Field sandburs, also known as sticker burs or grassburs, can be a pesky problem for those in San Antonio, Texas. These prickly weeds are especially prevalent in our region and can quickly take over your lawn if left unchecked. Understanding the lifecycle of sandburs is crucial in effectively managing and preventing them.
In San Antonio, sandburs typically germinate in the spring around March or April, continue to germinate throughout the summer months, and can even germinate into early fall. To prevent sandburs from taking root in your lawn, it is recommended to start by applying pre-emergent products in late winter or early spring (mid Feb – Mid March), before the seeds have a chance to sprout.
Preventing Sticker Burs (Grass Burs) with Pre-Emergent Weed Control
You also MUST make TWO MORE follow up applications throughout the year.
Pre-emergent products options for preventing sticker burs in spring and summer include:
- Crew
- Hi Yield Turf and Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper with Dimension
- Ike’s Sandbur & Crabrass Preventer
The schedule goes as follows:
- First application of spring pre-emergent should be applied mid Feb – mid March
- Second application of spring pre-emergent occurs 90 days later. (It’s worth noting that if you miss the first application, don’t bother with the second one; it won’t do anything.)
- Third application is when you apply your pre-emergent again in the early fall (mid August – mid September). (Choose Fertilome Broadleaf Control with Gallery in the fall as this product controls both broadleaf weeds and sticker burs.)
These three applications throughout the year should be sufficient preventive control for sticker burs (grass burs) in home landscapes. Make sure to REALLY water it in well. You don’t want to wash away the product, but you want to make sure it’s sufficiently watered in. As always, read your label thoroughly, there are always exceptions as to where you can use the products.
Pre-emergent weed control is absolutely key if you’ve struggled with sticker burs in the past and you’ve never taken steps to prevent them. Besides, there are a plethora of other weeds that will rear up if they have the opportunity. You can prevent them too.
Controlling Current Sticker Burs (Grass Burs)
If you already have sandburs in your turf, there are few products available commercially that will be effective and/or that won’t harm your turf.
One product available in local garden centers, like Rainbow Gardens, is Image Kills Nutsedge and it can be used on home lawns for spot treatments, but with caution. There is a bold warning on the label that states Do Not Use On St. Augustine Grass For Winter Weed Control. And like other post emergents, applying when temperatures are blazing, could cause damage to turf. So we would definitley advise reading the entire label and all it’s warnings and disclaimers. Believe us when we say that the best control is still prevention with pre-emergent.
Mowing and bagging seedheads is another form of control, so that the seeds don’t drop and germinate. Dragging old pieces of carpet, or fleece across areas with sticker burs can also help get rid of the prickly seedheads as they will attach to the textiles which can then be thrown away. (Anyone who has ever has sticker burs tangled in their shoelaces knows how easily they attach to fibers!) And lastly and most painful, is pulling the weeds manually. You’ll need to make sure to get the entire root so that there is no regrowth of the plant.
The main take away is that when it comes to sticker burs it’s best to concentrate on consistent applications of pre-emergent and the overall health of your lawn.
Learn this: A well maintained lawn is your best defense to even developing a problem with sticker burs, or any other weed, in the first place. Consistency is key when it comes to controlling weeds. This means, keeping your lawn fertilized, mowed, and irrigated properly are some pretty easy tasks to do and they contribute to a lush lawn that is healthy enough to choke out unwanted weeds.
Best of luck!
~The Happy Gardener, Lisa Mulroy
The stickers are in my flower beds up along the fencline.
Hi Yvonne,
Many of the pre-emergents can be applied in flower beds too. You just need to read the labels carefully to make sure there aren’t any precautions for the particular plants you have planted in your flower beds. You need to hurry to apply though, because we don’t recommend applying later than mid March. This also won’t kill the sticker burs you currently have, it will only help to prevent any new ones from developing from the seeds that are dropped.
I wouldn’t advise any post emergent products in your flower beds. While spraying them, there could be drift onto your flowers and that could cause damage or death to your flowers. You’ll probably need to put on some thick gloves and pull the plants manually and discard them.
Greetings We have just moved to a half acre residence and the entire yard all around the house. do you carry the chemical to kill the stickers? Is it to late to treat my area?
Hello,
Where is it that you moved to? Are you in San Antonio or a surrounding area? If so, you can apply a pre-emergent now to prevent burs that may germinate in fall. Don’t delay, because once the cooler temperatures arrive to stay, the burs will germinate. (Choose Fertilome pre-emergent with Gallery for fall pre-emergent that prevents broad leaf weeds and sticker burs that germinate in fall.) and then most importantly make sure to get the products mentioned in the article to treat in late winter/early spring (Hi yield Dimension or Crew, or Ike’s Sandbur and crabgrass preventer) when the major outbreak of sticker bur germination occurs! There will also be a necessary follow up application in summer. The schedule is listed in this blog you commented on. Not much will kill off the current burs. You can mow and bag, hand pull (ouch, be careful), or weight down some old carpet or heavy fibered old blankets and drag across the burs to collect the bur heads and dispose of them.
Preventing them in early spring is of utmost importance. You can stock up and buy your products now so you will be ready.
Where can I get these products?
We sell them at our local locations here in San Antonio. Here is a link to access directions to our locations. You might want to call ahead to make sure inventory is in stock as our inventory changes daily.
Hello, I am in Oklahoma City. I just moved into a house and the backyard is full of stickers and I want to get rid of them! Is there anything similar to those products I could get here in Oklahoma?
The Hi-Yield product mentioned in the article is generally available at feed stores and local nurseries, but I have no idea the inventory of stores in Oklahoma. I would suggest finding a local nursery in your town or close by, and asking them what they have in comparison. They generally have knowledgeable staff and can point you in the right direction for the best products they have to control your sticker burs. I would also ask them for a guide for when you should apply in Oklahoma for the best results, and then as always, make sure to thoroughly read the label as it may contain info on if and when you may need follow up applications.