Carrot Spray Programme - Weeds

Fathen (Chenopodium album), pronounced fat-hen and sometimes called fat hen, is one of the most serious weeds of cropping throughout New Zealand. It is an annual that germinates in the spring and early summer and then dies off in the autumn with frosts. Fathen is an extremely vigorous weed that can quickly outcompete and smother crops. An upright plant that can grow to 2 m tall and is a prolific seeder.

Willow weed (Persicaria maculosa) is an erect and sprawling summer growing annual that can be a serious weed in crops (e.g. maize). It has reddish stems and pink spike like flowers. It is common in the spring and summer throughout New Zealand but is quickly killed by frosts. A similar species, water pepper, grows taller and is common in wet places.

Stinking mayweed (Anthemis cotula) is an annual weed common in the North Island and also in Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury. It has an erect, bushy growth up to 40 cm tall with white flowers with yellow centers. It germinates in the spring and is common in crops, disturbed ground and thin established pastures. As its name suggests when crushed stinking mayweed has a very strong distinctive smell.