If you step on the lawn without shoes, you can feel them on your feet, as they cause a temporary stinging. 

They are actually hard to get rid of unless you employ proven elimination strategies. So, what are some ways you can get rid of them?

Goatheads are hard plants to get rid of, but not impossible. They grow rapidly in places where there are no weeds to outcompete. 

Once its seeds are in the soil, the following are some of the methods that can be used to control it:

Mechanical Control

You can control weeds using various tools. They include:

1. Using a Blowtorch

Blowtorches are considered the most effective in getting rid of goatheads. Follow these steps:

• Scan the area and remove any combustible materials
• Light the blowtorch and pass it over the goatheads
• Hold it over the weeds to ensure that burns the leaves, stems, and roots.
• Remove dead weeds when done.
• Ensure there are no burning weeds left behind when you leave the site.

However, this method should be used with caution. Remember to consult the local laws before using fire as a weed killer. 

This is because it can cause a lot of damage if it spreads. It is best practice to have a water hose in place in case of a fire outbreak.

2. Use a Hand Shovel

A hand shovel is easy to use. However, it may not be effective in large areas. 

• Using a hand shovel, dig the area around the roots of the goat heads.
• Push the shovel sideways to cut the weeds from the roots.
• Moisten the ground if it is hard to make it easier for the shovel to go through.
• Gather the weeds, then burn or bury them to prevent their seeds from spreading.

This method can be used at any point outside winter when the foliage has died, but the taproots remain.

To prevent a return of the plant a few inches of mulch should be placed in the affected areas and this is to prevent the seeds from germinating.

Chemical Control

There are several chemicals you can use to eliminate goat weeds. They include:

A Pre-Emergent Herbicide 

Applying a pre-emergent to the infested area helps to prevent weeds from growing. However, you need to select the right pre-emergent. The active ingredients to look for in these herbicides are pendimethalin or trifluralin. 

Consider the following when using a pre-emergent:

• Apply in the spring before weeds germinate.
• Pre-emergent needs some rain a few days after application. This is to move the herbicide from the soil surface to the top layer, where most weeds are located.
• Follow label requirements and recommendations.

After it has emerged, it is important to switch to post-emergent leaf herbicide that has the following; 

• 2,4-D
• 2,4-DP
• Dicamba 
• MCPA, or MCPP

Use Broadleaf Herbicide

Other herbicides that can be used include glyphosate and oryzalin. They are both broad-spectrum sprays, meaning they will kill any plant they come into contact with. Therefore, care is needed in the application. 

Apply oryzalin in late winter and early spring and glyphosate in late spring through fall when fully grown.

Biological Control

Biological agents such as Microlarinus lareynii, which is a seed-consuming weevil, and Microlarinus lypriform, a stem-feeding weevil, can help prevent goat heads from growing.

This is because they feed on the seeds and stems of the weed. 

How to Prevent Goat Heads From Growing On Your Lawn

The best way to prevent goatheads from growing is to prevent them from seeding. The more you can prevent them from seeding, the better control you have over them. 

This seeding period is during the early phase of the plant when it is flowering or before it flowers.

Carla Etheridge

Carla is a student pursuing a B.S in Agricultural Systems Technology. With a passion for landscaping for over 4 years, Carla loves plants. She has previously contributed to several other sites in the space before joining InsightWeeds.

The post How to Get Rid of Goat Heads in Your Yard appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Some common examples of hitchhikers include Beggartricks (Bidens frondosa), Beggar lice (Desmodium), Bur-grass (Cenchrus echinatus), False barley (Hordeum murinum), and Jumping cholla (Cylindropuntia fulgida). 

Hitchhiker weeds are a double threat; they are an eyesore on your landscape and can spread easily to the rest of your property and other areas. Therefore, removing them as soon as you identify them is very important. 

Ways to get rid of hitchhiker weeds

Below is a look at different ways of dealing with hitchhiker weeds on your property. 

1. Hand-pulling the Weeds

Hand-pulling is one of the top solutions for dealing with small patches of hitchhiker weeds. It is also a great technique if you are averse to using chemicals on your property. 

