Ouch, ouch, and ouch!

If you have encountered a sandbur, you know the annoyance of it clinging to your socks, and the pain of those spiky seed heads piecing your flesh.  Little dogs may even come in contact with these nasty hitchhikers from time to time.  An annual grass by nature, this weed can infest lawns and become the scourge of your yard.  What can you do about these pesky and hurtful weeds?

Although there are eight species of this weedy grass, the most common sandburs we have in our area are the Southern Sandbur and the Coast or Field Sandbur.  Starting out hiding in plain sight as just another grass plant, by fall and early winter those telltale spiked seed heads are at sock height and ready to cling on for a ride to another location so as to expand their territory.  Each of these medieval, mace-shaped seed capsules can contain up to three seeds which are ready and willing to sprout and start the next generation. 

Part of making sandburs unwelcome guests to your lawn is to use good cultural practices to keep your turf in good order – proper mowing height, good fertilization, irrigation, etc.  Healthy, vigorous grass will often out-compete weeds which are more likely to flourish in less-than-ideal conditions.  Research mentions that sandbur seeds actually grow better when nitrogen is minimal. 

One tool that can be used to help reduce your sandbur outbreak is a pre-emergent herbicide.  Pre-emergent herbicides actually kill the weed seed before it is able to germinate.  A window of opportunity to apply these materials is open on or about February 1^st .  Care must be taken when selecting and applying these chemicals.  An herbicide that can be used on St. Augustine grass is called atrazine.  While you can use atrazine on St. Augustine, it should not be used on Bahia grass as damage can occur.  A pre-emergent that you can apply to Bahia grass is called oryzaline.  As with all pesticides, read the label, the label is the law and you are responsible for the safe application of these pesticides. 

One last option I heard about which is non-chemical, but it sounds interesting.  Take a sheet of burlap and drag it across the lawn in the sandbur-infested areas.  The spiny seed heads will stick on and then can be collected and destroyed – it may be worth a try.

Sandburs are a problem that can be managed with cultural and chemical practices to minimize the “ouch-factor.”   Protect your fingers, feet and little dog paws by taking action against the dreaded sandbur today!  For more on turf weed suppression, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Culbert, D. (2003) Sticky Sandspur.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Okeechobee County.

Smith, H., Ferrell, J. & Sellers, B. (2015) Identification and Control of Southern Sandbur (Cenchrus echinatus L.) in Hayfields.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

McAfee, J. A. (2016) Controlling Sandbur (Grassbur) in Turfgrass. Texas A &M University Extension Service. 

Trenholm, L. E., Unruh, J. B. & Cisar, J. L. (2015) Bahiagrass for Florida Lawns.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Trenholm, L. E., Unruh, J. B. & Cisar, J. L. (2014) St. Augustinegrass for Florida Lawns.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Unruh, J. B., Leon R. G.,. Brecke, B. J & Trenholm L. E. (2015) Weed Management Guide for Florida Lawns. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.