How to eliminate and treat sea buckthorn permanently

Whether you call them grassstickers or sandburs, you know that these spiky little pain-givers are no fun. Fortunately, there is a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Expert can help you win the war against them.

Sandburs are a type of weed with sharp, prickly seed pods that stick to almost anything they touch. They can be annual or perennial, depending on where you live.

“We must consider sandburs as weeds when we take measures to control them,” said Pablo Agustin Boeri, Ph.D.AgriLife Extension nationwide turf specialist in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Plant SciencesDallas. “Usually the main reason for removing weeds from a lawn is aesthetics, but sand borers pose a health risk, especially to children and pets.”

Tip 1: Understand the needs of your location

Your location determines how you control sand borers.

Boeri cautions that because of Texas’ wide range of climates, it’s difficult to give specific instructions. In cooler parts of the state, sandburs are summer annuals that die back and re-emerge from seed. In warmer regions in the south, they can live as perennials that overwinter as plants. So your control methods and timing will vary depending on the plants’ life cycle.

Sandburs have an extended germination period that can last more than three years, Boeri said. This is because the spiny pods contain two types of seeds with different dormancy periods. In addition, the seeds can survive in the soil for up to eight years.

Tip 2: Consider using pre-emergence herbicides

In northern parts of the state, such as Dallas, where Boeri lives, pre-emergent herbicides can help, but he cautions that while this will prevent seed emergence, it will not eliminate a plant that has already emerged.

Timing is crucial – he explains how sandbur seeds start germinating early when soil temperatures reach 52 degrees and can continue germinating throughout the summer at lower temperatures. But the peak of germination is around April-May when soils reach 72 degrees. Plants that germinate at this time produce the most burrs.

Apply pre-emergent products before germination and follow up with a follow-up application depending on label instructions, soil type and weather. Boeri recommends using products with active ingredients such as dithiopyr, indaziflam, oryzalin or pendimethalin.

“If you apply a pre-emergent herbicide and find that a few sandburs are still popping up, there’s a chance they’re becoming resistant,” Boeri says. “Remove those plants by hand or mechanically, or kill them with a post-emergent herbicide.”

Tip 3: Post-emergence herbicides against sandburs

Most herbicides available to homeowners at retail are not labeled for sandburs. However, products containing flazasulfuron and thiencarbazone and iodosulfuron and dicamba are effective but are intended for licensed commercial applicators. Boeri said applicators should be aware that flazasulfuron is only intended for use on bermudagrass and zoysia grasses.

The easiest sandbur aftercare product for homeowners to use should contain imazaquin. Products containing this ingredient are available online and in home and garden departments.

“Using pre- and post-emergence herbicides can be an effective part of the plan to keep sandburs at bay,” he said.

Boeri said users should always read the product label on all herbicides.

Tip 4: Ensure a healthy and beautiful lawn

Herbicide treatments can be unreliable and time-consuming and costly.

Boeri explained that the best long-term strategy to win the battle against sandburs is to create a thick, healthy turf.

Sandburs thrive in poor soils, so first take a soil test to determine what nutrients your lawn needs, then follow the recommendations for your soil type and grass species. Contact your local AgriLife Extension office to pick up a soil testing kit with instructions for sample collection and shipping.

“Weeds are opportunistic,” he said. “So we want to create conditions that promote healthy, resilient turfgrass. That’s the best defense against sandbur.”

Proven methods for lawn care

Two important factors for maintaining a healthy lawn are watering and mowing, according to Boeri.

However, according to Boeri, most homeowners over-water. Watering too early and too often can lead to poor root development, weakened lawns and increased susceptibility to disease and drought.

Boeri recommends using AgriLife Extension’s WaterMyFarm app if you are in an area it covers to get personalized watering recommendations based on local weather. Likewise, AgriLife Extension offers a variety of publications and resources that can provide homeowners with guidance regarding Lawn irrigation.

Mowing your lawn at the right height and frequency will contribute to lawn health.

Peeling the lawn gives buckthorn a chance to germinate. Remember that summer grasses such as Bermuda grass and St. Augustine Ddifferent cuts. Collecting and disposing of the clippings during the sandburs’ flowering period helps reduce the seed banks of weeds that may develop the next year. This is true for other weeds as well, Boeri said.

“These measures should be done consistently and correctly to make your lawn a place where grass thrives and sandburs have a hard time appearing and multiplying,” he said.

If you follow these tips, you can enjoy a lush, sandbur-free lawn all summer long.