# Sand burr issues



## Oklahomaburfarmer (Mar 19, 2019)

Hello all, I am looking for some help with my sand burr infestation. I am located in northwestern Oklahoma and I have a Bermuda lawn that I started working on last year. What pre-emergent can I use to stop these painful seed pods from showing up? Pennant magnum is a little expensive for my budget, but if it's what I have to do then it's what I'll go with. I was just curious if there was a more budget friendly option out there. What about a post emergent?


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Welcome to TLF! @J_nick lives in your part of the world, and I think he has battled these.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

MSMA is labeled for sandburs as a post-emergent, but not for residential use. If you have a golf course, sod farm or highway right of way (wink/wink), then you can use it. Dithiopyr is labeled for sandburs as a pre-emergent.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

Go to Atwood's and buy some MSMA it only comes in 2.5 gallon jugs but it's liquid gold. Pendimethalin is also labeled for pre emergent control of sandburs but doesn't last as long in the soil as some other preM's (Atwood's also carries it in a yellow jug with the Brand name Pin-dee or something close to that, I think you can get it cheaper at DoMyOwn.com though). I use it and do split apps ~8 weeks apart in the spring and it's done wonders for controlling them. I'll get some here and there but I've never had the need to blanket spray the MSMA. I can normally spot spray an acre within a 5-10 minutes. When we moved into this house ~5 years ago you couldn't take 2 steps outside while barefoot.


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## jonthepain (May 5, 2018)

I can't believe you all are recommending illegal apps.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Done responsibily and carefully, I'm confident a TLF DIY enthusiast can stay within the spirit of the law, that were written with the masses in mind.


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## Art_Vandelay (Nov 20, 2018)

jonthepain said:


> I can't believe you all are recommending illegal apps.


I wouldn't admit to using it. But you can buy it on Amazon. Prime. If they were the least bit concerned about it being a bad chemical they'd restrict it or quit making/selling it


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## jonthepain (May 5, 2018)

I agree with everything you say, however, the label is the law.

I can't blame any homeowner who wants to use the safest, most efficacious pesticide available. I also agree that, for the most part, the members here are not typical homeowners.

I agree that pesticides that are available online are not as dangerous as RUPs, however, pesticides that are restricted to sod farms and golf courses are restricted to those applications for a reason.

As a pesticide license holder, I take labels very seriously. My livelihood and reputation depend on my license. I suppose that is why I become concerned when I see off label (illegal) applications openly recommended and defended on an online forum.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

@jonthepain I totally get what you're saying, and it has been mentioned several times now that MSMA is not labeled for use on home lawns - so let's just all leave it at that and move on. Perhaps someone will have other herbicide suggestions for this terrible weed that haunts my childhood memories.

I'm curious though - as a pesticide license holder, did you ever drive over the speed limit when you had to poop real bad? :lol:


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

@Ware I drive over the speed limit when my kids have to poop real bad... I can hold it. :-D

@Oklahomaburfarmer I have had several houses that I have successfully rid of sand burr by simply picking them. It takes a season or two but it has worked in two of my previously owned homes. Granted, the area was relatively small so it was manageable (maybe 2K sf at most). I don't know what I would do if it was throughout my yard. Both cases were along the roadway in front.


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## Art_Vandelay (Nov 20, 2018)

Redtwin said:


> @Ware I drive over the speed limit when my kids have to poop real bad... I can hold it. :-D


You've never had IBS then lol

I drive over the limit on open highways or interstate roads ALL the time.


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## DR_GREENTHUMB (May 24, 2018)

Oklahomaburfarmer said:


> Hello all, I am looking for some help with my sand burr infestation. I am located in northwestern Oklahoma and I have a Bermuda lawn that I started working on last year. What pre-emergent can I use to stop these painful seed pods from showing up? Pennant magnum is a little expensive for my budget, but if it's what I have to do then it's what I'll go with. I was just curious if there was a more budget friendly option out there. What about a post emergent?


If those are what we call "goat heads", what we did at our farm is burn them. When they are bloomed they are the seeds, if you take a large propane torch that is about 3 feet long or so in length and burn them they can't spread. The seeds will pop, or shrivel up and that is what worked for us. I had them pretty much gone in one year, some came back but most likely the seeds were already in the ground.


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## w0lfe (Mar 19, 2018)

Ware said:


> I'm curious though - as a pesticide license holder, did you ever drive over the speed limit when you had to poop real bad? :lol:


Haha that's classic... Not to get off topic, but I was on a road trip with a buddy in the middle of nowhere... Lets just say that he didn't drive fast enough, and our next stop was at a car wash.....