However, hand-pulling is most effective when dealing with young plants without complex roots, making them easy to uproot. You should also try to remove the weeds before they flower and seed to prevent them from spreading further.

In addition, hand-pulling works best when the soil is moist – after rain, or you can water the ground before you pull the weeds. 

2. Dig Them Out With Gardening Tools

Hand-weeding can be pretty tiring, especially when dealing with a large infestation of hitchhiker weeds. In addition, some plants might have deep roots, thus making it necessary to dig them out of the soil. 

In such cases, consider using gardening tools to eliminate the hitchhiker weeds. Some excellent tools include hand plows, knives, hoes, garden pick axes, trowels, and diggers. 

3. Suffocate the Weeds With a Plastic Tarp 

A plastic tarp is another excellent chemical-free method to eliminate hitchhiker weeds. For this to work, you must cover the weeds with a heavy black plastic tarp. 

The tarp blocks the weeds’ access to the sun and traps air and moisture, completely suffocating them to death. However, this is not a fast process, as you will need to cover the weeds for several weeks or even months to completely kill them. 

In addition to suffocation, you can also kill weeds by solarization, which involves covering them with a clear plastic tarp during the sunny season. 

The plastic tarp traps the sun’s heat, heating the soil to very high temperatures. It also blocks access to water, which, combined with the high soil temperatures, kills the weeds.  

4. Use Natural Weed Removal Remedies 

You can kill hitchhiker weeds using natural remedies like boiling water, acetic acid, vinegar and soap dish solution, rubbing alcohol, and corn gluten meal. However, some weeds might be stubborn so you might need several applications of your desired natural remedy. 

Also, when using natural weed killers, you should note that most are non-selective and will kill any plants they encounter. In addition, some natural remedies, like salt, can damage the soil and poison other plants and water. 

5. Let Animals and Livestock Graze on Them

Animals can consume several hitchhiker weeds. Therefore, letting animals graze on these invasive plants is another excellent idea to control them. 

The best part is that you can feed hitchhiker weeds to several animals, including chickens, cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. 

However, as a safety precaution, you should ensure that the plant your animals are grazing on is not toxic. For example, some types of burs are highly toxic to livestock. 

6. Use Chemical Herbicides 

Chemical herbicides are the most effective solution, especially when dealing with weeds that spread aggressively, like hitchhikers.

Depending on the specific weed species, you can use different types of herbicide. 

Some top examples of herbicides include: 

• Post-emergent herbicides – applied after the weeds have germinated, for example, 2,4-D, triclopyr, and dicamba. 
• Pre-emergent herbicides – applied in the soil to prevent germination of new weeds from the seeds. Examples include alachlor, acetochlor, and dimethenamid. 
• Systemic herbicides – these are absorbed by the weeds and transported through all the parts of the plant, including the leaves, stems, and roots. Examples include dicamba, 2,4-D, sethoxydim, and imazaquin. 
• Selective herbicides – they kill only the target weeds without harming other desirable plants. Examples include trifluralin, oxadiazon, and prodiamine. 
• Non-selective herbicides: They kill all plants they come into contact with, including desirable ones. Examples include glyphosate, Bentazon, and glufosinate. 

Note: If you are dealing with stubborn hitchhiker weeds, you might need several applications of herbicide treatments to completely eradicate them. 

How to Protect Your Lawn, Yard, Garden, or Landscapes From Hitchhiker Weeds 

The above methods can help you eliminate hitchhiker weeds from your property. However, you can also protect yourself from these weeds (or a re-infestation) using the following techniques: 

1. Use Mulch

Mulching covers the ground, preventing sunlight from penetrating the soil. Consequently, this blocks the germination of new weeds from the seeds already in the soil. 

2. Keep Your Lawn, Garden, or Yard Healthy 

Many hitchhiker weeds will attack and invade unhealthy lawns, gardens, yards, and landscapes. To protect yourself from these pesky weeds, you ensure you keep your property healthy through techniques such as: 

• Fertilization, especially lawns.
• Maintaining proper watering frequency to keep your plants healthy. 
• Proper soil PH management 
• Regular mowing and tillage

3. Plant Competitive Cover Plants 

Competitive cover crops can control hitchhiker weeds on your property by overcrowding and suffocating them.

