Whether you have grass burrs in your lawn (also sometimes called grass stickers) or you’re just worried about them, you might be looking for some more information on this frustrating weed. While all weeds are a nuisance, grass burrs are particularly problematic since they can actually be painful, too.
These spiky balls in the grass can actually stab you with their thorns or get stuck to clothing, skin, or pet fur. If you have children or pets who are running through the lawn barefoot, they can be a literal “pain” that prevents you from using your property to the fullest.
Unfortunately, when we encounter grass burrs and stickers in Texas lawns, it’s not like we see just one or two. We typically see dozens, if not hundreds. They can quickly spread and make a yard unusable.
In this article, we’ll talk about how to get rid of grass burrs so that you can get back to enjoying your lawn.
It’s not surprising that “spiky balls in grass” is a common search term on the Internet for people looking for information about grass burrs. After all, that’s exactly what they look like.
Grass burrs are an annual grassy weed that can thrive in drier climates, like ours in Texas. They tend to pop up in pastures or along roadsides, but they can sometimes show up in lawns thanks to how well they have learned to spread.
We’ve not only heard them called grass stickers but also “prickly thorns,” “sticker burrs,” or “sandbur.”
The latter is the name of the full weed (not just the single “sticker”). A sandbur weed looks like a tall grassy weed with a bunch of individual thorny stickers. These can break off and end up throughout the lawn or latch on to someone (or something) passing by.
In some ways, it’s quite genius (in an evil way!) as this is how the weed spreads.
The sharp spiky balls are actually seedpods. As they latch on and get moved to new locations, the weed spreads to new places. Couple that with the fact that the spiky thorns make this weed difficult to hand-pick, and you can see how it is difficult to control or get rid of.
Like other grassy weeds, it also happens to be an aggressive grower and can be slow to respond to weed control products.
But if you’re dealing with this weed, you want to come up with an action plan so that you can get back to enjoying your lawn. That’s what we’ll talk about next.
While pre-emergent controls are effective in preventing some types of grassy weeds, they do not work for grass burrs. If you have a grass burr problem, we’ll have to use post-emergent herbicides.
It’s important to know that it could take multiple applications to start getting grass burrs under control.
Unfortunately, the products that can be purchased “over the counter” at big box stores are largely ineffective against grass burrs, so this is something you’ll want to invest in a professional for. They can apply commercial-grade products that can help start to get this weed under control.
Of course, given the fact that it can take some time to get a grass burr problem under control, some homeowners choose to go the “sod route.”
Instead of repeatedly applying control products to your grass burrs over a period of time, we could come in and dig out the weed and then install new sod. This will give you the satisfaction of an “instant lawn” that also instantly gets rid of your grass burr issue.
Sometimes, people inherit a grass burr problem by purchasing a home in which the yard has been neglected so this “instant solution” is appealing.
Whatever the case may be, while it’s obviously more expensive, it’s a great way to get ahead of the curve and solve this problem quickly. After all, it’s very frustrating to not be able to use a lawn because it is infested with grass burrs.
In general, preventing any weed boils down to promoting a healthy lawn.
While it is unrealistic to believe you’ll never have any weed problems, the healthier your lawn is, the better it can fend off trouble, including invasive weeds.
That’s because most weeds are opportunistic. They take advantage of an unhealthy lawn that is already struggling. That’s why you’ll often see weeds creep into bare spots of the lawn, where they don’t have to compete with healthy turf for their needs (like nutrients, water, sunlight, and oxygen).
One of the best ways that you can promote a healthy lawn is with a strong lawn maintenance program. That means a lawn care program that includes everything your lawn needs to thrive like regular lawn fertilization and an effective weed control program (that includes pre-emergent, post-emergent, and specialty controls).
Of course, you’ll also need to follow good cultural recommendations like proper watering as well as proper mowing. These factors also make a huge difference in the health of your lawn. When lawns are mowed too short or they are not properly watered, they can begin to thin out. This is the time when weeds will take their opportunity to strike! You can end up caught in a vicious cycle.
But when your lawn is thick, healthy, and thriving, it makes it difficult for weeds to grow.
That means that if a grass burr seed does end up in your lawn, it’s less likely to proliferate. If it’s choked out by thick, healthy turf, you’ll be able to prevent it from spreading naturally.
Whether it’s grass burrs or another persistent weed, you don’t have to let the weeds win.
When it comes to the winning approach, we believe “the best offense is a good defense,” which is why we put so much emphasis on preventing weeds while also promoting thick and healthy turf that chokes out unwanted growth in the first place.
Of course, we know that things happen. A lawn might have been neglected for a period of time, and weeds might have taken their opportunity to invade. If your lawn is in really tough shape and struggling with grass stickers or other issues, then we can talk about an effective solution like weed control products or even sodding.
Either way, you win! You get your lawn back so that you can start enjoying it again. Rather than letting weeds get the best of your lawn, you can have an expert help you restore your lawn’s good health.
Don’t let weed worries get the best of you at your Flower Mound, Highland Village, or Lewisville, TX home. Get a free quote and get ready to enjoy the best lawn on the block!
Image Source: Grass Burr, Grass Burr in Hand
