VALENCIA COUNTY EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS Sand burs and puncture vine (often called "goat heads" because of the shape of the spiny seed capsules) are two common weeds that appear each summer in many New Mexico landscapes. Some gardeners have sand burs, other gardeners have puncture weeds and some gardeners have both. There are some similarities in managementy and some differences due to the fact that sand burs are a grass and puncture weed is a broadleaf weed. Both of these weeds can be managed by maintaining a healthy, dense lawn. The weeds do not germinate well in a healthy lawn but appear in thin areas of the grass or around the perimeter adjacent to driveways and sidewalks. Proper mowing, watering, and fertilizing will reduce the problems with both weeds. As you identify the weed in your lawn, manually remove it (by pulling or digging) to prevent it from forming seeds that will continue the problem next year. However, there are seeds from previous years laying dormant in the soil, and these will cause future problems. Don't let this year's weeds make seed to add to the problem. A healthy lawn will help with problems in subsequent years. In weed management, it is important to use the proper herbicide. Once they are growing, grass weeds (sand burs and others) must be treated with a grass herbicide. Puncture weed is a broadleaf weed and must be treated with an herbicide specific to bradleaf weeds (which will not control grass weeds). There are also non-specific herbicides that will kill all vegetation (such as glyphosate-based herbicides). These post emergent herbicides can be used to help you manage the weeds and reduce the number of seeds formed. Both sand burs and punchture weeds are weeds that die in the fall. They must sprout again from seed each spring or early summer. For this reason, they may be managed by use of pre-emergent herbicides that prevent seeds from sprouting. If applied early enough, this will greatly reduce the problem each year. http://www.geocities.com/persimmonfarmer/MG/faq.htm

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