About 6 weeks ago, I planted a lot of pole bean seeds around pole bean towers. I don't use any herbicides. The area is a mess. There are way more weeds than pole beans. The pole beans are numerous though.
Yes.
It's called landscaping fabric. Cut a small x in it after laying it down, plant the seed, then mulch over the top of it.
I've not done this yet but it's supposed to have a high success rate.
My pole beans have yet to push but my bush (I'm gonna have to change that to "Freedom") beans have "Freedomed out and I've gotten enough for two dinners so far. I planted 3" apart and there really isn't much Sun under them and as a result, no weeds. Suggest you pull weeds, mulch, and wait. Omelet's suggestion is sure fire though. Don't even have to pull weeds.
- Billy Coloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)
richardg expounded:
Well, the pole beans should outgrow the weeds soon enough, but I can't imagine why you couldn't just pull the weeds and be done with them. They're competing right now for water and nutrients with your seedlings, get rid of them while they're young, too.
Smother the weeds if your soil is like mine; sometimes "pulling" is not an option when all that does is break the b**g things off at ground level. Of course, you _could_ water the area for 30 minutes; maybe pulling would work then.
Smother the weeds with mulch. Several layers of wet newspaper topped with your flavor of organic mulch material will deny the weeds sunlight.
There is a pre-emergent weedicide (?!) made from, of all things, corn. I have not used it, but the areas under my bird feeders that receive regular doses of the cracked corn form of corn are completely bare. Maybe it's the corn, maybe it's the birds scratching about, maybe it's a combination.. dunno.
BTW, if you are considering a Ruth Stout approach to weed control, be aware it may take you literally tons of material to smother those weeds.
Good luck!
What you are experiencing with the freedom beans, is one of the principles, and results of biointensive gardening (not biodynamic).
You get your soil built up so that it can handle a much more intense load of cultivars, and the resulting "canopy" creates a living mulch. One can grow an amazing amount of food in very little space.
The method I am following and working towards is "grow biointensive", John Jeavon's baby. Similar to french biointensive and some of the Rodale work. Jeavon's book is well worth the money simply for the seed starting, transplanting and spacing charts.
This is my goal.
Charlie Tutu
This is how I grow a lot of produce in tubs and containers. A 10 inch flowerpot filled with enriched soil will hold 5-6 bush bean plants quite comfortably. I grow my radishes in window boxes, my cukes (6-8 plants per) and tomatoes (2 plants per) in large tubs. Leaf lettuce is a breeze to grow in small pots right outside on the kitchen deck.
I do grow things down in my garden, but frankly, I use it more and more for garlic, corn and roses. I was providing too many groundhogs with good eats before I switched to pots.
Boron
THe container gardening is great, isn't it. I'm doing more of it all the time. I've done as you with lettuce this year.
I'm trying a zuchinni in a large pot this year as well.
Charlie
I was just out to water and everything looks great, as it does this time of year. Tomatoes full of flowers, beans and peas starting to vine. Lovely. Broccoli rabe bolted overnight, though, silly plants.
I am curious as to how that turns out, although I am not too happy about placing cukes nearby the squash.
Boron
I am a no gardening guru but I have found that an old dinner fork is great for getting weeds out, roots and all.
Pat in NJ (returning to lurker status)
Thanks for all your input. When I tried to pull the weeds I ended up pulling out bean plants as well. I really wanted some way to prevent them. I am going to look into an organic pre-emergent weed killer. I was unaware that such a chemical existed. Thanks again, Richard
Landscaping fabric works, so does heavy mulching.
I don't think that the pre-emergents are selective. Preen is supposed to last for most of the growing season. You cannot apply them until the desired seeds are up and going. By that time the weeds are too. The only thing to do is to start the seeds in the house and set out plants.
If you put down a heavy mulch (we use grass clippings) as soon as the plants emerge or the plants set out, you will not have nearly as much weeding to do. The grass clippings decompose and help feed the soil as well as keeping the ground moist.
richardg expounded:
Use both hands. Hold the bean stem between two fingers against the ground and pull the weed seedlings. It's a bit exacting, but the best way to deal with the existing weeds.
Keep in mind corn gluten (which is what you're talking about) will impede the emergence of *all* seeds, not just the weeds. It's also a bit of a fertilizer, I forget how much nitrogen it contributes, but it is measurable.
The Cook expounded:
Yes, it lasts in the water table, too, killing aquatic life. Not good stuff to use.
Where to begin? You can't pull weeds without pulling up your beans and so now your going to pour an oxymoron of a chemical punch all over your plants?
Lord keep and protect you son.
And have the soil moist. That reduces the chances of pulling out anything on which you don't have a firm grip. I've not had a problem pulling weeds only when the soil is quite moist.
Depending on the weed, sometimes just breaking it off (if it is quite young) will also work. The very moist soil works much better.
Glenna
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