Help! Sand Burs everywhere!

hippiechick · March 20th, 2007, 11:16 AM

Hi! I am having a heck of a time with sand burs. I have replanted the whole yard to help get rid of them. They are very painful if you get stuck. Any suggestions is appreciated. I had never seen these things until I moved here to Oklahoma. Sumac is also pretty hardy. Other than that, so far so good.

louanne · March 20th, 2007, 02:04 PM

Oh gessh I so remember those buggers from kansas....
one of the worst things I have ever encountered....yuck try raising kids around them...always haviing to wear shoes.....
good luck....I do know how painful they are.....

tsteven1 · March 20th, 2007, 04:23 PM

Do you mean the tumbleweed seeds, hippychick? If so, I suggest watering well, and an hour or so later, pull the weeds, root and all. The burrs will be carried away over time, and devout weed plucking will dry up the supply of new ones.

tuk50 · March 20th, 2007, 04:42 PM

We lovingly call them goatheads. About the size of a kithchen match head with painful little stickers sticking out. It took me three years to get them out of my yard here in tucson. on hand and knees dig them up and burn them and every time i walked across the yard for years i looked for them, determination will prevail. Don't let them bloom get them now while they are small. The plant looks like a small light green dandoline in the spring and will pull up easily on a damp yard. By the way I grew up in Checotah, Ok. and hated chiggers more than goatheads. here in Az. there is only goatheads LOL

GOOD LUCK

Cliff Timmons · March 20th, 2007, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuk50

We lovingly call them goatheads. About the size of a kithchen match head with painful little stickers sticking out. It took me three years to get them out of my yard here in tucson. on hand and knees dig them up and burn them and every time i walked across the yard for years i looked for them, determination will prevail. Don't let them bloom get them now while they are small. The plant looks like a small light green dandoline in the spring and will pull up easily on a damp yard. By the way I grew up in Checotah, Ok. and hated chiggers more than goatheads. here in Az. there is only goatheads LOL

GOOD LUCK

Goatheads were the bane of our spring and early summer until our feet toughened up.

A goathead could cause a leak in a kids tire. Man I hated them. The little stickers were no problem, but oh boy!

I would like to know how to kill them off if it's possible.
We don't have any now, but kinda as a revenge tactic against goatheads!

hippiechick · March 20th, 2007, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuk50

We lovingly call them goatheads. About the size of a kithchen match head with painful little stickers sticking out. It took me three years to get them out of my yard here in tucson. on hand and knees dig them up and burn them and every time i walked across the yard for years i looked for them, determination will prevail. Don't let them bloom get them now while they are small. The plant looks like a small light green dandoline in the spring and will pull up easily on a damp yard. By the way I grew up in Checotah, Ok. and hated chiggers more than goatheads. here in Az. there is only goatheads LOL

GOOD LUCK

tuk50, This is hippiechick... I am in Eufaula, Ok. I go to Checotah every few days. I know the little light green plant you are talking about. I was looking at those today. I wondered what they were. I am sooo glad you told me. I am going to go pull those little buggers up!! By the way, the lake is beautiful!
But, we had a major ice storm in January. Record breaker. Checotah was hit very badly. Trees look like bombs exploded. Thanks for advice!

hippiechick · March 20th, 2007, 05:12 PM

I appreciate the info on the sand burs. When I came here, I called them goat heads. Then someone told me they were sand burs. Whatever they are called, I call them a pain in the patooty.

And I did get a flat tire on the bike from goatheads.No More riding for now.

houseodessey · March 20th, 2007, 05:51 PM

I've always heard that goatheads love poor barren soil w/ no other grass around so if you have a healthy lawn now, the grass will eventually choke them out. Pulling them up is the best way to make them leave quicker, like others have suggested.

My mom used to think I was wimpy when I'd complain about getting them in my feet. She'd just roll her foot against something solid and take them out that way. She had some tough feet, I suppose.

tuk50 · March 20th, 2007, 08:08 PM

hippiechick, small world. My brother still lives there and has been telling me about the storms this year. He lost a giant tree in his yard and his son lives in my old home place where I grafted 20 pecan trees as a 4H project in highschool in the early 60's. They are massive now and he said limbs 2ft wide broke off like twigs, first time in 100 years that my family knows of. I've seen ice storms there before, but not like this year. My sisterinlaw teaches in Checotah High School and they live between Checotah and Eufaula at Onapa (used to be a town before new highway came in) I am jealous, that lake was just a river when I was a kid and my grandpa's took me fishing there for some of the fondest memories an old man can have. Big catfish and warm summer nights. Sorry, you put me in lala land, LOL

hippiechick · March 20th, 2007, 08:36 PM

[QUOTE=tuk50;36516]hippiechick, small world. My brother still lives there and has been telling me about the storms this year. He lost a giant tree in his yard and his son lives in my old home place where I grafted 20 pecan trees as a 4H project in highschool in the early 60's. They are massive now and he said limbs 2ft wide broke off like twigs, first time in 100 years that my family knows of. I've seen ice storms there before, but not like this year. My sisterinlaw teaches in Checotah High School and they live between Checotah and Eufaula at Onapa (used to be a town before new highway came in) I am jealous, that lake was just a river when I was a kid and my grandpa's took me fishing there for some of the fondest memories an old man can have. Big catfish and warm summer nights. Sorry, you put me in lala land, LOL

[/

tuk50... This is my first year in Eufaula. I can see the mountain ridge from my
door. From everywhere, actually. I can see the lake too. Not real good. But, I see it. I hope all of your family is doing well. This community pulled together
and people were going out of their way to check on neighbors and help out.
It was amazing. I have some great pictures of the ice storm, if you are interested. And... I pulled up some of those pesky plants. I am really thankful
to everyone that has offered help.