You can also plant vigorous beneficial plants in bare areas, making them less susceptible to hitchhikers. 

4. Don’t Spread Hitchhiker Weeds on Your Property 

You can protect yourself from hitchhikers by taking necessary measures to prevent their spread. For example: 

• Properly clean your farm machinery after using them in areas with hitchhikers. 
• You should remove any hitchhiker weed seeds from your clothes, shoes, or car to prevent them from spreading. 
• Properly disposed of hitchhiker weeds, for example, by burning or sealing them in plastic bags. 
• You should wear hitchhiker-resistant clothes when working in or passing through an area with these weeds. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

The post How To Get Rid of Hitchhiker Weeds: Complete Guide appeared first on InsightWeeds.

To get rid of thorny weeds, you may have to manually remove them, apply chemical herbicides, or look for other ways to prevent their regrowth.

The method to remove them will depend on the type of weed in your garden or lawn. Here are ten common tall weeds with thorns.  

1. Bull thistle – Cirsium vulgare

The bull or spear thistle is a biennial weed that grows up to six feet. The plant is native to Europe and West Asia but is neutralised worldwide.

The bull thistle is considered an invasive weed. It has large, spiny leaves, long, sharp spines on the midrib and the tips of the lobes, purple flowers, and an upright, branched stem. 

The bull thistle has a taproot system and grows in many environments. It is common in recently or repeatedly disturbed areas like hay fields, pastures, trails, roads, and vacant fields. 

You can eliminate the bull thistle through chemical control or manual removal, pulling it by hand or using a hoe.

2. Bristly oxtongue – Helminthotheca echioides

The bristly oxtongue is an annual weed native to North Africa and Europe. The plant can reach between 90 and 150 centimeters in fertile soils and shady places.

The bristly oxtongue has basal rosette leaves with short petioles. It has coarse bristles that cover it and pale thorny pimples on the surface of the leaves. 

The bristly oxtongue is an invasive plant that can outcompete native species and disrupt ecosystems. 

When the soil is moist, you can remove this weed by hand pulling, string trimming, or hoeing.

3. Creeping thistle – Cirsium arvense

The creeping or Canadian thistle is a perennial weed native throughout Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. 

The herbaceous plant is among the many tall weeds with spikes and can grow to heights of up to 150 centimeters.

The plant has hairless or thinly hair leaves beneath the leaves and produces flowerheads with purple or pink disc florets. 

The creeping thistle is commonly found in disturbed areas and vacant lots. It is a noxious weed with an extensive root system that can make management difficult because new plants can sprout from the roots.

Therefore, applying herbicides is the best way of eliminating the plant. 

4. Devil’s claw – Proboscidea louisianica

The devil’s claw is a leafy perennial weed native to Southern Africa. It has creeping stems that grow to heights of up to two meters.

The weed gets its name from the small hooks that cover its fruit. It also has wide, large, rounded leaves with a slight point on the tip. 

The devil’s claw has branching roots, shoots, and secondary roots that grow out of the main roots. Thus, chemical application offers an effective way of eliminating the weed.

5. Carolina horsenettle – Solanum carolinense

Carolina horsenettle is a tall weed with thorns on the stem. The perennial plant is native to the Southeastern United States and is notorious for being difficult to pull due to its sharp thorns.

The Carolina horsenettle is commonly found in disturbed areas, where the stem can grow to heights of three feet. It also produces white to lavender flowers with a star-like shape, and the undersides of larger leaf veins are covered with prickles or spines. 

Because of its sharp thorns, manual plant removal can be challenging. Therefore, the best way is to apply chemicals.

6. Multiflora rose – Rosa multiflora

Multiflora rose is a perennial shrub native to Eastern Asia. The plant has a single stem, but it can have multiple stems that can grow up to heights of 15 feet.

The shrub is among prickly weeds because it has curved thorns or prickles. Also, its leaves are alternate and have five to eleven leaflets. 

People consider the multiflora rose an invasive weed because it can form dense thickets that destroy good plants and reduce biodiversity. 

Therefore, eliminate it through chemical application or hoeing. 

