Hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale)

Provided by Dow AgroSciences

Also referred to as Oriental mustard, wire weed or tumble weed. It is a member of the brassica family, so is related to plants like the turnip.

Hedge mustard is mainly an annual but can be biennial, germinating mainly in autumn and early winter. It is very common throughout the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions but also appears throughout the rest of New Zealand.

Hedge mustard grows up to 1m tall and has a small yellow flower that appears from spring to autumn. As the stems mature, they become very hard and wire-like, hence the alternative name of wire weed. After the leaves die off, the stems often persist as a wiry tangled mass that is easily rolled by the wind.

The best time to control hedge mustard is when it is a seedling, usually as part of your normal winter clean-up spray.

Best control methods

In established pastures, the best and most economical products for you to use are Pasture-Kleen* Xtra or Maestro* herbicides. Both of these products will suppress clover growth for a short period of time but when applied in winter as part of the normal winter clean-up, suppression does not last long. They are best applied as a broadcast treatment in the autumn and winter when the weed is at the seedling or small plant stage.

Select* and Preside* herbicides are two new pasture and clover selective options. Both of these products work best when the plant is at the seedling stage. Neither Select nor Preside will suppress clover and therefore are used predominantly when you have newly sown pasture to spray.

RD1 stocks a comprehensive range of herbicides, including the range mentioned in this article. If you have problems with hedge mustard or any other weeds in your pastures, talk to the team at your local RD1 store or Technical Sales Representative for friendly, expert advice.

* Registered trademarks of Dow AgroSciences. The following products are registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997: Pasture-Kleen Xtra No. P7295, Maestro No. P7316, Select No. P5202 and Preside No. P4815.