Plant Problems

Sand spurs are surely one of the most annoying things you can have in your garden or lawn. They do not only ruin the look and feel of your place, but they also are a “pain in the ass” whenever they stick on your skin.

You'll be surprised to feel something prick on your feet or legs, only to find that it's just these pesky sand spurs. What's worse is that they're quite difficult to remove, and painful too! With these being said, it makes perfect sense for you to not only remove them from your garden but to kill them for good.

In this article, we’re going to teach you how to kill sand spurs the easiest and best way.

What You Will Need

Via: www.ehow.com

1. Garden Gloves

The first thing you need to prepare is garden gloves. You need this to protect your hands from getting pricked by the sharp thorns of sand spurs. The thicker the gloves, the better they are.

Just make sure that your hands are comfortable inside it and you wouldn’t feel hindered in movement. It should be breathable and should let air to flow through inside of it. The last thing you want to experience is to get cuts and have bleeding hands.

2. Mower with Clippings Catcher

You’re going to need a mower that has its own clippings catcher to trim and cut off the growing sand spurs. The clippings catcher is important because this is the one that will catch the trimmed sand spurs. If they are left on the ground, there’s a possibility that they may re-grow and cause further havoc later on.

3. Fertilizers and Herbicides

You also need to prepare nitrogen fertilizer because this will increase the nitrogen levels in the soil. Sand spurs don’t like high-nitrogen soils because these easily cool down and dampen. Meanwhile, it’s also important for you to have herbicides such as corn gluten meal and a post-emergent. These are pretty effective in stopping sand spur growth because of its chemical composition.

Step-By-Step Process Of Killing Sand Spurs

Via: www.instructables.com

Step #1 Remove Them

The first thing you need to kill them off is by simply removing them. Though it isn’t the most effective way, it still is a necessary first step to get you going later on. What you’re going to do is to remove them by hand. Wear thick gardening or work gloves when pulling them out. This will protect your hand from getting pricked by the sharp spines.

Though hand pulling is effective in dealing with small sand spur patches, it isn’t recommended when you’ll be taking on huge spur-infested places. If you’re going to work on a big area, it’s best if you use a mow which has a built-in clippings catcher. This will catch the mowed sand spurs that might otherwise fall to the ground and re-grow again.

Step #2 Maintain a Regular Mowing and Watering Routine

What you need to do next is to do prevention tasks. The best way to get rid of these sand spurs is to prevent them from growing. You can do this by making sure that you strictly follow a mowing and watering routine. You need to mow your grass weekly or even daily, depending on their growth speed.

Make sure that your grass doesn't grow taller than 4 inches. Regularly watering your grass will also cool its temperature down. Sand spurs thrive in hot and dry places. For sure, they won't bother growing in the damp and cool grass.

It’s through this that you can ensure your grass will stay healthy and strong. Not only does this stop sand spurs from growing, but this also reduces the tendency for other weeds to grow.

Step #3 Fertilize Your Lawn

Fertilizers are necessary if you want to ensure that sand spurs don’t grow back later on. These sand spurs thrive in low-nitrogen soil, which is why increasing the soil’s nitrogen content is an effective way to get rid of these pesky weeds.

Apply a pound of nitrogen fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet of land. It's best if you apply them during the spring season because this is the usual time sand spurs grow. You can also do a follow-up fertilization when the fall months start. Another cool trick is to lay down a layer of organic mulch on the weeds to prevent it from further germinating.

Step #4 Use Corn Gluten Meal Herbicide

A corn gluten meal is a type of herbicide which is very effective in controlling the growth of sand spurs. It's best to apply this during the summer months because sand spurs start to grow when the temperature reaches around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

This herbicide also contains 10% nitrogen, making them ideal to kill off any traces of sand spur seeds. This will be enough to get rid of sand spurs in your place permanently. Just be sure to not apply this on the soil where you've placed other plant seeds because this would also kill them off.

You can use a rotary spreader to spread the herbicide meal evenly. The ideal amount is 20 pounds of corn gluten meal for every 1,000 square feet of land.

Step #5 Finalize by Spraying Post-Emergent Herbicide

Now if sand spurs still manage to grow despite doing all of the steps mentioned, the last option you can resort to is using a Post-Emergent Herbicide. This is a very strong herbicide that kills off sand spurs of all ages and sizes.

They may either still be growing and just have germinated, or they might be the fallen parts cut off by a mower. Just be extra careful in using this. When you’re applying it, make sure that you are away from other plants as it might contaminate them and in turn, also kill them off.

