On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:17:17 -0000, richardg
wrote:

On Jun 19, 7:22 am, Pat in NJ wrote:
Ann wrote:
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.

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

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.

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)