As to the MSMA issue, I believe that people on here are more responsible than most (not saying that jon isn't a responsible one). Hell, there was a licensed company spraying a neighbors yard into the wind.. The guy had nothing but a t-shirt, pants, gloves and boots.. He looked like a smurf in the face after the application. If I had an issue such as these burrs where my family and I couldn't enjoy my yard the way it should be, I'd use whatever means possible to correct that issue.


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## thatlawnguy (Aug 16, 2018)

Pre: Dithiopyr (https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/www.agrian.com/pdfs/Dithiopyr_2L_Label1.pdf)
Post: Celsius (https://www.backedbybayer.com/-/media/PRFUnitedStates/Documents/Resource-Library/Product-Labels/Celsius-WG.ashx) or Image (https://www.imageforweeds.com/-/media/files/imageforweeds-na/us/label/image%20herbicide%20consumer%20concentrate%20kills%20nutsedge%20concentrate%2024%20floz%20pdf.pdf)

I've used the Dithiopyr/Celsius combo in the past and it worked well.

-tlg


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## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

Lmao at the poop comments!


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## Oklahomaburfarmer (Mar 19, 2019)

Thank you all for the recommendations, I will see about getting some dithiopyr for my next pre emergent application. Are there different ways to apply it? I.e. liquid or granular?


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## Oklahomaburfarmer (Mar 19, 2019)

Also have some other weeds that have recently popped up, I have seen a few clumps of crabgrass come up also. Haven't even gotten my first round of pre emergent down yet, is it still to late to go for it? I believe the soil temp is hovering around 53 degrees here haven't checked it myself yet.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Yes, there are both liquid and granular Dithiopyr options available.

I say it's never too late for pre-e if you haven't applied any. Not all weeds germinate the instant the soil hits a certain temperature. Applying now will help prevent weeds that germinate later in the spring/summer.


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## Oklahomaburfarmer (Mar 19, 2019)

Ok thank you!


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

I'd just like to second the fire option, because it's what they deserve.


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## BaggerVance (Jul 10, 2018)

I also have some issues with the sand burs. Last season I spent a lot of time hand pulling them when I saw them as small plants. This season I'm going the Dithiopyr/Celsius route as I also have a crabgrass issue. I am splitting pre into three apps. I got my first one down two weeks ago along with a 3 way for some of the winter annuals that were starting to show up. I hate sand burs with a passion, I'm hoping I can get rid of them this year.


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## BadDad (Mar 13, 2019)

I use a weed dragon on the burr and thistle weeds, last year. Combined with a tighter dythiopyr pre em I found one thistle and no burr this spring.

Screw that plant, if I could do again right when we bought house I would have used MSMA, preemergent and the torch... those things messed up my dogs paws.


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## DR_GREENTHUMB (May 24, 2018)

SCGrassMan said:


> I'd just like to second the fire option, because it's what they deserve.


 :thumbup: It actually worked really good.

This reminded me of a time I took the family to Galveston, we stayed at the Galvestonian. Behind the hotel they had a fire pit and I was taking my kids to make smores, they had a huge green grassy lawn behind it and my kids took off there shoes to run around. At the same time they both dropped, and just screamed at the top of their lungs. The infestation of those burrs was crazy. @BadDad


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

DR_GREENTHUMB said:


> SCGrassMan said:
> 
> 
> > I'd just like to second the fire option, because it's what they deserve.
> ...


@BadDad Oh man. I grew up near Galveston and had tried to explain sand burs to my wife. Now that we live in SC she's experienced them. I walked one of my dogs into a patch of them. Took a half hour and many finger sticks to get out.


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## LA Basshole03 (Jan 17, 2019)

I will second the dithiopyr for pre emergent and Celsius/Image for post emergents. I had the spreading all over my lawn last year and the image took them out pretty good. This year I was able to get my dithiopyr out along with an early app of image in January and an app of Celsius a few weeks ago and I haven't seen the first one pop up. Also agree on handpulling because they don't root very deep. You just have to watching out for the stickers laying in the ground.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

They require a drop of child's blood to sprout


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## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

Acclaim post emerge is terrific. Pendimethalin and Tower are great PreMs that outperform others according to my friends in the western plains that deal with a lot of sandburr.


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## high leverage (Jun 11, 2017)

mowww said:


> Acclaim post emerge is terrific. Pendimethalin and Tower are great PreMs that outperform others according to my friends in the western plains that deal with a lot of sandburr.


Tower's control window is only 8-10 weeks. Expect multiple apps throughout the growing season. Get's expensive.


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