Control Catsear & Dandelion

What does Catsear and Dandelion look like and how to control it?

(Hypochaeris radicata) False Dandelion

This small weed is frequently confused for the accurate English dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). It is typically discovered growing in stoney, or compacted, shallow soil that are low in nutrients. It may frequently be found popping up within lawns where the lawn has been mown too low or is heavily compacted.

Recognising catsear verus dandelion weed

The distinction in distinguishing catsear from accurate dandelion is the fact that Dandelion will only create individual flowers on relatively short stems as much as thirty centimetres, while catsear will produce tall, slender flower stalks as much as eight centimetres which are multi-branched with several small yellow flowers. It produces a small rosette of foliage that generally radiate from the central crown by no more than twenty 5 centimetres at the base and are slightly hairy for the touch.

How to control catsear and dandelion in lawns

Catsear can successfully be controlled easily by spot spraying with chosen herbicides inside the heart of the plant or alternatively, can be physically dug up and removed by carefully digging up the deep tap root. Leaving any element of the root will let a new plant to emerge more than time. Catsear generally begins is flowering cycle from mid-spring and can continue till Christmas where after, the seeds are wind dispersed to naturalise in surrounding grasslands and lawn. Avoid mowing lawn too low as healthy, active growing lawn can very easily outcompete catsear.

See also Russian Thistle Tumbleweed