Creeping mallow

AS WE GET DEEPER INTO AUTUMN,

a number of factors have an effect on our garden or pasture: • air temperature decreases; • light dews or frosts may start to appear in the morning; • extra moisture leads to lower soil temperatures and slower grass growth.

This is why it’s an ideal time for weeds to invade and compete with your pasture and garden plants.

One that loves this time of year is creeping mallow ( Modiola caroliniana, also known as red-flowered mallow, wheel mallow, ground ivy). It’s from the Malvaceae family but we can’t tell you where it originated from because it is naturalised throughout the world’s temperate and tropical continents.

The Americans call it ‘ground ivy’ because of its mat-forming ability. It can appear in open spaces such as gateways, recently sprayed or dug areas and stock ‘camps’, the favourite spots in a paddock where livestock like to sit.

It can also be rife through a newlysown lawn like mine.

You can easily identify creeping mallow from the newly-cut grass in the picture at the top of this page. It grows so low to the ground, my lawn mower blades will never catch it. It’s also slightly lighter in colour than grass.

If you leave it, it will continue to branch out, eventually choking out the plants around it.

How to kill it

Autumn is a fantastic time to attack creeping mallow. Choose a selective herbicide for broadleaf weed control in pasture and turf to get you started.

Active ingredients such as 2,4-D ethylhexyl ester controls creeping mallow at the seedling stage (a seen in the picture above).

But if you have an infestation, it becomes trickier to avoid also spraying your grass and clover.

Always read the label of the chemical you purchase and make sure it specifies mallow. Follow the spray guidelines for the correct active ingredient rates.

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