Turf weeds.
Know the weed, know your grass, and choose between removal and prevention.
Explore the whole library ↗
Capeweed
A spreading rosette with yellow flowers and a dark centre.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Catsear / flatweed
A hairy rosette and branched yellow-flowered stalks.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Creeping oxalis
Heart-shaped leaflets, yellow flowers and creeping stems.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Summer grass & crabgrass
Spreading warm-season annual grasses with finger-like seed heads.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Nutgrass
A sedge with triangular stems and persistent underground tubers.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Paspalum
A coarse perennial clump with distinctive seed-head branches.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Crowsfoot grass
A tough, flattened grass clump with finger-like seed heads. Identify it early and separate removal from prevention.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Mullumbimby couch
Despite its name, this is a creeping sedge. Its rounded head is an important clue when choosing control.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Dandelion
Yellow flowers are only the start. Check the stalk and leaf rosette to distinguish dandelion from catsear.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Plantains
Ribbed leaves and upright spikes help separate narrowleaf plantain from broadleaf plantain—and make a better product match.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Cudweed
Turn a leaf over: the pale, woolly underside is a useful clue. Confirm the species before matching older label names.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Common chickweed
Small opposite leaves and tiny split-petal flowers identify a spreading weed that often fills damp lawn gaps.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Burr medic
Clover-like leaves, small yellow pea flowers and coiled burrs: identify this weed before the prickles spread.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Khaki weed
A creeping mat with sharp burrs can turn a playing area into a painful patch. Confirm the plant and stop it spreading.
Identify & find a solution ↗A mate for every season.
Choose the climate closest to your site and a month. Find what to watch, what to check, and a relevant next step.
Regional watch points · offset markers have leader lines. Not measured incidence.
Temperate southern and cooler elevated sites. Watch cool wet turf in winter and warm humid spells in summer.
Choose a monthOctober · Temperate south
Dollar spot
Mild dewy weather: look for dollar spot and review leaf wetness, airflow and balanced nutrition.
Identification & next steps ↗African black beetle & lawn grubs
Review previous grub damage and local egg-hatch timing. Confirm the larval target before planning protection.
Identification & next steps ↗Summer grass & crabgrass
Plan for annual summer grass before seedlings emerge. Remove or identify existing weeds first.
Identification & next steps ↗Compaction & wear
Review traffic routes, soil structure and recovery potential before planning renovation.
Identification & next steps ↗Typical watch windows, not a live outbreak map or a spray calendar. Conditions can occur outside these months and across state borders. Grass type, recent weather, irrigation and a confirmed diagnosis take priority. For a site-specific program, email sales@turfmate.com.au.
How to read this planner
The monthly priorities are Turfmate planning guidance inferred from broad climate patterns and the conditions described in each linked technical guide. They do not rank disease prevalence, predict outbreaks or measure local pest pressure. The north’s wet/dry seasons differ from southern seasonal patterns. Use a nearby climate group as a starting point and tell us about your actual site.
Bureau of Meteorology climate zones · Climate classification · Australia outline: Natural Earth, public domain. Regional climate references: Sydney / coastal NSW · Albury–Wodonga / Upper Murray · Mildura / Sunraysia & Murray · Tasmania / cool temperate sites · Rockhampton / Central Queensland · Cairns / tropical coastal Far North QLD · Adelaide / Mediterranean South Australia · Canberra / ACT & nearby elevated sites. These station records support broad climate context, not local disease incidence. Australian disease context: Syngenta turf disease guide. Problem-specific technical references and Australian labels are linked in each guide.
Not sure what you’re looking at?
Send a close-up, a wide photo, your grass variety and location. Tell us when it started, how you water and anything already applied.
Managing a school, sports field or commercial site? Talk supply & apply ↗
Photography & technical sources
Images are licensed for reuse and attributed below. Some identification photographs were taken outside Australia. Card crops fit the layout; full guide images retain the complete photo. Photographers and reference authors do not endorse Turfmate products.
- Bindii — Photo: Harry Rose · source · CC BY 2.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- White clover — Photo: Hans Hillewaert · source · CC BY-SA 3.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Capeweed — Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Catsear / flatweed — Photo: Tony Rebelo · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Creeping oxalis — Photo: Vengolis · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Winter grass — Photo: Sam Kieschnick · source · CC BY 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Summer grass & crabgrass — Photo: Rasbak · source · CC BY-SA 3.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Nutgrass — Photo: Rickjpelleg · source · CC BY 2.5. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Paspalum — Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · source · CC BY 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Crowsfoot grass — Photo: Harry Rose · source · CC BY 2.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Mullumbimby couch — Photo: edurafi2 · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Dandelion — Photo: Famartin · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Plantains — Photo: Stefan.lefnaer · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Cudweed — Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Common chickweed — Photo: Kaldari · source · CC0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Burr medic — Photo: John Tann · source · CC BY 2.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Khaki weed — Photo: Harry Rose · source · CC BY 2.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
Educational illustrations: Turfmate. Technical references and product labels appear on the individual guides. Reviewed 11 October 2026.