March 20th, 2007, 11:16 AM	#1
hippiechick There ARE Fairies! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Misty Valley, Oklahoma Posts: 23	Help! Sand Burs everywhere! Hi! I am having a heck of a time with sand burs. I have replanted the whole yard to help get rid of them. They are very painful if you get stuck. Any suggestions is appreciated. I had never seen these things until I moved here to Oklahoma. Sumac is also pretty hardy. Other than that, so far so good.

March 20th, 2007, 02:04 PM	#2
louanne shaggy utopian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Southern Missouri USDA Zone: 6b Posts: 2,754	Re: Help! Sand Burs everywhere! Oh gessh I so remember those buggers from kansas.... one of the worst things I have ever encountered....yuck try raising kids around them...always haviing to wear shoes..... good luck....I do know how painful they are.....

March 20th, 2007, 04:23 PM	#3
tsteven1 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Out in the west TX town of El Paso. USDA Zone: 8a Posts: 490	Re: Help! Sand Burs everywhere! Do you mean the tumbleweed seeds, hippychick? If so, I suggest watering well, and an hour or so later, pull the weeds, root and all. The burrs will be carried away over time, and devout weed plucking will dry up the supply of new ones.

March 20th, 2007, 04:42 PM	#4
tuk50 JUST HANGIN AROUND Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: North of Tucson in foothills USDA Zone: 8b Posts: 1,125	Re: Help! Sand Burs everywhere! We lovingly call them goatheads. About the size of a kithchen match head with painful little stickers sticking out. It took me three years to get them out of my yard here in tucson. on hand and knees dig them up and burn them and every time i walked across the yard for years i looked for them, determination will prevail. Don't let them bloom get them now while they are small. The plant looks like a small light green dandoline in the spring and will pull up easily on a damp yard. By the way I grew up in Checotah, Ok. and hated chiggers more than goatheads. here in Az. there is only goatheads LOL GOOD LUCK

March 20th, 2007, 05:12 PM	#7
hippiechick There ARE Fairies! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Misty Valley, Oklahoma Posts: 23	Re: Help! Sand Burs everywhere! I appreciate the info on the sand burs. When I came here, I called them goat heads. Then someone told me they were sand burs. Whatever they are called, I call them a pain in the patooty. And I did get a flat tire on the bike from goatheads.No More riding for now. __________________ Getting your hands dirty is good for the soul. It brings out the kid in us.

March 20th, 2007, 05:51 PM	#8
houseodessey Banned Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cowtown. 7B Posts: 204	Re: Help! Sand Burs everywhere! I've always heard that goatheads love poor barren soil w/ no other grass around so if you have a healthy lawn now, the grass will eventually choke them out. Pulling them up is the best way to make them leave quicker, like others have suggested. My mom used to think I was wimpy when I'd complain about getting them in my feet. She'd just roll her foot against something solid and take them out that way. She had some tough feet, I suppose.

March 20th, 2007, 08:08 PM	#9
tuk50 JUST HANGIN AROUND Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: North of Tucson in foothills USDA Zone: 8b Posts: 1,125	Re: Help! Sand Burs everywhere! hippiechick, small world. My brother still lives there and has been telling me about the storms this year. He lost a giant tree in his yard and his son lives in my old home place where I grafted 20 pecan trees as a 4H project in highschool in the early 60's. They are massive now and he said limbs 2ft wide broke off like twigs, first time in 100 years that my family knows of. I've seen ice storms there before, but not like this year. My sisterinlaw teaches in Checotah High School and they live between Checotah and Eufaula at Onapa (used to be a town before new highway came in) I am jealous, that lake was just a river when I was a kid and my grandpa's took me fishing there for some of the fondest memories an old man can have. Big catfish and warm summer nights. Sorry, you put me in lala land, LOL

March 20th, 2007, 08:36 PM	#10
hippiechick There ARE Fairies! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Misty Valley, Oklahoma Posts: 23	Re: Help! Sand Burs everywhere! [QUOTE=tuk50;36516]hippiechick, small world. My brother still lives there and has been telling me about the storms this year. He lost a giant tree in his yard and his son lives in my old home place where I grafted 20 pecan trees as a 4H project in highschool in the early 60's. They are massive now and he said limbs 2ft wide broke off like twigs, first time in 100 years that my family knows of. I've seen ice storms there before, but not like this year. My sisterinlaw teaches in Checotah High School and they live between Checotah and Eufaula at Onapa (used to be a town before new highway came in) I am jealous, that lake was just a river when I was a kid and my grandpa's took me fishing there for some of the fondest memories an old man can have. Big catfish and warm summer nights. Sorry, you put me in lala land, LOL [/ tuk50... This is my first year in Eufaula. I can see the mountain ridge from my door. From everywhere, actually. I can see the lake too. Not real good. But, I see it. I hope all of your family is doing well. This community pulled together and people were going out of their way to check on neighbors and help out. It was amazing. I have some great pictures of the ice storm, if you are interested. And... I pulled up some of those pesky plants. I am really thankful to everyone that has offered help. __________________ Getting your hands dirty is good for the soul. It brings out the kid in us.