Killing the Un-killable - The Garden Gurus

The Garden Gurus
2006 Autumn Series
Fact sheet
Segment Title: Killing the Un-killable
Episode: #11 SA 10/06/2006 – WA, VIC, NSW 17/06/2006
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
Weeds are a bugger at the best of times and controlling them manually can be a nightmare.
Many people are cautious about using chemicals and this can lead to a very ordinary garden or
lawn.
The most effective way to beat weeds is by using a systemic herbicide. That means that when
you apply it to the foliage it travels down to the roots and kills them off and the whole plant
collapses in a heap. These herbicides are incredibly effective for runaway grasses such as couch
in the incredible Zoysia Grass or Korean Velvet Grass (Zoysia tenuifolia) at Hunter Valley
Gardens.
Zoysia grass is very slow growing where as the couch will quickly invade and over take it as it is
far more vigorous. It’s the same problem in a garden bed or other lawn species such as buffalo
grass. The big problem is you can’t use a systemic herbicide as it will kill everything it comes in
contact with.
That’s where the ‘Glove of Death’ comes in. Grab some Yates Zero 490 and mix it in an icecream
container at recommended rates. Grab a rubber glove and pull on a cotton glove over the
top. Then dip the gloves in the mixture and selectively grab the upright couch grass. It is a
seriously good way to knock the couch out of a lawn like the incredible Zoysia grass that really
needs almost no care otherwise. If the couch is in a garden bed carefully reach in and again rub
the weeds that are not wanted. This is one of the safest herbicides available and it is important
you follow the care and safety recommendations when handling it but it is hard to go wrong using
Zero.
In this situation you won’t beat the couch grass invasion straight away but four to six selective
treatments like this a year will wipe out almost all the grass and leave the zoysia looking great all
year round.
Remember this is a total kill herbicide so if you spray on a windy day and drifts onto wanted
plants or comes into contact with wanted plants it will kill them. If you do have drift onto the
wanted plants get the hose out straight away and wash it down. The water dilutes the spray and
it has no harmful effect on any plants.
The active ingredient in Zero is called Glyphosate and today it’s the most popular weed control in
the world. The great thing about it is once it comes in contact with soil it is effectively neutralised
as it is effectively a highly soluble form of salt that dehydrates the plants moisture content killing it
roots and all.

Location:
o Hunter Valley Gardens
Featured Products:
Yates
o Zero Glyphosate 490 Weedspray
- Non selective control of all grasses and broadleaf weeds, as well as onion weed, bamboo,
lantanta, blackberry and unwanted trees.
- Effective, economical and easy control of weeds and grasses.
- Glyphosate travels from the foliage to the roots and it kills weeds roots and all.