Question
Hi. I live in Midland, TX (The desert) anyway, I have dead grass as the rest of the city and there are stickers everywhere in it. What product should I buy and when should I apply to prevent the stickers from being around all summer? Last year I put iron and weed and feed but it did not seem to do the trick. What else can be done?

Thank you.

Answer
Those Spiky Stickers are an Annual Grassy Weed called Sandburs.  

Ever read Texas Monthly Magazine?  

Their columnist, Mimi Swartz, wrote a whole column a while back about Sandburs and their Sticker seeds: 'The best ways to get rid of Sandburs are (a) mow and water your Bermudagrass frequently, or (b) plant St Augustine Grass, which shades and crowds out Sandbur, or (c) pull the Sandburs out.'

You can read the entire entertaining lecture on the Internet:  

http://www.texasmonthly.com/ranch/readme/index.php  

Ms. Swartz also recalled the experience of a researcher at Texas A&M University.  She said he 'confessed that it took him three years to get his yard Sticker-free'.  His 'secret' technique:  Hand pulling!

Impossible?

She adds, 'But it worked.'  

Speaking of Texas A&M. there is a world famous Sandbur specialist working there who posted a whole cheat sheet on this problem, which he calls 'Controlling Field Sandbur in Turfgrass':  

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/turf/grassbur.html  

The specialist uses MSMA (except on St Augustine or Centipede Lawns, which will be killed by MSMA).  This is a mix of two deadly chemicals, and he uses them as pre-emergents.  That way they wipe out the Seeds.

Other chemicals that kill Sandburs: Pendimethalin, Benefin, and Oryzalin.  But he doesn't mention that Oryzalin is a known cause of Cancer and caused changes in blood forming tissues in one study.  It is used by breeders to alter normal mitosis in rapidly dividing Lily cells to turn a diploid Lily into a Tetraploid -- although this is just a side 'benefit' that hobbyists discovered by accident with this herbicide.  Or that Benefin caused Liver damaged in dogs that were exposed to it.

Pendimethalin?  Cornell University says this weedkiller 'is ranked more hazardous than most chemicals in two out of four ranking systems, and is ranked as ONE OF THE MOST HAZARDOUS COMPOUNDS (in the worst ten percent) to ecosystems and health'.

But the Texas A&M scientists ALSO point out that Organic controls are the BETTER way to live:  'A dense stand of healthy Grass  provides the best Weed control.  Because most Weeds are opportunists that invade weakened Lawns, the fight against Weeds starts with good management.  All cultural practices such as mowing, fertilizing and watering should be done in a manner and time that will favor the Grass rather than the Weeds.  Height of mowing influences competition against Weeds such as Crabgrass -- the higher the cut, the lower the infestation.'

They go on:

'Frequent light sprinkling encourages shallow-rooted Weeds and seed  germination.  Less frequent deep-soak watering that maintains a dry surface layer provides the Grass with a competitive advantage.'

Toni, You don't want to wreck your blessed home over this.  Avoid pesticides.  Weed and Feed is pesticides and herbicides.  Iron -- did you do a Soil Test and come up short on the Iron?  Because Iron is rarely missing from Soil; adding more is just a waste of money and time.  

You want to breathe and mow and feed the Birds.  You're in good company with your Stickers Situation.  It's one of those prices of living in the Texas desert.  Here in NY, we have our problems too.  Who knows when some guy will come along and blow up the Brooklyn Bridge?

If you are growing the same Bermudagrass Lawn as the great majority of your Texan neighbors, Toni, you can almost certainly eliminate Stickers with the bullying Bermudagrass.  Please confirm that you are growing Bermuda, and I will set it up and running.  Because once you get your Bermuda big and strong and brazen, it will stand up to those Stickers, and show them who's boss.