A 3kg bag of OxaFert treats up to 100m².

Once it goes to seed, they will be present again in your turf the following year and the cycle will continue. Using a combination of a pre-emergent like Oxafert and a selective control like Winter Grass Killer at the correct time of year should ensure it is eradicated from your lawn.

Oxafert is also available in a 20kg bag known as Oxa-Pro

As always, if you have any more questions please don’t hesitate to contact us for free expert advice on 1800ALLTURF (1800255873) or 07 5543 8304.