How to Kill Grass Spurs

Grass spurs are also called sand spurs and get their name because they resemble boot spurs used in riding horses. The plants produce tall green stalks in the summer with green spiky balls at the top. As the spiky balls mature, they dry and become prickly when touched or stepped on. Because of their painful spikes, grass spurs are typically killed using chemical control methods. Since they are an annual, killing the existing grass spurs typically eradicates infestations.

Things You'll Need

• 2 tbsp. herbicide containing MSMA or DSMA
• 6 tbsp. herbicide containing imazaquin
• Garden sprayer
• Herbicide containing pendimethalin, benefin or oryzalin

Instructions

1. Fill a garden sprayer with 2 tbsp. of an herbicide containing the ingredient MSMA or DSMA. Add in 6 tbsp. of an herbicide containing imazaquin and 1 gallon of water. Close the sprayer and shake it to combine.

2. Spray each grass spur plant thoroughly with the herbicide solution until the plant leaves and stalks are saturated.

3. Wait until the following spring and apply a pre-emergent herbicide containing the ingredient pendimethalin, benefin or oryzalin to the entire area until it is saturated. The pre-emergent will prevent any grass spurs that survived the first application of herbicide from growing.

4. Water the area with sprinklers or a garden hose until the soil is wet to a 3- or 4-inch depth.

5. Reapply the pre-emergent herbicide once every six weeks through the month of September to ensure complete eradication of the grass spurs.

References

• Texas AgriLife Extension: Controlling Field Sandbur (Grassbur) in Turfgrass
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Sticky Sandspur