Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - January 22, 2013
From: LaGrange, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Problem Plants, Grasses or Grass-like, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Need help fighting grass burs in La Grange, TX.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
I have 4 acres of wildflowers planted in my front yard. Unfortunately, grassburs have crept in & I need to control them with a pre-emergent. Will this keep the wildflowers from blooming? Also, would like to apply a fertilizer, & the same question applies - will this affect my wildflowers?ANSWER:
Grass burs have many common names, some of which we won’t mention in this space. There are at least 11 species listed in the USDA Plants Database, but the one you are dealing with is most likely Cenchrus spinifex (Coastal sandbur) (see distribution map) , or perhaps Cenchrus echinatus (southern sandbur) (see distribution map).
Grass burs are considered to be summer annuals and can be controlled either chemically or mechanically. Pre-emergent herbicides offer a good means of chemical control of these weeds by preventing seed germination. Many of your wildflowers are also annuals however, so the timing of application is critical so you aren’t also preventing the wildflowers from germinating as well.
Mechanical control involves pulling (or digging) up the grass burrs before they flower and set seed. Cutting off the flower stalks before the seeds mature is also effective.
I’m going to refer you to a couple of links, and a couple of answers to previous questions that will help flesh out these strategies.
The first link is to Texas AgriLife Extension, Aransas County Office, and has a thorough discussion of the problems and some cures for sand burs.
This link to Aggie-horticulture includes information concerning herbicide use.
These two answers to previous questions should also prove helpful
#878
#7105
Another source of help is the Fayette County Office of Texas Agrilife Extension.
From the Image Gallery
More Herbs/Forbs Questions
Plants to hide utility boxes
July 16, 2008 - What are suggestions for plants to plant around utilities boxes (3 of them clustered together) to effectively camouflage them but be attractive. We will outline a larger area in brick, plant evergree...
view the full question and answer
Annual for poor drainage area in Temple TX
October 08, 2009 - What annual would you recommend for a bed with poor drainage for summer color ?
view the full question and answer
Accurate bloom time for Mistflower from Spring TX
July 25, 2012 - Regarding Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum): Your site lists July to November as blooming time, while Wildflowers of Texas (Agilvsgi, Shearer Publishing, 2003) and Native Texas Plants (Wasowski, Lo...
view the full question and answer
Native plants in Denton Co. TX pollinated by bats or hummingbirds
December 07, 2011 - I am looking for a list of Denton Co. TX native plants that are pollinated by bats? Do we have any? How about hummingbirds?
view the full question and answer
Planting horsetail indoors from Collierville TN
November 12, 2012 - I would like to plant horsetail indoors. Can it handle the inside? Will it try to go dormant or it that a temperature trigger which means it will not go dormant?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |