By Debbie Roland and
Emmy Ulmschneider
Master Gardeners
Stickers or grass burs (Cenchrus echinatus) also called grass bur, sandbur and sticker weed, is a nasty grass weed that is disliked by all who like to go barefoot. Most of these plants are easily recognized in the mature stage when the seed heads are stuck in your shoes (and then the carpet in your house), pants, or hands when weeding and working in your yard. They produce burrs that allow them to attach to shoes, clotting and animals.
They are classified as perennials, which survive from one year to the next. The plants that survive from one year to the next are harder to get rid of since they have developed a strong root system. If you have a weak stand of grass the grass bur will take advantage of that and sprout in all available ground space. Once established they spread easily. This is one of the many reasons we teach to always have something growing in your soil. The best control is to always have grass or other plants that are dense and healthy.
Here are some hints on controlling stickers:
- Manually pull stickers immediately after sprouting to prevent them from spreading.
- Always use a bag attachment on your mower to prevent spread.
- Lay an old blanket on the ground with bricks on each corner. Pull the blanket around then throw the blanket away.
- Use a preemergent herbicide to help control grass burs. See https://cdn-de.agrilife.org/extension/departments/scsc/scsc-pu-258/pulications/files/grassbur-sandbur-identification-and-management-1.pdf.
- Apply a post-emergent herbicide in winter before they form the sharp burrs.
- Fertilize your lawn twice a year since healthy grass blocks stickers.
- The key is to identify the plant as early as possible and eliminate it before it produces stickers.
If you have applied a herbicide don’t reseed within sixty days and don’t apply to newly seeded lawns.
Once stickers are successfully removed check your yard often for any that have sprouted from missed seeds. You must be vigilant to win this battle since the wind is usually blowing seeds in and you or your animals can track them into your yard.
If you have questions, call the AgriLife office in Odessa at 498-4071 or in Midland at 686-4700. Additional information, and our blog for access to past articles, is available at westtexasgardening.org. Click on “Resources.”
