Grass burrs are stubborn grassy weeds, mostly appearing in summer. They can be frustrating to deal with, as they lower your lawn’s aesthetic appeal and stick to clothes. Plus, you can’t enjoy walking barefoot due to the risk of poking.
The problem with grass burrs is that they spread fast. If you fail to deal with the issue promptly, your whole yard may be a ‘farm’ for this weed. Fortunately, there are several solutions to this weed predicament.
Read on and learn how to handle grass with burrs in your yard.
Contents
How To Identify Grass Burrs
The first step to dealing with a weed situation is identifying the problem. You know you have a grass burr problem when you notice long hardy grass on your compound with thorns or burrs. The burrs are a nuisance because they are the seeds of this weed. When they spread, they grow in different places.
Burr grass stickers attach to clothes, skin, or animal fur to aid their dispersion. It is one of the reasons why dealing with this weed is hard.
How Do You Get Rid of Grass Burrs?
You get rid of grass burrs using the following methods:
- Herbicides (Pre-emergent and post-emergent)
- Uprooting the weed
- Fertilizing your lawn
- Burning
- Regular mowing
- Biological control methods
Pre-emergent Treatment
A sure way of dealing with annual weeds like grass burrs is via pre-emergent herbicide treatment. As the name of this herbicide hints, you use it before the weeds emerge. You should know the growth pattern of the stubborn plant for proper timing.
Apply the herbicide before the plant emerges from the seeds. On the timing factor, you do not want to apply the herbicide too early, as the rain may wash it away, rendering it ineffective.
Late application may lower its potency because the plant may emerge, requiring you to bank on other weed control measures. The best time for action is in late winter, as you head to the last freeze.
For effectiveness, you should mow the area you are working on and adequately dispose of the clippings to prevent a recurrence. Like fertilizer, you may need to water some herbicides into the soil to boost their potency. Repeat the treatment after 90-days for comprehensive prevention of grass with burrs.
Post-emergent Treatment
If you realize that you have a grass burr problem too late before you employ pre-emergent solutions, you can opt for post-emergent treatment. Here, you use a weedkiller to deal with the weeds.
The ideal time to use this treatment is mid to late spring when you notice active grass growth with burrs. You can opt for spot treatment for a yard with few weeds or blanket treatment for a large weed cover. Treat your lawn 2-3 days before mowing for fulfilling results.
Uprooting Grass With Burrs
You can kill grass burrs by uprooting them from your yard. Uprooting is a cheap and efficient way of dealing with small-scale weed infestation. You identify the plants, uproot them, and dispose of them, preferably by burning them to prevent the seeds from sprouting elsewhere.
Be careful when handling grass burrs to avoid injuries from the thorns. Wear a pair of gloves and use a gardening shovel for your convenience.
Fertilizing Your Lawn
Fertilizer application is a reliable way of maintaining your lawn. If done correctly, it helps make your yard lush and keeps weeds away. Fertilizer makes other plants in your yard healthy and will outcompete the weed. Grass burrs do not compete well against healthy plants and will die eventually.
Actively Mowing Your Yard
A possible reason behind your burr grass situation is the failure to tend to your yard actively. A poorly maintained lawn is prone to weed infestation, which can quickly get out of hand.
You can have the upper hand in such a scenario by regularly mowing, as you will be hindering weed growth, especially in mild infestations. Be careful about how you handle the clippings, as poor handling can lead to a repeat of the problem. Discard the clippings far from your yard or burn them.
Biological Control Methods
Biological control methods are affordable and efficient ways of controlling weeds. Livestock can eat young grass with burrs as they are tender, aiding in keeping the plant away from your yard. However, they will not eat the burrs of matured grass.
However, the animal’s fur can act against your weed control measures, as they assist in the dispersion of the seeds. So, it is a 50-50 situation in livestock control of grass burrs.
Burning Grass With Burrs
The other solution for killing grass burrs is burning, applicable if the weed takes over your entire yard. Burning is a convenient method of weed control, as it deals with both the plant and the seeds. Be careful with this measure to prevent fire from spreading to unwanted spots.
While burning is effective, it may degrade your yard’s fertility. You can rejuvenate your lawn by watering and fertilizer application after using fire to keep away unwanted plants.
Final Remarks
Grass with burrs can infest your entire yard. You’ll need to act fast to prevent the weed issue from getting out of hand.
You can get rid of grass burrs by burning them, using herbicides, biological control methods, regular mowing, and fertilizing your lawn. We hope you now know how to get rid of grass burrs.
Hello! My name is Chris, and I am the founder of Yard Floor. When I was a toddler, my family had a lush green lawn. I was at the center of caring for and maintaining this lawn and even proceeded to take an associate’s Degree in landscaping. I am here to share my years of experience with you – be it repairing your mower/tractor or caring for your lawn.
