Miles City Youth Soccer is waging war on Tribulus terrestris! We had our weekend prep for the Fall season Sunday and spent much of the time pulling this nasty weed out of the edges of the fields. We have noticed an explosion in the problem weed all over town. Here's what it looks like:





It should be on the noxious weed list in every state. It's not. If you've got goat-heads please do everyone a favor and get rid of them- pull the vines and throw them in the trash; spray for them in the Spring and Fall.

Take the time to call the local weed board and complain about them, ask to have them added to the list of intolerable weeds. They cause injury to people and animals, they puncture tires and balls, they are just plain nasty.

MCYSA is looking for help getting rid if it around the soccer complex. If you're willing to spend some time pulling them, we're willing to spend some $ paying you to do it- ASAP is best! Post here or message and we can discuss compensation and a plan of attack.

Kill that nasty stuff now!

[This message has been edited by Posse Soccer (9/23/2013)]

[This message has been edited by Posse Soccer (9/23/2013)]

[This message has been edited by Posse Soccer (9/23/2013)]

The puncture vine was a front page story 25 years ago because it was puncturing bike tires.

Go to the Auto Parts store in between Sherwin-Williams and Farm Credit Services - they have MONSTER puncture vines out front, near the sidewalk!!

MCYSA is looking for help getting rid if it around the soccer complex. If you're willing to spend some time pulling them, we're willing to spend some $ paying you to do it- ASAP is best! Post here or message and we can discuss compensation and a plan of attack.

Umm... why not experience better living through chemistry? Dicamba would kill this pretty quickly, without pulling it. If you ask, maybe Murdocks would donate a jug of Rifle (dicamba). Have them contact their supplier and I am sure we can get this rebated or donated.

Poison and small children? Gotta be a better way. We've got lots of them in Billings too. My dogs seem to find them and bring them in for me!

Kacey, PLEASE STFU! You have absolutely NO FREAKING idea what you are talking about! Dicamba is actually safer than pulling the weed. Pulling the weed in question will actually just spread it. Dicamba not going to hurt any kids or pets.

Thanks Richard! My alley can expect a good dose real soon..

ONE small problem, ya shoot em with rifle, they die, but the those little tire bombs are still there until the tires, balls and feet carry them off. Just sayin'......................and I think those are the seeds!!

[This message has been edited by Jim Howe (9/24/2013)]

Wow! Haven't seen goatshead since we moved from Tucson to Miles City in 1966. Down there we ran around most of the year barefoot
and encountered these numerous times. After awhile the feet got touogh enough they didn't bother you. When did these start showing up in Miles City? Just another benefit of climate change possibly.

Yes, they are the seeds. You really need to kill this stuff before it flowers.

It looks pretty when it is flowering, which is why the stuff is so deceptive. Hard to associate those delicate little flowers with those miserable stickers.

I remember those damn things form my childhood in the 70s. They've been around a long time.

Just another benefit of climate change possibly?

The puncture vine was a front page story 25 years ago because it was puncturing bike tires.

I hope you were joking about climate change!

I was

I was

I am glad!

Round-up will kill them and have no residual, if your worried about chemicals and children. Goat-heads hard seed coat requires time/weather to germinate, we must have hit just right. FLIP-FLOPS are not advisable in the pumpkin patch.

Just what we need... Glyphosate resistant Tribulus terrestris.

I maybe wrong, but I heard or read that carefully pulling it is the best way. It takes the seeds up to 7 years to finally die and not germinate, so it may take awhile before you finally see results. I pulled all of it right after I moved into my house 5 years ago,and I found a small patch a few weeks ago.

Nasty to walk on, horrible on tires. However, it is one of the best herbs for supporting kidney function known to a number of traditional medicines. It also can provoke staggers in sheep so is not a plant friend in these parts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...terrestris

Roundup, as we have sadly learned, is darned damaging to one's insides. Too bad you can't steam roll the area annually with hot water and vinegar. Seeds endure, as someone mentioned, for 7 years.

When I was 16 or 17ish, I lived in San Dimas California for awhile. Those things were wild there also. My job was a 3 mile bike ride, skateboard, or a walk in distance. The previous day, I had bought two brand new tubes for my bike tires with plans to put them on the bike the next day before I went to work. I wasn't worried about time then, as I had changed tubes dozens of times living there anyway.

Anyhoo, I changed the tubes, pumped up the tires, and everything looked good to go, with ten minutes to spare before I had to start my ride to work. The house I lived in was on top of a hill which was pretty cool to start a ride with, get on, pedal a couple of times, and boom! sailing down the road.

Got to the bottom of the road, cruising at a good clip, and heard:

"pop hisssssss"

"Pop hissssss"

Son of a----

Trudged the bike back up the hill, couldn't find the skateboard (was a lousy skater anyways so it didn't matter lol) and walked to work. Late...

Pulling the weed is really hard as it is stubborn. Dicamba, while low in toxicity, is not benign.
http://npic.orst.edu/fact...a_tech.pdf

Richard has hugged to many tree's when he was little. Yes, pulling the weed when you live on a 100'x 100' it's easy. When your a 1 man operation of 40 acres and $4 fuel, more government regulation, higher taxation. The responsible use of chemicals is the cheaper option.

My main goal, was the pumpkin patch would pay the taxes.

When you have (special interests decide my fate) all is lost.

From the September 23, 2013, Miles City Star, page 4:

[f] Stardust
People and Perspectives from Miles City's Past[/f]25 YEARS AGO (1988)

Scientists call it Tribulus
terrestris and gardeners call it
puncture vine, but bike riders
and their parents call it every
rotten name in the book.
Asked how sales of patches
and inner tubes are doing,
Dick Liquin at Coast to Coast
said, "They've been absolutely
fantastic. There's a lot of
thorns around this time of
year."