Las Cruces Yard Guide
How to Get Rid of Goatheads for Good: A Las Cruces Guide
Flat tires, burrs in the dog’s paws and a new crop every spring. Goatheads (puncturevine) are the most hated weed in Las Cruces, and most people fight them the wrong way. Here’s how they spread, why mowing makes them worse, and the year-round plan that actually wins.
Updated September 2026 using NMSU Extension Guide H-187, “Puncturevine.”
Quick answer
How do you get rid of goatheads permanently?
You beat goatheads by stopping new seed and draining the seed bank. Pull or hoe every plant before it sets burrs, bag the plants instead of leaving them, pick up burrs already on the ground, and apply pre-emergent in late winter for several years.
Because seeds survive in the soil for at least eight years, expect two or three seasons of steady work before a yard is mostly clean.
Goathead facts that change how you fight them
|
Fact |
What it means |
|---|---|
|
Sprouts as early as March |
Start checking in early spring |
|
Sets seed 2 to 3 weeks after sprouting |
Pull early and often |
|
Up to 25 seeds per burr |
One missed plant reseeds a yard |
|
Seeds survive 8+ years |
It’s a multi-year project |
|
Mats spread 5 ft or more |
One plant covers a lot of ground |
Source: NMSU Extension Guide H-187.
Know the enemy
How do goatheads spread in Las Cruces yards?
Goatheads spread from bare, hot ground like thin gravel, driveways and road edges, where little else grows. Their burrs hitch rides on tires, shoes and paws, and each plant drops seeds that can stay alive in the soil for years, so yards reinfest easily.
They love bare, hot ground
Goatheads thrive in bare dirt, thin gravel, road edges and driveways where nothing else grows. Rental yards and vacant lots near you are seed factories.
They hitch rides
Burrs stick in tires, shoes and paws, so they travel from the street and sidewalk into your yard, and from your yard into your house.
Mowing spreads them
Goatheads grow flat, so mowers miss the plant and scatter the burrs. Trimmers throw them even farther.
The plan
When should you treat goatheads in Las Cruces?
Apply pre-emergent in January or February and vacuum burrs, walk the yard weekly from March to May to pull seedlings with the root, keep pulling through the summer and after monsoon storms, and clean up burrs in fall before they settle in.
|
When |
What to do |
Why |
|---|---|---|
|
January to February |
Apply a pre-emergent labeled for puncturevine, or top up rock over weed barrier; vacuum burrs |
Stops seeds sprouting in March |
|
March to May |
Walk the yard weekly; pull or hoe seedlings with the root |
Plants seed within 2 to 3 weeks |
|
June to September |
Keep pulling after every rain; bag every plant |
Monsoon rain triggers new flushes |
|
October to November |
Pull the last plants before frost; collect burrs from gravel and walks |
Every burr removed is up to 25 fewer seeds |
|
December |
Vacuum or drag carpet over problem areas to pick up burrs |
Shrinks next year’s seed bank |
Always follow the product label for any herbicide, including timing, rate and where it can be used. Keep pets and kids off treated areas as the label directs.
Step by step
How do you remove goatheads the right way?
Wear thick gloves and closed shoes, pull or hoe from the center of the mat to lift the taproot while the soil is moist, put plants straight into a trash bag, then vacuum or pick up any burrs left on the ground. Never compost goatheads.
1
Gear up
Thick gloves and closed shoes. The burrs go through thin soles.
2
Get the root
Pull or hoe from the center of the mat and lift the taproot, ideally when the soil is moist.
3
Bag it
Put plants straight into a trash bag. Don’t compost them or leave piles.
4
Pick up the burrs
Use a shop vac, or press a piece of carpet or foam onto the ground to lift them.
5
Cover the ground
Rock or mulch over weed barrier, or healthy plants, so there’s no bare ground for next year.
Other options
Do pre-emergents, weevils or ground covers stop goatheads?
A pre-emergent labeled for puncturevine, applied in late winter, stops most seeds from sprouting but won’t kill growing plants. Puncturevine weevils can help on large areas but rarely clear a yard, and thick ground cover or deep rock on weed barrier leaves no bare ground.
Pre-emergent
Applied in late winter, a pre-emergent labeled for puncturevine stops most seeds from sprouting. It doesn’t kill plants already growing, so pair it with pulling.
Puncturevine weevils
NMSU notes two weevils (a seed weevil and a stem weevil) that feed on goatheads. In studies they cut flower production by 29% in irrigated plots and 60% in unirrigated plots. They help, but won’t clear a yard alone.
Cover bare ground
A 2 to 3 inch layer of rock on commercial weed barrier, or dense low-water plants, leaves goatheads nowhere to grow.
Talk to your neighbors
Burrs blow and roll in from next door. A block that tackles them together sees results much faster.
Clean beds and paths with no bare ground give goatheads nowhere to start.
Mistakes
What goathead mistakes keep the problem coming back?
Mowing or string trimming goatheads scatters burrs, leaving pulled plants on the ground lets them reseed, and waiting until you see burrs means seeds have already dropped. Pull early, bag every plant and keep at it for a few seasons to drain the seed bank.
|
Mistake |
Why it backfires |
Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
|
Mowing or string trimming goatheads |
Scatters burrs across the yard |
Pull or hoe, then bag |
|
Leaving pulled plants on the ground |
Burrs drop and reseed |
Bag them right away |
|
Waiting until you see burrs |
Seed is already set |
Pull seedlings in spring |
|
Spraying once and giving up |
The seed bank sprouts for years |
Stick with a multi-year plan |
|
Leaving bare dirt |
Perfect goathead habitat |
Cover it with rock, mulch or plants |
Goathead FAQs
Done stepping on goatheads?
We’ll clear the plants and burrs and set up a plan to keep them from coming back. Free, written estimate.
Las Cruces Landscaping Group
1921 Santa Ines Drive, Las Cruces, NM 88011
(575) 270-0676. Mon to Sat, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Request a Free Estimate
Takes under a minute. We’ll call you back today.
