# Should I till my horse pen?



## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

You can target specific weeds by tilling at specific times. It is different for many of them. Some can be eliminated at the same time as others. 

Not being familiar with the vegetation in your area, is there a service in your area that can advise. Even if you have to pay a fee, it might be cheaper and more effective that tilling without results, or having to till several random times to get even minimal results. 

Where I am I can access University Extension Offices. Or contact farm supply stores. Or put in a call to our local Weed and Pest office. Even go to a local burger joint in the morning after people are done with chores and gather to drink coffee and "solve the world's problems!"


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## Bleu (Nov 17, 2019)

@boots 
I live in Southern Kansas. I have had a local weed guy come out to get rid of our musk thistles (we get fined if we remove them because they're a big problem around here). He noted that 80% or something like that was the burr, and the other 20% was for miscellaneous plants like Longspine Sandburs, ragweed, Venice Mallow, as well as some other small things. Most of them have short roots (I have pulled a lot of them out by hand just to clear some high traffic areas) but come back twice as bad the following years. I was thinking that tilling might get rid of the burrs, but I also worry that it would bury a lot, which may grow ( in case you are unfamiliar each plant has around 12-100 burrs). If mowed they can be managed, but like I said when it rains, I can't get in there.


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

Would goats eat them?


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## Bleu (Nov 17, 2019)

@SteadyOn

I would absolutely love to have one (or a few), but I do not know the first thing about caring for a goat, nor do I have a proper setup. Asides from that, I do not think this is the sort of plant they would eat; it has few leaves with lots of burrs tightly packed. I do admit that when they're green, they do not hurt, but once they start to brown, you better be ready for hell.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

@Bleu - Ah. Kansas. I couldn't tell since the Noogoora burr is more of a "south of the US" burr. While tilling may help, since the burrs are spread by seeding, it will help even more if you go chop the plants before they develop seed (the burrs). 1-2 acres isn't too bad. 

They are sure hardy plants. You will likely have to chop more than once a year, and repeat a second year. The results will be worth it!


There are some weeds that produce sticky seed heads that people call burrs, but aren't. And one of those, if you pull the plant or otherwise break the root chain, you simply create two plants!

I have only basic knowledge of weed control and am heavily dependent on my county ag office. But I like improving rangeland and have an admiration of sorts for the tenacity of some of these plants.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

My concern about tilling would be that you might just be creating nice fresh dirt and tilling the weed seeds right into it. Thus preparing the ground for more weeds. Maybe if you tilled deep enough?

Don't forget you need to fertilize (lime if necessary) and replant with hardy grass, then give that grass time to grow before putting animals back on.

Goats might eat that stuff. There are lots of companies now that rent goats for this purpose. They take care of everything, including putting in temporary fencing if needed. You could call them, since you already know what's in the pasture, and ask them if the goats would eat that. If your situation is bad enough, you might need two rounds of goats.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

Blue, Those look like the common cocklebur to me. They are a problem if you don't stay on top of them. Sure are a lot of fun getting out of manes and tails.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

My kids used to call them porcupine eggs.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

ksbowman said:


> My kids used to call them porcupine eggs.


Mine, too. :smile:


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