ONION WEED 

Onion Weed (Nothoscordum sp) is a perennial with thin green strappy leaves. These leaves grow from a mainly white bulb which gives off an onion smell when crushed. Flowers grow at the top of a long stalk and are mainly white. Seeds form in summer and autumn and are spread mostly by wind blowing the seeds into new areas. It has a ‘slow-release’ way of sprouting its bulblets, making it a weed you just have to admire for its adaption and ‘survivor’ skills. Onion weed’s thin, waxy leaves also make it difficult for herbicides to stick to the leaves, and even if it does, the wax makes it difficult for the herbicide to affect the plant.

A weed of cereal crops and a major threat to arid rangelands. Because of its prolific seed production and tolerance of dry conditions, Onion Weed invades degraded pastures, competing strongly with other species. It is unpalatable to livestock, so the carrying capacity of grazing land is significantly reduced (Storrie 2003). Overcropping or overgrazing allows Onion Weed to dominate by lowering fertility and degrading natural pastures. Low soil nitrogen is a critical factor that prevent other plants growing on areas dominated by onion weed. It is a very conspicuous pioneer plant on bare sandy soils and rapidly occupies paddocks where the pasture has become sparse, leading to an assumption that it was a cause of the pasture's decline. On abandoned farmland in the Victorian mallee region, it is one of the species that dominates at first but declines as the native vegetation regenerates and almost disappears after about 5 years. It does not compete effectively with vigorous pasture, and cannot dominate where sustainable farming systems are practiced (Government of South Australia 2015).

This widely naturalised introduced species is mostly found in the southern and eastern parts of Australia, particularly around populated areas. It is most common in south-eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria and south-eastern South Australia.

Spray FireHawk Bioherbicide Concentrate: 50 mL/L of water. Respray when regrowth occurs from roots and/or runners. May require repeated application to obtain long-term weed control.