Pre-emergent weed control

[gypsyman]

Now that the garden is done for this year, thinking of next. Somebody on this forum mentioned a pre-emergent weed control.(hope I spelled that right) Never used one,(naturally,or I wouldn't be asking this question)
I'm not a big fan of chemicals, but not against using them. Just use them sparingly if I can. Since this would be for a vegtable garden, not a flower garden, is there one that is blended/manufactured for that purpose. And, now that I'm thinking of it, for this part of the country. As the weeds and soil here in N.W. Ohio, are no doubt different than down south or out west. I'm not sure if you would apply it now, or in the spring, a couple weeks before planting. Anybody that has any experience with using a pre-emergent chemical, or any other ideas that might help, thanks in advance. gypsyman

[charles p]

I've used it several times.  I recommend applying it in February and then in mid March.  It is designed to keep all seeds from germinating, so you can not plant seeds in your garden!  You can use plants that you start from seed and then transplant into your garden.

Lots of lawn products contain pre-emergent to prevent crab grass.  A product named Balan (sp) used to be used to control grass in soybeans.  Ask someone at a farm center for local advice.  I seem to recall that Balan applied in Feb and March was effective against crab grass in my Bermuda grass lawn until about August so it is possible that if you used it in early spring, you could seed a fall vegi crop.

Another way to kill weed seeds is to gas your garden.  You need a license to purchase the gas and plastic bedding to seal off all air movement.  Tobacco farmers used to gas their plant beds in the winter.  It kills the residual seeds in the soil but you can plant new seeds after a few days or weeks.

[Empty Quiver]

Preen is what you are looking for. It is the lawn and garden name for agricultural Prowl. At least it always used to be.

You can probably find it already mixed into dry fertilizer or mixed into a dry kitty litter type stuff.

This is not meant to be a substitute for reading the label Okay? It will kill anything germinating from a small seed, think mustard seed size. Mainly this includes grasses, pigweed, and lambsquarter. Not that effective against cockleburr and no use whatsoever against perenial weeds like thistle or dandilions, or lawn grasses. The chemical is absorbed through the roots only. This means if it is too deep >2" It will be less effective, if it is too shallow <.5" same problem. Now comes the beauty part of Prowl... It will move a bit in the soil with the rain water!  The same rain water that makes the weeds germinate.

Here is what this is all leading up to. Veggies that have a big seed, corn, polebeans, turnips, and set plants like tomatoes, cabbage, green peppers and the like will likely grow right thruogh the Preen. Small stuff, lettuce, radishes, carrots, and the like will not make it probably.

Here is my suggestion, till your garden, level it and plant it all within a week or so. This is actually important because the day you till starts the emergence clock on weeds, you reset the clock to some extent at every tillage. Within a week spray or so spread the recommended amount of chemical over the garden. Now water the garden or have rain fall equal to 1or 2 inches. This is what is going to wash the chemical off of the granules and mix the chemical into the soil to the level the weeds are germinating at. If you find weeds are escaping lightly hoe the garden keeping in mind that as you uncover untreated soil ie. deeper soil it, will bring up weed seeds that may well root into untreated soil.


What I've recommended may not be exactly legal but it does work. I spent 4 years of college and 10 yrs in the ag industry so I do know a bit about the subject.
(I used Lasso most of the time but it's pretty hard to come by for the normal person).

[charles p]

How big are turnip seeds where you live?

[Empty Quiver]

Big enough to fit a whole turnip plant inside! Maybe turnip seed isn't best example. I thought they were about half a pea I could be mistaken though, I am nearly perfect, but on ocassion I slip back to mearly always right!

[dorothy daily]

you are partly right you can fit a whole turnip plant in one seed.the seed itself is extremely fine. folks used to mix powder fine dust to hand sow and then it would still be too thick if a person was not real careful.all of that and no college just a life time of self reliant experience.

[Empty Quiver]

Now I already fessed up to nearly always right! What more do I need to do. Wrong once in a while? Well I'm a man and I sure ain't going there. I don't hear any arguements against the meat of my post though. I'm going to go back to practically perfect thankyou very much. Now y'all got me wondering what seed I am thinking of. Wrinkly as all get out smaller than a pea, looks like one of those picture of allergy pollen. 

[Empty Quiver]

Spinich by golly I think it may be spinich I'm thinking of. Well I'm sure some one will stroll by soon and tell me if I'm less than correct.

[charles p]

Could it be a beet seed you are describing?  Spinach is small and not spiny.

[Empty Quiver]

Not so much spiney as wrinkly, no matter. Point is, big stuff can survive the chem and little stuff can't. It burns the roots back and unless the seed has enough stored energy it can't grow past the chemical zone.