Sand burrs....a super weed?

Chris in MO · Aug 3, 2008

Two years ago we got several large square bales of alfalfa which had sand burrs in them. We feed the hay to our sheep out of specially designed feeders and they only got these burrs on their faces. A neighbor told me that he didn't think they would grow around here (southern MO).

Well he was wrong.

It is not like they blanket our land, but I am concerned nevertheless. In the summer heat and dry soil, they stay green and healthy looking. After temperatures in the teens and sometimes lower, they still look happy. We have no animal that will eat them. Not goats, sheep, geese, hogs or even chickens. None of these animals will even sample them.

What can be done about these things? They are not so widespread that spraying is really and option. Also we have an organic market garden and this spraying nearby on our property might cause problems. What cultural practices will keep them in check? Every time I see one I yank it out roots and all and chuck it in a bucket.

Thanks for the help.

Christopher

Alan Golden · Aug 3, 2008

We've got sand burrs on our place too. We've tried just about everything that we've been told, with no luck. I do the same as you and jerk them out roots and all.

James Howell · Aug 4, 2008

An old-timer once told me in order to get rid of sand burs, you have to dig them up, burn them, and haul away the ashes.

We had some a year ago on one of the terraces.

Nancy 'dug' them up with a garden hoe and put them on a burn pile.

No sand burs this year.

BSer · Aug 4, 2008

Here in Florida you can eradicate over a few years by liming heavily..........the seeds don't germinate. We get them out of the yard by liming that area only. WORKS!!!!

SuperA-Tx · Aug 4, 2008

Sand burs (as the name implies) grow in sandy, poor soils. Heavy amounts of nitrogen will sometimes kill them out if applied in the right amount. You can also pick the seeds up by draging a burlap bag, the seeds stick onto the burlap.

Mowing doesnt help because they will flatten out and produce the seed clusters close to the ground. They turn a red color when the seed are about to fall and then they turn brown.

MSMA will kill them.

Balan or Betasan will control the seeds. Both are pre-emergent herbicides.

Chris in MO · Aug 4, 2008

We don't have sandy soil here, more of a clay loam with plenty of rocks. We don't really have many of them. What bothered me was that they aren't fazed by weather extremes and no animals like to eat them. That is a sure set up for population explosion.

So are these guys biennials, annuals or perennials? Will meticulously eliminating the seeds reduce and then get rid of the problem? That is how we got control of thistles here. When we moved here,they were widespread. Every summer for three years my wife went out with a bucket and gloves and pinched off the blossoms just as the opened. She put a lid on the bucket and let it sit in the sun until the contents were goners. Now we see maybe one or two thistles a year.

Christopher

SuperA-Tx · Aug 5, 2008

I am going to guess they are annuals although I havent looked into it. From experience tho I dont recall ever seeing one come back from the old plant so I am sure they are annuals.

Where I live in East Texas we have a sandy loam soil and they dont grow here. You go down the road five miles and you hit sugar sand and grass burrs love that stuff. When I was building on my house I got a load of sand and some grass burrs got started in that one spot. They never spread to the other areas with the sandy loam. I dug them out and over a two year period got rid of them.

I was at an old unkept cemetery looking for my great-great-grandfathers grave and wasnt paying attention and then when I left I had to spend 30 minutes picking those burrs out of my shoe laces and pants legs with a pair of pliers.

Since you are wanting to stay away from chemicals I would just try and dig the plant out before they drop the seed. I just dont see them spreading and becomming a problem where you are due to the soil.

We have a few thistles here but not many. Grow mostly along the road ditches where it doesnt get mowed.

SuperHank · Aug 13, 2008

In south Ga sandy soil you can kill with round up but you have to leave the field fallow and spray when you first see them emerge. I bought a $17 propane de icer/ weed edger from Harbor freight. Wait til the heads get prominent and burn them. In the field where I had the worst problem, this got them under control. I will go out and light some up this week end and hope to keep them down.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 17, 2008

Noxious weed departments sometimes recommend MSMA as has already been suggested. Very dangerous product that you don't want to get on your skin. Use extreme caution. Bye-bye grassy sand burrs.

Birdeye · Oct 22, 2022

We normally just place our rabbits in a tractor over the area they will eat the spurs and sometimes the grass blades it self and then we move either our larg breed or smaller breeds of pigs over to eat the grass blades and roots .. but you need pigs that will root.. we found if you place them in a tractor like small movable cage and don't feed nothing just give water the pigs will devour the grass blades and roots and will clear it up from all that is growing to start fresh plots it's kinda time consuming but it does work great.

Sand burrs....a super weed?

Chris in MO

Member

Alan Golden

Member

James Howell

Well-known Member

BSer

Member

SuperA-Tx

Member

Chris in MO

Member

SuperA-Tx

Member

SuperHank

Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Birdeye

New User

Similar threads