Check out this video to learn more ways:

Conclusion

Killing sand spurs isn't difficult. You just need to keep safe and follow all of the steps carefully. If you do, there's no doubt that you'll get rid of these pesky weeds that are surely irritating whenever they suddenly prick your skin when you're just peacefully walking through your garden or lawn. Share this with your family and friends, so they'll also learn something from it. You can also tell us what you think by writing in the comment section below. We’d love t o hear from you.

• ​How To Kill Cactus: Knowing The Best Way 
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Cactus might sound to be a cool-looking and interesting plant. However, they're not that great to have especially if they grow out of nowhere in your garden or lawn. Aside from the fact that they're sharp and can hurt you, they can also destroy the view of your garden, as well as suck the life out of the other plants surrounding it.

Because of this, it makes perfect sense for you to get rid of them. In this article, we're going to show you how to kill cactus the right way.

What You Need To Prepare

1. Sprayer

The first thing you need to prepare is a sprayer. It might either be a bottle sprayer, a hose sprayer, or any garden sprayer. Make sure that it is big enough for the amount of herbicide solution that you're going to put in, so you don't need to keep on refilling later on. It should also be safe and secure and should not be dripping.

2. Herbicide with Picloram

This is what you’re going to need to spray on the cactus to kill them off. In choosing one, make sure that it is from a reputable maker. It should also have the picloram element because this is the one which adds intensity to the chemical, making it more effective in killing the cactus. If you’re going to apply it later on, make sure that this will not spread to other plants as it can also kill them off.

3. Shovel, Axe, and Chainsaw

You're going to need a shovel and an axe to wreak havoc to the cactus. Use these tools to hit and damage the cactus. Slice off a part of the cactus hit it with these tools, or you might also want to pierce right straight into it. The shovel and axe should not be too big or too small. It should be the right size so you can easily use it. Use the chainsaw to cut the cactus when it’s already dead.

4. Gardening gloves and Thick Clothing

Prepare a thick pair of gardening gloves. You should also wear proper clothing that can protect you from getting pricked by the cactus’ thorns. The gloves should be thick enough to stop any thorns from touching your skin. Your clothes should also be thick so the sharp thorns can’t easily pierce through the fabric.

Step-by-Step Process

Step #1 Prepare the Herbicide

When you’re already set to go, the next thing you need to do is to prepare the herbicide. Make sure that it’s mixed properly. It should contain picloram, as this is a very effective component in killing almost all kinds of cacti.

When you’re done mixing it all up, gently pour it into a garden sprayer. It may be a simple bottle sprayer or a hose sprayer if you’re going to take on many cacti. Each herbicide has different water concentrations, so you might want to check out its instructions and details first. Most herbicides need a 1% water concentration to ensure its effectiveness.

Step #2 Add Dishwashing Detergent and Dye

Though the previous step is most likely to be already ready to be sprayed on to the cactus, it would still be better if you add addition dishwashing detergent on it. If you want to, you can. Just add around 0.25% of it to make the herbicide solution more effective. You might also want to add an extra 0.25 to 0.50% of dye on the solution so that you’ll have a visual reference if the plant is already sprayed on by the herbicide.

Step #3 Wreak Havoc

This might be the most fun part for people who are tired of endlessly trying to get rid of the cactus in their backyard. This is usually taken for granted by most people, even though it’s a very effective solution to literally “killing” the cactus.

In wreaking havoc to the cactus, you can use an axe, a shovel, or any piece of wood or metal that can damage the cactus’ body. Hit the plant randomly, slice through it, and pierce it. It’s also like a therapeutic process for you especially if the cactus caused a lot of trouble to you. This way, you’re also opening up the inside body of the cactus to the herbicide solution you’ll be spraying later on.

Step #4 Spray it on the Cactus

This is the time when you can finally spray the solution to the cactus you want to kill. Spray it on all of the sides of the body, including its pads and stems. You can spray it any season of the year or at any time of the day. The more herbicide solution you spray on it, the better it is. What you want to do here is to dampen and make the cactus wet regularly. Just be sure that it's not dripping wet because the herbicide can also damage the nutrition of the soil.

Step #5 Cut it Off and Remove the Roots

If the cactus has already dried up and discoloration starts to appear making it look dead, then it's most likely to be dead really. The amount of the time they can die off depends on the situation such as the amount of herbicide you sprayed and how many times you spray on it each day.

If you think it’s already dead, cut it off using a chainsaw and make sure the base is included as well. Use a shovel to dig through the soil and reach for the roots. Remove the roots. Then pour a bit of herbicide solution to the soil, cover it with soil, and place a layer of mulch on top of it. This will prevent any attempt of cactus re-growth to stop.