7. Common cocklebur – Xanthium strumarium

The common cocklebur is an example of a weed that has stems with thorns. The annual plant is native to Southern Europe and Asia and grows to heights of up to four feet.

The stems of the common cocklebur have spots ranging from green to purple, and the leaves are alternate and triangular. It also produces small, inconspicuous flowers arranged in spike-like clusters.

The plant usually grows along roadsides, railways, small streams, riverbanks, and disturbed areas. You can hoe newly emerged cockleburs until you expose the roots and dispose of the seeds.

8. Prickly lettuce – Lactuca serriola

Prickly lettuce is an annual plant native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It has an erect solitary stem reaching heights up to 40 inches.

The plant forms a basal rosette during the early growth cycle. Its leaves are deeply lobed and have prickles on the undersides. 

The prickly lettuce usually grows along roads, railroads, sidewalks, vacant lots, waste areas, pastures, orchards, and cultivated fields. 

Use gloves when dealing with tall weeds with thorns, whether hoeing or hand-pulling. Alternatively, monitoring and removing the plant before it goes to seed is also best.

9. Sandbur – Cenchrus longispinus

Sandbur is an annual and sometimes perennial weed native to Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. These tall weeds with small thorns grow in poorly-maintained lawns and open areas.

It has green-yellow blades that can reach heights of two feet. Also, the weed has a spiny, yellowish bur that forms at the top of the stem, making it painful to step on.

The sandbur has a shallow and fibrous root system that emerges from the plant base. 

Therefore, you can remove it by mowing your lawn, spreading cardboard to suffocate it, or using a pre-emergence to prevent its early growth.

10. Brambles – Robus

Then brambles are a perennial group of plants in the Rubus genus. Most consider them tall weeds with thorns because they have prickly stems and leaves. 

The term bramble is often used to describe raspberries and blackberries. However, the term can also refer to other plants in the Rubus genus, which has over 200 species. 

Brambles grow in many soil types and are adaptable to different environmental conditions. During the growth cycles, the plants produce attractive flowers in white or pink color. 

You can control brambles by using a weed killer or cutting down the plant before waiting for its regrowth.

More Resources

• The most common weeds with thorns

Carla Etheridge

Carla is a student pursuing a B.S in Agricultural Systems Technology. With a passion for landscaping for over 4 years, Carla loves plants. She has previously contributed to several other sites in the space before joining InsightWeeds.

The post 10 tall weeds with thorns (picture identification) appeared first on InsightWeeds.

However, most weeds from their native origins tend to choke the rest of the plants by dominating the garden.

Some of them, especially the ones that reproduce by burrs, can be very cumbersome to get rid of.

Burrs are dried fruit that has teeth/hook-like structures. They are a type of sticker weed.

Weeds with burrs will attach their seed onto the burr, latching onto animal fur or cloth fabric using its teeth-like structures.

Naturally, you will try removing the burrs from your clothes once you notice them; the same applies to animals.

It grows once you throw it into another place, spreading all over the garden.

Some of the weeds with burrs include;

• Noogoora burr
• Cocklebur
• Burr medic
• Burdock

1. Noogoora burr

Noogoora Burr is a native weed from South USA, Mexico, New South Wales, and West Indies.

It is an annual plant that reproduces by attaching its seeds onto burrs during Autumn and winter. However, it remains dormant during Spring.

This weed thrives in riparian areas that are prone to flooding. Therefore, they will usually start growing in your garden, roadside, or around where you store pastures.

However, they can grow anywhere since they have mastered the art of dormancy when the environment is unfavorable.

Thanks to its distinct features, you can easily spot the Noogoora Burr plant. Its stems are single-branched and can be either green or purple, depending on whether it is mature.

As for its leaves, they have a sort of grapevine pattern that alternates on the branches. When the plant is in its prime, the leaves are green with purple veins.

The fruits of the Noogoora Burr are hard and have a wooden color. They are shaped like small egg that is covered with spines that are 5mm long.

2. Cocklebur

Though their native origin is unknown, Cockleburs have colonized North America and Europe to the point that at least 4-5 people from the aforementioned countries have encountered them.

It belongs to the vast sunflower family and has at least 4 known varieties.

