If you’ve ever walked through your yard in the spring and felt those sharp little stickers on your socks or your pet’s paws, then you are familiar with lawn burweed, also called “sticker weed.” This pesky winter annual weed hides in lawns through the cool months and leaves behind painful burs when the weather warms up. The key to managing lawn burweed is treating early, before those burs have a chance to form.
What It Is and When It Shows Up
Lawn burweed (Soliva sessilis) is a cool-season annual broadleaf weed that begins germinating in the fall as soil temperatures drop. Here in Southeast Georgia, it often begins emerging as early as late September, especially after the first cool front or a good rain.
The weed stays small and mostly unnoticed through the winter. By March, it begins to produce tiny, spine-tipped burs in the leaf joints. Those burs harden and dry out by April, sticking to shoes, clothing, pets, and bare feet. Once the burs have hardened, herbicides can no longer help, but controlling burweed before or during early bur formation can significantly reduce the number of stickers that appear later.
Remember: Halloween and Valentine’s Day
The easiest way to remember when to treat lawn burweed is to think “Halloween and Valentine’s Day.”
Around Halloween (October) is the first and best opportunity to spray, before burweed germinates.
Valentine’s Day (February) is the second chance, when small plants are visible but have not yet formed burs.
Since germination can start earlier in Southeast Georgia, late September through mid-October is ideal for your first application.
Herbicide Options
Pre-emergent herbicides prevent burweed seeds from germinating in the fall. Effective products include:
• Atrazine – Works well on centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass and provides limited post-emergent activity.
• Simazine – Excellent for warm-season grasses; provides strong residual control of winter annuals like burweed.
• Prodiamine – Offers long-lasting pre-emergent protection and is safe for many turf species when applied correctly.
Post-emergent herbicides target plants that have already emerged but haven’t yet formed mature burs. Options include:
• 2,4-D – Commonly found in homeowner broadleaf weed-control products; most effective on young plants.
• Trimec – A combination of 2,4-D, dicamba, and MCPP (mecoprop); widely available and effective when used during cool weather.
• Metsulfuron – Highly effective on burweed in bermudagrass and zoysiagrass; use caution on centipede and St. Augustine lawns.
Stay away from high-nitrogen “weed and feed” products during this time of year. These products often stimulate the weeds instead of the grass. Warm-season grasses such as bermuda, centipede, and St. Augustine are usually still dormant in February, when herbicide applications are most effective. Applying nitrogen too early can cause uneven green-up and weak spring growth. Stick with a stand-alone herbicide now, and save fertilizer applications for late spring after the lawn has fully greened up.
A One-and-Done Option
If you only plan to spray once a year, your best timing is around Valentine’s Day (February). At that point, some burweed plants may have already emerged, while others are still germinating. Mixing a pre-emergent like Atrazine or Simazine with a post-emergent such as 2,4-D, Trimec, or Metsulfuron will control existing plants and help prevent new seedlings. This combination treatment provides effective control in one pass.
Don’t Get Discouraged—It’s Not Too Late
Lawn burweed starts forming burs in March, but even if you’re running behind, a mid- to late-March treatment can still help. Spraying before the burs harden can kill many of the plants and make a noticeable difference in the number of burs that will cause problems in April and May. You might not get perfect control, but you’ll make your yard far more comfortable for people and pets this spring.
A Simple Annual Plan
Late September–October (Halloween): Seeds starting to germinate — apply Atrazine, Simazine, or Prodiamine as a pre-emergent.
January–February (Valentine’s Day): Plants small and growing — apply a post-emergent (2,4-D, Trimec, or Metsulfuron), or a pre + post combo if spraying once.
March: Early burs forming — a late spray can still reduce stickers.
April–May: Burs hardened — too late for herbicides; plan ahead for next year.
Summer: Burs linger — rake or mow them up and focus on maintaining healthy turf.
Final Tips
• Always read and follow label directions for rates and turfgrass safety.
• Avoid spraying post-emergents during spring green-up or hot weather.
• Maintain a thick, healthy turf to naturally suppress winter weeds.
• Treating consistently for at least two consecutive years can nearly eliminate lawn burweed in most lawns.
By remembering Halloween and Valentine’s Day, you can stay ahead of lawn burweed and keep your lawn barefoot-friendly all season long.
For more information, contact:
Evans County Extension Office – (912) 739-1292
Candler County Extension Office – (912) 685-2408
or visit extension.uga.edu
References
Waltz, F. & Hudson, W. (2014). Weed Control in Home Lawns. UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 978.
Leon, R. & Unruh, J. (2019). Controlling Lawn Burweed (Soliva sessilis): The Spring Lawn Sticker. UF/IFAS Extension Publication ENH1211.
Clemson Cooperative Extension. (2020). Lawn Burweed (Soliva sessilis). HGIC 2323.
