Best Management Practices:
Matt Chafflower
Matt Chafflower is a warm season, perennial broadleaf weed that has opposite, elliptic to spatula-shaped leaves that are dark green and waxy. Its flowers are white and papery and are found in the leaf axils. Being a warm season, perennial plant means that it comes back from its root system each year, normally in the late spring. As with most perennials, it also can be established from its seed source that it produces each year. Another weed that is similar to matt chafflower and in the same plant “genus” is khakiweed. It, too, forms a matt but does not have the waxy coating on its leaf surface as matt chafflower does and its leaves are light green in color.
Pre-emergent herbicides work by killing germinating seeds and these types of herbicides can assist with the control of matt chafflower, but it will take a post-emergent herbicide to accomplish complete control of this perennial weed. There are several pre-emergent herbicides that can be used to assist with the control of matt chafflower in most turfgrass sites including bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass, and buffalograss. Examples include: Examples include: XL- 2G (Benefin plus Oryzalin), Pendulum 2G or Anderson 11-3-11 (Pendimethalin) and Balan 2.5 G .
Remember, you need to use a post-emergent herbicide on this perennial weed. These herbicides can be effective if used when the matt chafflower is actively growing—which may be from May to July. Examples of an effective product are: Speedzone, Weed Free Zone and Trimec Southern but may require multiple applications, especially with Trimec.
Read the Product Label to ensure proper application and turfgrass tolerances! NOTE: The same herbicidal program can be used to successfully control khakiweed, too.
Best Management Practices courtesy of:
BES-TEX Supply, LLC P.O. Box 664 San Angelo, Texas 76902 Ph. 325.653.1300
