Goat's head, puncture vine, or puncture weed it doesn't matter. They are all the same plant and do the same damage to our tires, feet and animals. This is shows you your main tool in defeating it.
i have many years of experience with puncturevine. Then years ago, we moved into a rural, semi-desert property. Immediately adjacent to my property is a dirt/gravel road with hard-packed, barren soil along the other side of the road. I knew nothing about puncturevine but quickly became aware of it after many, many occasions of suffering flat tires on our bicycles, as well as having to remove the seeds from our several dogs and cat. The infestation of this weed was so bad that if you walked on the area, the soles of your shoes would be totally covered by the sharp seeds. And the only way to remove these seeds is to use needle-nose pliers and remove them one-by-one. After a couple of years of trying to make this area a "no-go zone", we briefly attempted to remove these weeds by digging them out. That was not viable, considering the size of the infested area. We tried using a couple of different pre-emergent applications, but it became clear after 2 years that this method wasn't working either. Finally, we tried using glyphosate. Three applications each year. The first application is as soon as we notice the slightest bit of vegetation emerging - easy to do since only the most persistent plants will grow in this area. We have finished our fourth season of this regime and I can say that we are winning the battle. Our unscientific "shoe test" has improved dramatically. Now we get only a few seeds on the soles of our shoes after walking around the entire area.
@UtahSustainGardening
2 жыл бұрын
I am all for using glyphosate! But folks have been getting so much bad information that it is very hard to bring it up without someone wanting to turn it into a fight.
@priayief
2 жыл бұрын
@@UtahSustainGardening Try a KZitem search for "Ham Sandwich Anomaly Steve Lehto". He gives an interesting and entertaining explanation of why and how people tend to form and hold irrational opinions. Cheers.
@molonlabe2645
3 жыл бұрын
Please read this post to add more info and help in your battle against these weeds!! We moved into a house that the previous owners did nothing with the property and puncture vines were everywhere (including in the “lawn” itself). After doing some research, I learned that each of the “pods” from 1 flower being pollinated can have usually about five seed packets (2 large prongs that resemble the goat’s head) and that each packet contains about 5 seeds. So just from one flower turning into a pod can result in about 25 seeds that can mature and germinate. Meaning, if you have 1 weed that has a lot of pods on it, you’re potentially looking at hundreds or even thousands of seeds that can germinate later. If that’s not bad enough, each of the goat head seed packets can be able to germinate for up to about 10 years! If you have large areas of ground covered in these weeds, you might want to invest in ordering puncture vine weevils. They only eat these weeds so they’re non-invasive, and they lay their eggs in the pods, so the beetles eat the weeds and their babies eat the seeds. They’ve been known to eradicate over 90% puncture vine weeds. If you only have them in small areas, then it really is a matter of as soon as you see one, pull it up and throw it away or toss it in a burn barrel. You can also use a propane torch and burn those little bastards back to hell! Avoid at all costs getting poked by the prongs! Not only does the puncture initially hurt, but the area where you got poked will feel like a gnarly bruise for a few days. I’d easily take stepping on a Lego vs one of those! I know this post is long, but anything that can help others battle these evil weeds, the better! Good luck!
@kristie2me
2 жыл бұрын
I'm fighting the same battle. 1.8 acres where the previous owner just neglected. I've heard a lot about these beetles, do you know where to buy them? I haven't been successful in locating them.
@dennyjo1249
3 жыл бұрын
I was able to control the puncture weeds at my home in SLC by being vigilant, I would pull up by hand every single sprout I would come across. It got to the point that I eradicate them for several years, them they came back, so I started again.
@UtahSustainGardening
3 жыл бұрын
Persistence is absolutely necessary! Thank you for clearly pointing that out.
@smitajky
3 жыл бұрын
I have been doing this on my fifty acres for more than ten years. This year we had summer rain and the crop is really bad. The seeds just love hot rain. I have seen them grow from nothing to seeding in just one week after a heavy summer rain on sand. It takes a lot longer on clay. However despite making every effort to see that not even a single plant survives I haven't eliminated them in ten years of work.
