How can I remove Paspalum from my lawn?
Can you please advise how to get rid of paspalum in my lawn? Is there a spray that will do the job?
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There isn’t a selective product available in New Zealand anymore for paspalum control. The old chemistry that used to target it was arsenic-based, and that was phased out and banned by the EPA a number of years ago.
You’ll still see paspalum specific herbicides in Australia, as that active ingredient is still permitted over there, but we don’t have access to anything equivalent here.
So your options are non selective control only. The most effective method is using glyphosate:
Spot spray individual plants carefully, or Use a glyphosate gel and paint it directly onto the leaves with a paint brush
The key is getting good leaf coverage so it can translocate through the plant and kill it off at the root. Just take your time to avoid hitting surrounding grass, as it will kill anything it touches.
NZLA Blockade is a pre-emergent option for paspalum. It won’t do anything to plants that are already there, but it will stop any new paspalum coming up from seed. The catch is it also stops any grass seed germinating, so if you’re planning to overseed it’s not a good choice. It takes about six months to break down, and it’s also a solid preventative for Poa (basically anything from seed).