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The fastest way to rid your yard of pesky stickers or burs is to go mechanical on them with a lawn mower or garden rake. Use a lawnmower with a bagger attachment to avoid spreading the seeds around and causing a bigger issue. If you choose to rake the stickers off the plants, be sure to dispose of them properly. Avoid putting them in with the composting and check local guidelines for disposing of lawn waste.

No, you cannot throw branches from your neighbor’s tree back into their yard, nor can you discard leaves or other plant matter that originated from their yard back over there if it happens to land in your yard. You are responsible for cleaning up plant matter that made its way into your yard.

Digging a bush up by the roots is the most natural DIY method for removing a bush stump. Start by identifying the shrub type and revealing its roots. Cut the shrub to its base and loosen the soil, ensuring no utility lines are nearby. Optionally, treat the base with herbicide, then dig around the roots and cut a circle around the shrub using various tools. Dig a trench, cut the base of the root ball, and finally fill the hole to prevent regrowth. This thorough process ensures complete removal without damaging surrounding areas.

While you don’t need to put anything down before mulch, you can apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent weed growth. As long as you remove weeds before you spread mulch, you should be in the clear. But a herbicide is something that you can put down before mulch as an extra layer of protection.