Conclusion

Killing cactus is not that difficult to do. You just need to prepare the right things, know the right steps and have the proper information and knowledge. By simply following the tips and steps in the article, you'll surely be getting rid of the cactus in no time. So no more prickly thorn moments for you! You can share this to your friends, so they'll also learn from it. You can also tell us what you think by writing in the comment section below. We'd love to know your thoughts.

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It's important that we take good care of our gardens or lawns because these are the places which connect us to Mother Nature. However, we can't deny the fact that overgrown shrubs suddenly pop out of existence and become an eyesore. In this article, we’re going to tell you how to remove shrubs the right way.

Things You Need To Prepare

1. Pruning Shears

The first thing that you're going to need if you want to remove shrubs is pruning shears. This gardening tool is very important because this is the one that you're going to use to cut and remove the overgrown branches and twigs of the shrubs. You'll use this to trim it and get it back in shape again. See to it that its blade isn't dull. It should be sharp, and it shouldn't show any signs of rusting.

2. Saw

You also need to have a saw, though you’re likely not going to need this if you’re just going to trim small shrubs. You’re going to use this in removing large chunks of shrubs that can’t be removed by shears alone. There are different types of shrubs available in the market today. There are gas-powered saws, electric saws, battery-powered saws, and the manual ones.

3. Crowbar

You also need to use a crowbar because you need something to pull the hard to remove twigs that are lodged in the shrub. Remember that shrubs are entangled to each other, which is why it's tricky to remove them. But you can avoid this from happening with the help of a crowbar. Crowbars are very useful in pulling lodged twigs because of its hook design.

4. Pulling Chain

Now here's the pulling chain that is very necessary in the main removal process. You need to have a sturdy and strong pulling chain because this will act as the lever and connector between the shrubs and your pulling device. This is where the force will travel and pass through which is why it needs to be durable. Without a pulling chain, you won't be able to remove the base of the shrubs. Remember that you need to remove its base so that it wouldn’t grow again.

5. Tape Measure

The tape measure is another necessity you need to prepare because you're going to use this to measure the height of the shrub that you're going to remove. Shrub removal may sound to be an easy task, but it's not that simple. You need to do measurements to make sure that you can remove them properly. You need to ensure accuracy and precision to make sure that your shrub removal task will go on smoothly.

Step-by-Step Process Of Removing Shrubs

Step #1

Use your tape measure in measuring the height of the branches that you’re going to cut. The recommended length is 15 to 20 inches. Once you’ve measured that length, use your pruning shears to trim and cut it down. If the twigs are too thick, you can instead use a saw.

Step #2:

Remove the branches that have roots originating from the base of the trunk. You need to remove them first so that your work area won’t be cluttered. It’ll also be easier for you to see the smaller twigs that also need to be removed. However, see to it that you leave three to five branches so that you can have something to wrap around to with the use of your chains later on.

Step #3

Dig a small pit around the main trunk of the shrub. Continue digging until you reach the shrub’s main root. Use your axe or saw to cut through the roots. Then start pulling it out with your bare hands. Stop pulling when the trunk starts to get loose.

Step #4

Use your crowbar to pull out the shrub's main trunk off the ground. Do this by inserting the lever bar underneath the trunk. Hammer its other end to ensure that it's tightly wrapped underneath the trunk's roots. Pry it up to loosen it even more. It might take you some time to pry it all up, which is why you need to be patient when you’re at this step.

Step #5

Continue repeating the digging and cutting procedure until all of the roots are removed. To do this, you can wrap your pulling chain around the trunk’s roots and start pulling it. If it’s too difficult, you can hook up the chain to a pickup truck to pull it. This might take you quite some time because shrubs usually have a complicated and extensive root system. You can remove the large roots first before proceeding with the smaller one.

Step #6

Once the entire shrub and all of its roots are removed, double check the place and make sure that it’s cleared out. Smoothen out the soil and pour water on it. This will dampen and harden the soil, thereby preventing further plant life or shrub to grow. You can also put a layer of mulch on the soil. This protects it from further plant life that might suddenly grow on it.

You can also check out this video:

Conclusion

It's important that you remove the shrubs on your garden or lawn because these are proven to be eyesores. They make your place look gloomy and dirty because they cover the beauty of your plants and landscaping design. Shrubs can grow uncontrollably thick which is why you need to remove them in the soonest possible time.

With the help of this article, you surely won't have any problem doing that. Your garden or lawn will surely look very attractive, blooming, and refreshing, all thanks to the removal of the shrubs that you can easily do without any hassle. If you find this article useful, you can share it with your friends. You can also tell us your thoughts in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you.