This plant is very common because it thrives in Cultivated areas, river beds, or moist pastures. Every Cocklebur plant produces hundreds of small eggs shaped fruits.

Each fruit is covered with hundreds of hooked burrs that latch on tightly to things such as your cloth fabric.

Sometimes the burrs latch on so tightly that you cannot remove them with your bare hands.

Its stems and leaves are usually very rough and are covered with dark spots. The leaves are one of its most unique features as they are triangular with a rough wavy-like edge.

The flowers of this weed are very inconspicuous and are responsible for producing its egg-shaped burrs with two beaks on either side.

3. Burr Medics

A burr medic is very similar to a clover plant, only that its flowers are yellow and not white. It is low-growing and hardly has any hair on its leaves and branches.

Speaking of leaves, its leaflets are divided into three clusters, each of which is 4-35mm long.

Its seed is very hard, and it may take years before it breaks down and start germinating. Therefore, this plant will likely not colonize your farm as fast as other weeds.

However, it is in your best interest to control it as soon as you see it because it has very deep roots and is resilient to many herbicides making it hard to control when it has spread.

Burr medics have a few beneficial traits, such as it has the capacity to add nitrogen levels to the soil.

On the other hand, it will drain all the water from your garden and leave the rest of the plants dehydrated. Therefore, you have no option but to destroy it if you intend to grow anything else.

4. Burdock

Rumor has it that burdock is famous because its burrs were part of the inspiration behind Velcro.

It only develops flowers which then results in burrs in its second year of growth, meaning it can be very easy to miss it the first time around.

The only viable way to distinguish it from other plants is through its broad dark green leaves with a whitish-pink stem that runs through the middle.

Also, its flowers are purple and closely resemble the shape of orbs.

Some people voluntarily plant Burdock weed because it is an edible vegetable. It has a long taproot that can be chopped up and added to most soups. This makes it one of the most popular weeds with burrs.

Its texture and taste resemble the Japanese vegetable known as Gobo. It is said to have healing properties for issues such as diuretic or digestion difficulty.

If you are being bothered by the burdock, we’ve provided 5 ways to eliminate it completely.

5. Garlic mustard

Just like the name suggests, the garlic mustard weed is also edible. Many people cultivate it and eat it as a vegetable or grind it for use as seasoning.

It has dark green round leaves with a scalloped edge. In its second year of growth, the leaves and stems smell and taste a little like garlic mixed with mustard, hence the name.

Unlike most plants, the leaves of Garlic mustard remain green all through the seasons, including winter.

As soon as you notice it, try and apply any weed-controlling method you know, as this plant can be very invasive, not to mention dangerous to the soil and nearby plants.

It’s imperative to note that Garlic mustard is only edible in its first year and half of its second year of growth.

After that, the leaves are very bitter and start to produce a toxic substance that can harm humans and animals.

That’s it for the 5 most common weeds with burrs that you are likely to come across in your lawn or garden. Since some of these plants are invasive, you need to find the right eradication methods to deal with them instantly.

Recommended

• 5 weeds that look like rhubarb
• How to eliminate sticker weeds
• These weeds stick to clothes and pet fur
• Types of broadleaf weeds and eradication methods

Carter

IW’s Chief Editor and a lover of green spaces.

The post 5 weeds with burrs that you may find in your garden appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Stickers are amongst the worst types of lawn weeds due to their invasive nature. They also annoyingly stick on your clothes, and will easily find their way into your house.

Worse, they come with spiky seeds that are sharp enough to injure you or your pets. They can even puncture bicycle tires.

So, how can you get rid of these annoying weeds? Well, there are several ways –the top among them being using herbicides. In fact, there are several types of herbicides that you can deploy against stickers.

Alternatively, you can manually weed them out with hands or gardening tools. Other solutions include controlling them using organic/natural weed control mechanisms.

This guide contains all the information you need on how to identify and deal with stickers.

What are sticker weeds?

Before even looking at how to get rid of sticker weeds, let’s first look at what they are.

Stickers refer to a group of weed plants that have sharp pines/burs that stick easily on clothes. They grow on different types of soil, but favor moist soils with turf or lawn grass. They are annual weeds, which grow in cool weather, before developing fully when it is hot.

