I just noticed that hemlady and I are neighbors!

Yes we are Lynn

Bonnie, that weed you mentioned "greenbrier" just may be the culprit. I went out yesterday and gave them a dose of roundup. I also use roundup very sparingly. I also did a lot of hand pulling yesterday, mostly crab grass, and I am going out this morning again before it gets too hot. Pulled almost a full garbage can full of weeds yesterday and I bet I could double it today.

Henhouse said:Rob, I had never heard of "Puncture Vine"... I googled it, and hope i never see it.

Interesting reading:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTN...

Back to weed control...
I used corn gluten this year for the first time, thanks to Arlyn's recommendation.. I got it out before the first rain in December, and it was very effective in preventing that first crop from sprouting. What did come up was easy to pull or hula hoe... I should have followed up with another application about 6 weeks later to get the next crop, but didn't get around to it.. but even so... preventing those first weeds was huge..
I also use a weed burner, which is really effective on the softer tissued, and newly emerged weeds.
The cracks in my fingers are tattooed with dirt from hand weeding. My fingernails are a mess, and that's just the way it is.

That's why God made garden gloves, Sherry!!! I'm trying very hard to use them constantly. My hands are thanking me for it.

My favorite gloves are Atlas Nitrile Touch. They're not too expensive (maybe six dollars?) But the important thing is that they're not hot!! The backs are fabric so they breathe -- and the fabric stretchs, so they are not constricting when you work. I have several pair so I have ones to use while others are in the wash.

I use those kind too Mary Ann. After I found out from my daughter, who works for a vet, that you can get ringworm from playing in the dirt, I started using gloves. That was about 3 or 4 years ago.

I'd forgotten about the risk of ringworm, Cindy. Another good reason too wear gloves!!

Why oh why did I google pictures of ringworm.

Puncture Vine is horrible Sherry! I hope it never makes its way into your (or anyone else's) garden. I always called it devil horns, because of the way the thorny seeds looked. Here's a photo of the seeds: http://pnwhandbooks.org/weed/s...

I have to use a solid tire on my wheelbarrow and my poor garden carts have to be pumped with air before every use because they've been punctured to death. Don't even get me started on bike tires. You can't wear sandals (or other thin shoes) down by the barn or the thorns will go right through the bottom and into your feet. The thorns go right through leather gloves too.

I'm going to look up some natural, or home sprays to use on it. I don't feel like getting my hands pricked to death today.

Rob, unfortunately we have puncture vine here too. I'll pull up or follow one of the stems to find the center of the plant and slice the tap root the pick up the entire plant. I've been battling these horrible weeds for a number of years. I've tried burning the seed heads too. Not sure how much that helped since the weeds where back the following year. Your right about them going through the bottom of your sandals.

Those sound like something unnatural to me. I know many seed pods have little stickers so the seeds can be spread over a wider distance but what is the point of having a seed pod hurt the possible transporter. Sounds nasty enough to make a person give up going out into the garden.

Hemlady how did you do after that explosion the other morning? Must have been scary!