I used a pre-emergent in March and it didn't do a bit of good. I'm not too sure any kind of herbicide is effective. Anything I can do short of plugging in some Bermuda, then watering and fertilizing?

Learn to identify the plant before it makes burrs (seeds) . Spot spray with RoundUp .

Haven't seen one in years .

I cut the stickers off and spray with roundup when I see them. Never have them in my lawn, but they show up where runoff brings them.

Spot on advice above. Identification before burrs form is critical. We would just hand pull or use a small forked hand tool to pry up by the roots on the stubborn ones.

Killing with spot spray should work too if you can avoid killing what you don't want to die. If you don't get them before the seed burrs are headed out, cut and bag the stems with the burrs and pull up or poison the rest of the plant. It's an ongoing battle, but if you're dilligent on year one, next year will have maybe 10 or 15% as many if you got to most of them before any burrs dropped. After that, just keep an eye out and you might still have a few show up from time to time. The thicker the grass, it seems like the less you'll have. I hate stepping on those things!

I have way too many to dig, so I spot-sprayed with extra-strength vinegar. It worked like a charm, but I don't know if anything will ever grow there again. That is some powerful stuff.

You could roll with image. Which is imazaquin and labeled for sandbur. You'll probably get some stunted growth and maybe a little yellowing of your bermuda. If you have been fertilizing and your turf is healthy any yellowing should mow out in a couple weeks. Follow the label directions, specifically the part about watering it in. I would spray it and 2 days later water it in well. imaz is absorbed foliar and root uptaken. And give it some time to work. You probably won't see results for a good week or two.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/IMAGE-Nuts...AQNmEAQYAiABEgJQ4vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Derek is like the yard whisperer. His advice is known to be about as good as it gets. I think that Image also kills nutgrass so if there's any of that in your yard might be a good way to get rid of those too. I can tell you that pulling nut grass absolutely doesn't work and seems like it even makes it worse.

I think pulling nut grass just makes it angry lol

I agree with you. We got some super version of nut grass in a load of compost that was supposed to be weed seed free. I have used this dry spell to till between my rows every few days and the dirt/sandy soil is almost completely soft powder with no moisture. It is working fairly well and I plan to keep it up tilling till frost kills the garden off. I quit tilling too early last year, but put a pretty good hurt on the nut grass and have a few areas that are almost completely free of it. I wish there was a garden safe version of Image.

The only way you'll get rid of nut grass is to dig up ALL the tubers that result in new plants . Just fyi : the "nuts" are edible . Something to think about in the possible coming famine .

I freaking hate it. And there is no good remedy for it in gardens. There are 2 weeds I get in my lawn every year no matter what I do. Sedge and Spurge, it's automatic. Sprayed the lawn last night to kill both that I had. Typically once and done and I'm good for the year. But I stay away from the garden with my mix and the water shed drains away from it. I'm covered up with sedge in the garden. Putting the weed barrier on top of my beds helps but it comes through on the edges and in my walking paths. I just keep it mowed and pulled and deal with it.

That said to stay on topic. I figure Uncle_Bagster isn't a sprayer as most aren't. So I didn't mention it. But, I sprayed a combo of Certainty and Celsius(and some others) on my bermuda last night. That two combo with a surfactant would smoke sandbur. And no temp restriction on either. Really the hotter it is the better they work.