It's Preen Time!

The forsythias are blooming in Baltimore, and a is a place near you!

It's time to Preen for those nasty weeds that spread through seeds. It's time to attack the crab grass, and the quack.

Costco is selling a huge container for a little less than $23. I have my two buckets. It's time to go sprinkle.

I'm lookng forward to a time when I can go natural, but I'm still in the Preen mode. What do the wise ones recommend rather than Preen for a more natural solution?

Blessings on your garden,
Elf

I really don't use herbicides except on rare occasions -- I've never used Preen. Of course, my yard is full of weeds! We just pull the weeds. Exceptions: poison ivy, bamboo.

Happy, I'm with you on the Preen, I tried it once and ended up killing a Garden Phlox. I enjoy yanking the weeds out by the roots (evil grin). I do spray poison ivy and bamboo. I have been known to dig a very deep narrow hole trying to get the root of a dock that seems to go to China.
And I don't let my husband use the spray or I'd have a yard of dead plants.

I'm going to Preen the new area where I tilled and planted daffs between some little shrubs... get down Preen, then mulch... if I skip the Preen, I know I'm asking for trouble on that newly tilled dirt!

I've heard variable results with corn meal gluten, but it might be something to check into.

A lot of garden areas I don't Preen because I want the volunteers (like with the columbines growing between my irises). But that does leave me with a lot of weeding... and I do resort to some other chemicals controls, especially on thistles and bindweed. I've concluded the only way I'm going to get rid of the Johnson Grass out in the orchard area (since I don't want to Preen there... that's where I sow lots of flower seeds which in turn self-sow) is to spray with a selective grass herbicide; there's just no pulling that stuff up for good since it grows back from the least bit of root.

With boundless time and energy, I'd use fewer chemicals, but I try to strike a balance. I figure it's like integrated pest management for bad bugs -- you don't use more than you need, and you don't set a goal of "no weeds, ever," and you try to get rid of as many weeds as you can by non-chemical means.

Corn gluten works is just as well and is not nearly as toxic to the beneficials. Preen will kill off your earthworms. You can buy cheapo corn meal at any animal feed store which works just as well as the $60 bags with the fancy tags.