Cats Ear

Hypochaeris radicata

General - Cats Ear has a perennial lifecycle and is a problem weed on all types of lawn.

It grows in a prostate rosette type appearance and will quite happily tolerate close mowing.

Cats Ear has some similarities with the Dandelion in its appearance.

However the leaves on Cats Ear are hairy and the lobes are more rounded.

Leaves - The lance shaped leaves are hairy and irregularly lobed. They form in a rosette appearance.

Flowers - Cats Ear flowers are similar to those of the Dandelion but smaller in size. They can be seen between May to September

Roots - Cats Ear has a deep tap root.

Habitat -This weed can grow on a wide range of soil conditions, but prefers sandy free draining soils.

Cultural Control - Hand weeding Cats Ear can be effective, however make sure the whole root is removed or it can regenerate.

Mow the lawn regularly and remove the clippings to prevent flower and seed head formation.

Maintain turf nutrition with a balanced fertiliser program, this will encourage a healthy vigorous sward that will discourage weed invasion.

Chemical Control - Cats Ear can be controlled using a weed killer. Choose a selective weed killer that contains 2,4-D and mecoprop-p or 2,4-D and dicamba or clopyralid and fluroxypyr.

Any of these formulations should be effective against Cats Ear, however a further application maybe needed for satisfactory results.