How to Control Sandburs

How to Control Sandburs

Sandburs are prickly summer weeds that wreck havoc on barefoot boys and puppy dogs throughout the South.  With their needle-sharp burs, these stickers can take over lawns, ball fields and can teach you many new four-letter words.  Lye soap can take care of the sharp language, but the sandburs will require a bit more effort. The key to eliminating sandburs is getting an early start with a strong, effective pre-emergent herbicide and then following up with a post-emergent solution that will knock-down any remaining burs.   This process may take a few seasons…and of course the wind (transporting friends) will always be your enemey.  But if you adhere to the following regimen, you’ll stand a good chance of a bur-free life.  Wouldn’t that be sweet?

Start Early with Sandbur Pre-Emergence

Beginning in early Spring, sandburs will start to rear their ugly heads and establish dominion in your lawn or field.  Depending on where you live in the US, this clutch period could be anywhere from late January through March.  It is very important to remember that the cycle of growth will begin again in early Summer.  By making an application of a strong pre-emergent solution like Dithiopyr, you will create a barrier that will help sterilize the young sandburs as they begin to pop up.  The beauty of Dithiopyr is that it serves not only as a traditional pre-emergent, but will also knock-down sandburs after they have established, IF you catch it early enough.  This is the most effective pre-emergent solution we have found.  Dithiopyr comes in convienient wet-packs that allow you to simply drop an entire pack into your sprayer.  No messy measuring or spills.  This should be applied twice during the year, once in early Spring and again in early Summer.  This will provide you with strong and effective coverage throughout the growing season.

MSMA Eliminates Established Sandburs

No matter how diligent you are with your pre-emergent applications, you will most-likey see sanburs poke through your defenses.  As they say…you can’t fool Mother Nature.  This is where MSMA comes into play.  There is simply no better product on the market than MSMA to eliminate sandburs, crabgrass, dallisgrass and other tough weeds.  Once the temperature reaches 70 degrees, MSMA can be applied at a rate of one ounce per gallon of water.  This gallon of MSMA solution will treat 1,000 square feet.  You will need to make two applications of MSMA, about 20 days apart.  While there may be some temporary yellowing of bermuda grass, it will bounce-back like a champ and you will be amazing at the results.  Make sure to read all labels carefully and give us a call if you have any questions on mix rates.

Sandbur Knockout Combo

By addressing sanburs with a combination of pre- and post-emergent solutions, you will gain the upper hand on the problem.  The combination of Dithiopyr and MSMA provides you with the best solution available.  Apply Ditiopyr in early Spring and then again in early Summer for season-long pre-emergent control.  Then, utilize MSMA to clean up any stagglers.   Once you’ve rid your life of sandburs, there’ll be no need for shoes….and no more excuses for foul language.  What are you waiting for?

More info on our Sandbur Knockout Combo