Sandspurs

(First published at Hardisonink.com)

     As a young girl growing up in rural Florida, my preferred style of shoe was often none at all.  Going barefoot whenever possible, I enjoyed the feel of cool, tickly grass underneath my feet.  That is, until I found myself in a bed of sandspurs.  Sandspurs were nasty little burrs with stickers and barbs that broke off underneath the skin.  Then, when I tried to grab them to pull them out, they'd stick me again in my finger.

     Sandspurs are plentiful in central Florida because they love sandy, dry, and sunny locations.  There are two main types of sandspurs found in this area:  the Southern Sandspur (Cenchrus echinatus), and the Coast Sandspur (Cenchrus spinifex).  They are annuals, starting to grow in the spring and producing their stickery seeds at the end of summer.

     As with many pests, prevention is the best way to keep sandspurs from your lawn. An unkept lawn is a favorite place for sandspurs to grow.  The best way to avoid them, therefore, is to maintain healthy, vigorously-growing grass to crowd them out. 

     This is accomplished by following the three rules of turf care:  (1) Fertilize appropriately with a quality, slow-release granular fertilizer, and not a "weed and feed" product; (2) Mow your lawn as high as reasonable, no shorter than four inches for regular St. Augustine grass, 2 ½ inches for dwarf; and (3) Provide approximately 1/2 inch of water every week.

     Additional ways to care for your lawn can be found at the web site, “Your Florida Lawn,” http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/yourfloridalawn/ .

     If sandspurs are already well established in a lawn, elimination can take up to two years.  Since there are no weed killers that will adequately take care of the mature plants and seeds, the following tactics can be used in addition to the rules above.

     The first method of attack is to pull up the sandspurs by hand, or hoe them up, and dispose of them.  This can seem overwhelming, but if a few plants are pulled every day it can be accomplished. 

     Once the sandspurs have produced their seeds, or burs, remove as many as possible by pulling up the plant, using a vacuum mower, dragging an old towel or something over the area, or walking your long-haired Cocker Spaniel through the sandspur bed, as I once did accidentally.  I do not recommend this method. 

     Avoid spreading the sandspurs to other locations with lawnmowers, bicycle and vehicle tires, pets, or shoes and clothing.

     In February or March, when the sandspurs begin to grow, a pre-emergent herbicide can be applied to kill them.  Use one that is labeled for your particular type of grass, following label directions carefully, and apply it again in three to four months.  It is easier to take care of young seedlings than it is to kill mature plants with seed.  Use care, however, when using herbicides, as a whole lawn can be destroyed if they are used improperly.

     Keeping grass healthy with proper mowing, fertilization and irrigation, and avoiding further herbicide applications as much as practical, are the best ways to keep sandspurs from making a home in your yard. 

     I still enjoy going barefoot and the feel of grass under my feet.  Only now, I don't have to worry about getting stuck in my toes by sandspurs because I have the knowledge and the power to control them.