There are different types of sticker weeds, which are known by different names. They include:

• Grass stickers
• Lawn burs
• Field sandbur sticker plants
• Bur clover plants
• Burweed
• Yellow vine
• Goathead
• Caltrop
• Puncturevine

Some of these sticker weeds names essentially refer to the same or plants that are closely related to each other.

How to identify sticker weeds?

Even after learning the different types of sticker weeds and their names, identifying them can still be an issue. However, there is a simpler sticker weed identification trick – learning their physical characteristics.

One of the top distinguishing features of sticker weeds is their leaves. They have bright green, lobed leaves, similar to those of parsley. They are also arranged opposite to each other on the stem and are hairy.

Secondly, sticker weeds are usually low-growing plants, with branching-out growth habit once the plant becomes established. They also produce small and inconspicuous flowers.

The flowers of the sticker plants are what develop into seeds, another distinguishing feature. The seeds are also hard to spot, but they feature hard coating and sharp burs or pines, which are easily felt – by injuring you or sticking to your clothes.

How to get rid of sticker weeds from your yard

Sticker weeds are very hard to control; once they are on your grass, getting rid of them is an uphill task. That being said, there are several ways that you can use to remove them from your yard.

They include:

1. Mechanical control

One of the ways to get rid of sticker plants in your yard is through mechanical control, i.e., manually removing them. Unfortunately, it is also the hardest solution.

Mechanical control involves one of two things:

Pulling the weeds out with your hands

If you love weeding your lawn by hand, this is perfect for you. Simply locate where the weeds are growing on the grass and pull them out. Be sure to pull from the center and a single swift movement so that the plant and the roots come out.

Something to remember when pulling out sticker weeds is to always wear the best gloves for pulling weeds. The spiky seeds or burs are particularly sharp and can cause painful injuries if you don’t have gloves.

Also, to make your work easier, pull out the weeds in the morning, and when the soil is moist.

Using gardening tools to remove the weeds

If you don’t like to get your hands dirty, then gardening tools are a better option. The best tool is a hoe. We recommend the Truper 33039. Use it to cut out the sticker plants from their roots and then get rid of them.

Note: While pulling out the weeds will remove them from your grass, they can still grow again. Therefore, you will need to repeat the process several times until the roots die off.

Also, make sure to pull the weeds when they are young (before flowering). This way, they won’t propagate their seeds, which is how they spread.

2. Using herbicides

Using herbicides is another solution you can use to kill sticker weeds that have infested your yard. These chemicals target various parts and physiological processes of the sticker plants, killing them and/or preventing their propagation.

So, which herbicides can you use? Will roundup kill stickers? Yes, Roundup is a good example of herbicide you can use against burweed stickers.

Others include herbicides with disodium methanearsonate, known as DSMA, or monosodium acid (MSA).

When it comes to herbicides, there are also pre-emergent ones that target the weeds before they sprout, or while they are young. Top ones that you can use for sticker weeds include those containing Oryzalin and Benefin.

Note: With herbicides, you should be very careful about the ones you chose. For example, some types of roundup weed killers are not selective and will kill everything including your lawn grass.

Therefore, you should go for selective ones such as roundup for the lawn if you don’t wish to kill your grass.

3. Natural weed killer remedies

Natural weed remedies are another solution you can give a try when attempting to control sticker weeds. There are several organic solutions that people claim to work, including:

• Salt – applying to the roots of the weed plants
• Boiling water – pouring on the leaves and stems of the weeds
• Soap water – spraying the leaves of the weeds
• Burning the weed plants
• Vinegar – applying to the leaves

Natural remedies can be a good idea if you don’t like using chemical herbicides in your yard. That being said, they do come with a few drawbacks.

To start with, most are not selective and might not distinguish between the stickers in the grass with the grass itself.

Take, for example, salt. While it might help to kill sticker weeds, it will also kill any grass growing where it is applied. On top of that, once the salt is absorbed into the soil, it will “poison” it and prevent growth of any plants in the area where applied for a while.

Secondly, natural remedies, while effective in killing weed plants, might not kill the roots or the seeds. Therefore, more often than not, the weeds will re-germinate, and you will have to repeat the process several times.

