How to Treat Lawn Burweed

Video by Michaela Parker

Having “stickers” in your yard can be quite the nuisance. Stumbling upon a patch of stickers while walking barefoot is a painful experience. Plus it’s painful for your four-legged family members! Formally known as lawn burweed, these winter annuals are no fun to deal with.  

What is lawn burweed and how do you remove it from your yard? This pesky winter annual starts growing in the fall. The tricky part about this weed is that it often goes unnoticed until fully matured. When temperatures rise, the plants start to form prickly spines, a.k.a. stickers, on the tips. 

Let’s get right down to it: the most effective way to prevent lawn burweed from popping up in your yard is to maintain a healthy turf going into fall. The simple task of making sure your lawn is mowed and watered frequently will help reduce weeds in your yard. It is also important to apply herbicides to your lawn. This requires a little bit of planning, so bookmark this post for future reference! 

Here are two ways to treat lawn burweed:

• IN THE FALL: Use preemergence herbicides on your lawn, including dithiopyr, prodiamine, pendimethalin, indaziflam, atrazine, and isoxaben. It’s recommended to apply this in October when temperatures are around 70  degrees F. 
• IN THE WINTER: If you missed the preemergence timeframe, it’s time to turn to postemergence herbicides. Postemergence herbicides such as 2,4-D, simazine, dicamba, metsulfuron, mecoprop, fluroxypyr, or auxin containing formulations will get the job done. These should be applied in January, February, or March. 

If you’re like me, those big, fancy chemical names can be intimidating. Don’t be! These herbicides can be found in products at your local garden store. Ask for help finding the right herbicide, and you’ll be right on track for a “sticker” free lawn. Always read and follow label instructions when using these herbicides. 

Extension Publication 1322, “Establish and Manage Your Home Lawn,” can answer several of your lawn related questions. For further information on how to control pesky weeds in your lawn, contact your local Extension office.

Here’s to a sticker-free yard!