How do I get rid of sand spurs?

Question

I have 3 acres cleared, used for nice yard area but last year it was over come by sand spures and this year it is so bad the entire area is un usable for grand children to play.

Answer 1

I believe there is a pesticide that will help.. a trip to the garden supply will prolly fix that.... but one thing we have tried with that does really help is to hang a burlap bag behind the mower, dragging on the ground, to snag up the sand spurs so they don't spread and keep the grass cut close during the season the sand spurs are maturing on the stalk. We have had them wiped out a few times but on the beach they blow in from other areas and regrow fairly frequently. Good Luck with it... your grandkids need that to play on!

Answer 2

You may have to go through a growth cycle to get rid of the spurs. That is, when the rains come and the spurs (seeds) germinate, kill off the weeds with herbicide before they generate more spurs. Any spurs that did not germinate will probably decompose over the winter and shouldn't be a problem the next year.

We had a similar problem on a sandy recreation area (hundreds of acres) here in San Diego a few years ago. People couldn't walk on the sand barefooted without picking up painful stickers. That winter it rained and the stickers (seeds) sprouted. The whole area was covered in weeds where not many had grown before.

Before the weeds were mature enough to produce stickers, the city maintenance people came out and cultivated (disked) the area to uproot the weeds that had grown. They then applied a granular weed killer to control the growth of additional seedlings. The area has been clear of weeds and stickers for about three years now.

Answer 3

I'm assuming you're talking about what we call grass burrs here in Texas. They are small burrs that have needles on them that seem to have hooks on them because once they stick you they have to be pulled out. There are pre-emergence herbicides that help to control them that should be applied in the fall (Oct.) and again in the Spring. One of the ways to help control them is to have a very healthy lawn. They don't compete very well with healthy grass. Good luck.

Answer 4

Pull them. The female plants produce the spurs - seeds. They grow radially from the roots. Lift all the stems toward the middle, grab them all and pull. They come out easily. I walk barefoot in my yard now....took a bit of pulling, but possible.