Summary

Sticker weeds in the yard is a nightmare that many people dread. The weeds can ruin even the most beautiful lawns, unconducive for you and your family. Luckily, there are several solutions you can try against them.

If you are having a hard time with stickers, the above are some of the top remedies. From pulling them manually to chemical herbicides and natural remedies, you have a lot of options. Just choose one that works for you and put an end to stickers ruining your lawn.

Carter

IW’s Chief Editor and a lover of green spaces.

The post Types of sticker weeds and how to get rid of them appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Acting fast to eliminate pricker weeds is necessary because these plants are invasive and can extend to places where they are hard to remove.

Some homeowners try to control prickly grass by mowing it. While this may offer a better solution to eliminating them, you may unknowingly be spreading their seeds all over your lawn. Besides, cutting down the plants only gives a temporary fix.

4 ways to get rid of sticker weeds permanently

You need a permanent solution to ensure the sticker grass does not return again. The following are some methods you should try.

1. Use a Pre-Emergent Herbicide

Applying a pre-emergent herbicide can help to prevent sticker grass from growing. The chemicals work by stopping the formation of new root cells in infant weed plants. 

An example of a product you can use is the Scotts Halts Crabgrass & Grassy Weed Preventer. Here is how to apply a pre-emergent herbicide in your garden to eliminate burweed.

• • Pour the entire bag of the pre-emergent herbicide into a bucket and weigh it. The application rate should be 4lb per 1,000 square feet of lawn.
  • Pour the granules into a spreader.

• Use the default manufacturer presets on your spreader to start applying the granules.
• Start by doing a trim pass around your yard.
• Finish the remaining areas in a grid pattern to ensure you get an even application of the herbicide.

The pre-emergent herbicide will prevent the seeds from the sticker weeds from germinating. But the granules only last for about three months.

Therefore, you will have to reapply for better results. Remember to refer to the product label for specific application directions.

2. Use a post-emergent herbicide

A post-emergent herbicide will kill the prickly weeds and ensure they do not grow back. Products such as Quali-Pro MSM Turf Herbicide will attack the plants after they have already matured.

The chemical formulation will prevent sticker grass from spreading new seeds and sprouting, especially in spring. Here is how to apply them:

• Put one ounce of post-emergent herbicide into a sprayer.
• Add one gallon of water.
• Mix the two contents well.
• Spray the solution on the weeds directly.

Note that some post-emergent herbicides, such as Quali-pro MSM Turf Herbicide, will only work for specific weeds listed on the label. That means the chemicals are simply sticker killers and will not harm your grass.

However, if it is a general herbicide, it will kill every plant that comes into contact with it.

3. Water your lawn regularly

Some sticker weeds do not spread on watered soil. If your lawn is thick and healthy, the plants will not get enough room to grow. The thickness of your yard will smother the seeds of the weeds.

It will also deny these unwanted plants the critical sunlight warmth that prevents their seeds from germinating.

Irrigate your yard early in the morning because this is the time when your grass is receptive to water and will utilize the moisture provided.

4. Uproot the sticker weeds by hand

Uprooting the sticker weeds is a practical method because it removes the roots of the plants. That prevents it from growing back again. However, the option is time-consuming and only applicable to smaller areas.

When pulling by hand, ensure to remove the entire taproot. If you cannot get rid of weeds with stickers by hand, use gardening tools such as a hoe.

Although mowing can help, you need to ensure that the seeds of the plants do not drop everywhere. The solution is to mow with a bag so that the sticker weeds can collect in the bag and stop spreading everywhere.

Also, keeping the yard short and well-trimmed destroys the plants and prevents its seeds from maturing and germinating.

Getting rid of burweed shouldn’t be difficult

So, what kills stickers in the grass? As a homeowner, use pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides to eliminate sticker weeds.

Also, consider keeping your yard thick and short because it will smother the seeds of the burweed. Alternatively, uproot the plants from the taproot to prevent them from growing back again.

More guides

• When should you apply pre-emergent in North Carolina
• Crabgrass removal tools that are very effective

Carter

IW’s Chief Editor and a lover of green spaces.

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