Banishing Onion Weed From Your Lawn

As a perennial species of weed that can take over both your lawns and garden beds, getting on top of onion weed isn’t impossible if you’re smart about it.

Also known as Allium Triquetrum, Asphodelus Fistulosus and Nothoscordum Inodorum, onion weed has been declared as noxious throughout most states and territories in Australia. It’s renowned for being one of the most pesky weeds to exterminate once it takes hold in your lawn or garden – so how do green thumbs deal with it once and for all?

What Is Onion Weed?

As a relatively fast growing perennial plant, onion weed is usually recognised by it’s thin green strappy leaves, and small white flowers that grow from the top of a long stalk. It’s name originates from the white bulb that it grows from, which gives off an onion-like smell when crushed. 

Onion weed also develops small bulblets attached to the parent bulb, or the plant’s “core” where it’s nutrients are stored to generate growth. What this means for gardeners though is that when they attempt to remove the weed by hand, the “parent” plant releases those “baby” bulbs found near its roots, causing the weed to multiply. 

If you spot onion weed popping up in your lawn or yard, it’s usually an indication that the soil is undernourished. If you’re looking to prevent an infestation of onion weed, try composting, adding organic matter to your garden beds, fertilise your lawn, and keeping an eye on your soil pH levels. 

Controlling Onion Weed At Home 

If you want to avoid spreading the baby bulbs throughout your yard as outlined above, try not to “yank” onion weed plants directly out of the ground with your hands. If possible, instead dig the entire weed clump out of the ground with a shovel, before throwing said clump out away from other green waste. 

If the area in questions is your lawn, aim to keep your grass growing vigorously and keep it in top condition. Healthy grass will out grow and “cut off” onion weed, so if you’re seeing it growing through your turf, it’s time to get back to lawn basics – think watering, fertilizing, and mowing. 

In a used garden bed, you’ll need to cut the foliage back as above then mulch your beds with a really decent layer of mulch in order to prevent sunlight and water from getting to the plant. You may have to repeat the above to fully eradicate the onion weed growth.

As onion weed is regarded as one of the more difficult plants to eradicate from Aussie lawns and gardens, you may need to pull out the big guns if an infestation has gotten away on you – but before you turn to chemical based options, did you know that there is another way?

Is There A Healthy Way To Spray?

While hand plucking weeds is the easiest, cost-free and efficient method used to prevent a weed infestation – it’s certainly not the most convenient. Although many weed killers require multiple applications to completely eradicate onion weed due to the bulbs, a glyphosate-free weed killer like Bioweed is a safe way to keep them under control. As a non-residual solution, it will break down into the soil in as little as 72 hours and can combat over 200 invasive weed species. The best part? It’s not just exclusive to lawns, and can be used to defend your garden or even pastures against a large variety of foreign invaders – just ask Bioweed customer, Caroline Williams. 

“I have an ongoing problem with onion weed and oxalis in my small urban garden. Bioweed allows me to selectively weed safely without upsetting other plants. It has a pleasant pine smell and best of all, it’s a natural product without any nasties – I’m a very satisfied customer!”

With a team of highly experienced plant and gardening enthusiasts, the team at Bioweed are armed with a wealth of knowledge, tips and tricks that can help you to get your lawn and garden looking their very best. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you’re looking for further organic gardening solutions.