How do you get rid of goatheads? (rent, buy)

[dgrider]

Jeez.
I moved here last dec...apparently after the peak of goathead dispersement...though i didn't know it yet.

For this reason, i didn't know which plants were causing this. Now i do...but only after a sizable portion of 3 acres i rent is now covered in the plant.

I mowed earlier in the year, and it seems as though the ones i mowed died before producing the thorns ( although at that point i still didn't know they were the culprits ).

Now i think mowing them would just spread them, but i am thinking of using a bagger on my mower to try and catch most of them. Does this work?

I realize it is too late to stop them this year....but is there any effective way to sweep these up?

I've long since given up on riding a bike around here. Quad seems oblivious to them, as do the autos. What really worries me is my streetbike. They don't seem big enough to go through...but i don't know.

How do i deal with these things? My shoes have so many broken off ones in the sole that they don't even touch the floor!

[observer53]

Goatheads? We always called them bullheads. I assume we are talking about the same plant. I've never had masses of them on any property I lived on, so I can't help you with advice on how to get rid of them, unfortunately.

[BriansPerspective]

I suppose you could try spraying pre-emergent and weed killer, but that will cost a pretty penny on three acres. If you take the zen approach and do it by hand, you can buy concentrate and tackle a section at a time. Once you do that, you can probably just keep an eye out for new ones and kill them as they start to sprout.

[wretched wrench]

You can buy weevils that eat only goatheads, but they are not the total answer. If I ever get around to fencing my land, I will go after them.

As it is now, open range cattle spread them, probably faster than I could eradicate.

[BriansPerspective]

Originally Posted by wretched wrench

You can buy weevils that eat only goatheads, but they are not the total answer. If I ever get around to fencing my land, I will go after them.

As it is now, open range cattle spread them, probably faster than I could eradicate.

Maybe you just need a bigger sprayer

[wretched wrench]

Mother Nature in the Arizona is hard to beat. Sometimes impossible. I no longer wear soft-soled footwear when out in the acres. Army boots for me now.