Hawkbit

Leontodon taraxacoides

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DESCRIPTION

This is like dandelion-style weeds, growing from a fairly flat rosette and producing yellow flowers on erect stems. So it’s not surprising that they are regularly confused with each other.

Has unbranched flower stems with single flowers, but the stems are solid, not hollow. The leaves are normally hairy, and the leaf hairs are forked into a T shape at the tip.

This is referred to as a ‘flat weed’, and is distributed throughout New Zealand. The preferred habitat is many, and this weed appears regularly in pastures, lawns, turf and sports grounds, as well as roadsides and waste areas. Hawkbit is also more likely to appear in crops and gardens.  Because this weed is flat in its vegetative stage, it tends to survive mowing, which makes it a particular problem in sports and recreational fields.

In pasture, this weed is not usually a serious problem, unless it begins to dominate, in which case it points to a run-down pasture that needs to be sprayed out and re-sown.  

HERBICIDES TO CONTROL HAWKBIT

This weed is susceptible to most common general-purpose herbicides, but their selective control is difficult without causing clover damage.  

Non-selective Herbicides to Kill Hawkbit

• Granny Herbicide – 1.3-2.2kg/Ha, or 
• G-360 GLYPHOSATE – 3-5L/Ha, or 
• G-540 GLYPHOSATE – 2.4-4L/Ha 

for spraying out infested pasture. Use the higher rate where there are a lot of flat weeds present.

Selective Herbicides to Kill Hawkbit

• GrassMate – 2L/Ha for area spraying, or at 60ml/10L for spot spraying.  Note: This spray will severely damage clovers.
• Rainbow & Brown MCPA 750 – 2-3L in 200-300L water per Ha for control of seedling flat weeds in pasture and young turf. This spray may cause some temporary clover suppression.   
• Dicamba 500 Select - 100ml plus 260ml Rainbow & Brown MCPA 750 in 100L water per hectare for area (boom) spraying. Dicamba 500 Select - 15ml plus 40ml Rainbow & Brown MCPA 750 in 15L water for spot spraying. Grass friendly but will kill Clover.
• Dicamba 500 Select- 120-140ml plus 535ml WHACK – 2,4-D 800 per 100L water per hectare for area (boom) spraying. Dicamba 500 Select - 20ml plus 81ml WHACK – 2,4-D 800 per 15L water. Grass is grass-friendly but will kill Clover.
• Ralid at 1L/Ha for area spraying, or at 100ml/100L for spot spraying high volume, or 25ml/10L with knapsack. Note: this spray will severely damage clovers.

In all cases, better control will result from the addition of SprayWetter penetrant to the spray mix at 100-200ml per 100L water.

SPOT TREATMENT TO KILL HAWBIT

• In lawns or turf, Cut’n’Paste Original is a great option and is selective in that you are only applying it to the Hawkbit weed.
• In pasture, Buckshot granules will kill Hawkbit.  Apply about 2g of Buckshot granules to the centre of the weed. Many people make their own dispensers but an easy convenient way is by using a Weed Stick.