Question about Preen (flowers, lawn, growing, vegetables)

[NJDevil]

If anyone has a lot of experience using Preen..... I guess you are supposed to weed the whole area, have just dirt there, and put the Preen down. If I weed MOST of it - just leave some weed stubs - and put Preen down - will it still prevent new weeds from growing? I know that the existing "stubs" will regrow, I'm OK with that, I just don't want new weeds. I don't have the time to get every single root out right now.

[tcs1366]

I've never used it, buy my neighbor does.

It will keep seeds from germinating... seeds of weeds or any other type of seed. So dont direct sow seeds, as in a flower bed, as nothing may grow.

On other forums i've seen chatter about how fallen seeds [from previous annuals or perennials] will not grow after putting down Preen.

I do not know how long it lasts... I've contemplated using it, but i do direct sow a lot, and would hate for those seeds never to germinate.... so i just keep pulling weeds.

[paperhouse]

Yep. Preen is a pre-emergent herbicide. It stops germination of everything for 3-6 months depending on your zone. So you can't use it in veggie beds unless you're transplanting starts. Nothing will germinate if preen is used.

[tcs1366]

thanks Paper... that is sort of what i was thinking...
and WOW 3-6 months. Guess I wont be using it, as i throw a lot of seeds.

[azoria]

I give Preen a big "meh".

If you have bare soil, moisture, and some sun--pour all the Preen on it you like and a bumper crop of new weeds will appear anyway.

Preen+Roundup+mulch is a much better strategy. Get rid of the weeds then install a good layer of mulch and solve the problem for a long run instead of the short term.

[NJDevil]

My limited experience with Preen shows me it works if I use it right. I could put a foot of mulch down, the weeds grow thru it. I have some different strategies this year!

[Briolat21]

I'm with azoria on this one... yes - preen helps. But 3 - 6 months, no way.

Preen, Mulch, Roundup, manual weeding.. that's my routine. And the preen I put down about every 6 weeks.

Oh .. and sadly, because it is a pre-emergent (prevents seeds from germinating) - all those lovely weeds that propagate by root growth .. it does nothing to stop them.

Someday, when the empty lots next door are filled in (maybe 10 years from now) - they'll be less seeds blowing in, until then, you know where I'll be....

[retired45]

is it safe to transplant flowers over 3 inches in an area where is used preen?

[Butterfly4u]

NJ,
I was going to try Preen a couple of years ago.
I read the bag. On the back.
OMG.
It's poison.
I put it back, and now I pull the weeds.
Read the back of the bag.

[Cattknap]

Yes, weed killer is poison - I don't see a problem with it. I can't possibly weed all our flower gardens and without preen, our yard would be a disaster. Yes, weed killer is poison.

We are a little south of you but we put preen down in late February/very early March and it does an amazing job of keeping the weeds away - not all, but most.

We get very cold weather and some snow - not much - but weeds should melt away to nothing in the cold winter - you shouldn't need to weed if you are at the end of fall - just put preen down in the late winter/early spring before any weeds have popped up. You will still need to do some weeding, especially the first year that you are using preen - it is a pre-emergent - it doesn't do anything to existing weeds/plants.

You should be putting preen down long before any seeds are to be transplanted - so that is important to keep in mind.

Last year I grew an abundance of flowers by seed in areas where preen had gone down a couple of months before - I had amazing germination from those seeds.

You don't use preen on lawn and I would not use preen where vegetables are going to be grown. Hope this is helpful.