@jasontucker3295
2 жыл бұрын
@@smitajky plant a thick 100 lbs to the acre of rye and some radish and crimp it over in june. That should do it. Rye is awesome
@merrilllester
4 жыл бұрын
I agree. If the plant is large, one has to dig it as you explained. I put mine in a bucket and then in the garbage that ends up buried in a land fill. I got rid of all of mine until there was a late summer rain. As the days get shorter they set seeds much sooner than they do in the early summer. Good Job.
@UtahSustainGardening
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Merrill! It is a privilege to have someone of your experience subscribed!
@adelitaporlibertad
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much. The close up was super helpful at confirming the i.d. of the goat's head. The whole tutorial was really helpful.
@UtahSustainGardening
4 жыл бұрын
I am glad I could help!
@gerrymccullough5618
2 жыл бұрын
Goathead is huge problem for me primarily because of the size of the area. I have about an acre where it is pretty spotty and about an acre where, after a big late summer monsoon rain, it came almost solid, an acre of goathead mat, already flowered and seeded. In the past, I have manually removed (which seems hopeless now), tilled (which was a mistake) and used post emergent herbicide. I assume the pre-emergent herbicide is next but even that seems hopeless.
@UtahSustainGardening
2 жыл бұрын
The struggle is real!
@dannybirai
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@gieselman
2 жыл бұрын
Weevils? I’m in UT an just purchased a one acre lot that’s invested with puncture vine. Sooo, I’m wondering if weevils are an option to help?
@UtahSustainGardening
2 жыл бұрын
They are an option, but they are rather expensive for a normal city property. I have not tried them myself, so I don't know a lot of details.
@gieselman
2 жыл бұрын
@@UtahSustainGardening thanks! I’ve heard it’s expensive too but I’m not sure on the actual cost. Have you seen where they can be purchased. I’ve followed a few dead ends thus far.
@tobywoo
2 жыл бұрын
You might check with your local ag department. Some areas will provide them for free or low cost. I know this is an older post, but the season is nearly upon us, so it might be helpful info for others.
@CheekzG
Жыл бұрын
What about spraying them, letting them dry out, then burning them with a torch. Would this kill the seeds?
@UtahSustainGardening
Жыл бұрын
No. You will not be able to get high enough heat for a long enough time to damage the seed.
@CheekzG
Жыл бұрын
This is gonna be a long fight for me. I just filled a yard waste dumpster completely full of these devil plants. And guess what was left behind. About a couple hundred thousand seeds. I’m looking into a sticker picker upper device.
@cr76802
3 жыл бұрын
I had to spray with diesel and broad leaf killer.. then multiple round of burning and pit down a thick layer of coffee grinds help loosen up red clay soil
@cr76802
3 жыл бұрын
Next have to put down preventive and seed and grub out any that pops through
@UtahSustainGardening
3 жыл бұрын
Soil recovery would have been quicker without the diesel.
@cr76802
3 жыл бұрын
@@UtahSustainGardening not much soil here to recover.. mostly red hard clay that stains your soul. Been trying to keep my spraying on point and burning long and hot
@Royce1982
2 жыл бұрын
Not sure what is worst to get rid of.. this or bed bugs.
@UtahSustainGardening
2 жыл бұрын
My one run in with bedbugs turned out OK. When I was transferred from Fort Bliss to Afghanistan, all the bedbugs stayed at Bliss.
@kraiemhosni9034
Жыл бұрын
how to planting seeds tribulis terrestris
@darlenejohnson5405
3 жыл бұрын
If watering them, help get them from turning harder
@kristie2me
2 жыл бұрын
Does anyone know if scraping a field with some sort of tractor or skid loader would be helpful, followed by burning the ground and disposing of the dead plants? Trying to win a battle against these suckers on 1.8 acres, but I'm also planning and subdividing this lot in the next 12-24 months... so I"m not sure how much effort I should place in this exhausting task....
@UtahSustainGardening
2 жыл бұрын
Scraping the field tends to sloppy, this lets many of the seeds escape. Fire will not effect them much.
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