Preen for my tomato patch?

[coloken]

Believe it or not, I had never heard of preen until now. It is in all the stores. Before i do my garden space for tomatoes with it I need some reasurance from others about it. My whole year depends on me not making a mistake to try something that is new to me. My biggest problem is what I call wild millet or a foxtail type of grass that comes up late in the year. Do I just spreed the preen all over before or after I put in my plants. Just tomatoes or peppers and nothing but transplants.
KennyP

[recruiterg]

I wouldn't use preen around edible food crops. I would mulch more heavily or figure out another organic solution.

[gardener]

I am a PhD chemist and one who feels many people uneducated about chemiicals have irrational fears about chemicals. Even I would never use Preen (a preemergent herbicide) anywhere near edible crops.

I will, however, use glyphosate sparingly in my otheriwse organic garden. Glyphosate (Round Up is the most famous trade name) is just a modified amino acid and breaks down to CO2 and water within 2 weeks. It is also a water soluble salt and not absorbed throughthe fatty epidermis, not that it matters since it is completely non toxic to mammals

The preemergents like trifluralin are nitro aromatics and are highly toxic and readily absorbed through the skin. Also persistent in the soil for a whole growing season (and that is how preemergents work).

[cottonpicker]

Another (retired) Chemist here..... How about using Corn Gluten meal for your pre-emergent ???

LarryD

[amideutch]

Are we talking about the herbicide "Roundup" that you will use sparingly in your organic garden? I hope your neighbors are without gardens and aren't located nearby. Something about the words Roundup and organic used in the same sentence is a little unnerving. Ami

[coloken]

All comments here are appreciated.
I wonder if we are talking about the same thing?

PREEN:
for vegetable gardens

• Organic weed preventer

It is listed for tomatoes and just about every other garden vegetable.
I know about roundup and use it. A paint roller helps.
I know about 24D and don't use it any more cause it can drift, and tomatoes are real touchey, ask me how I know.
I don't intend to insult those of you with strong opinions, cause we all are intitled to our own.
They do call preen "organic". so what is the deal?
I am looking for hands on experence.
Kenny

[amideutch]

See if any of the products listed from the link might help. Ami

http://www.biconet.com/lawn.html

[gardener]

Originally Posted by coloken

All comments here are appreciated.
I wonder if we are talking about the same thing?

PREEN:
for vegetable gardens

• Organic weed preventer

It is listed for tomatoes and just about every other garden vegetable.
I know about roundup and use it. A paint roller helps.
I know about 24D and don't use it any more cause it can drift, and tomatoes are real touchey, ask me how I know.
I don't intend to insult those of you with strong opinions, cause we all are intitled to our own.
They do call preen "organic". so what is the deal?
I am looking for hands on experence.
Kenny

Aha! The original Preen for flowers was based on the triflurilan that you put on your lawn. I see the Preen for vegetables is based on corn gluten. I would use this without hesitation. It is just a protein which somehow prevents newly sprouted seeds from establishing themselves.

I have used the corn gluten back when it first was marketed by Gardens Alive catalog. I had mixed results with it and went back to shredded leaf mulch.

[coloken]

Thank you Gardener. I think you have it figured out.
It does say "organic". I will read the bottle and if that is what it is, I will try it. But none of that "weed and seed" triflurilan on MY tomatoes.
KennyP

[coloken]

With a little more reserch;
They call it 'preen" but it should use the full name "Preen Weed Preventer There seems to me other preen products.
BTW; one advertiser says it has good house keeping's seal of approval
Kenny

[yopper]

Good for you Kenny!!!! Some of these organic nuts know not of what they talk.Farmers have been spraying roundup on roundup ready soybeans for years and spraying premergents on corn for many many years. If these chemicals would kill most of us would be dead!!!!
YOPPER

[travis]

I think the key here is to read the label and follow the labeling directions explicitly.

The Preen in my garage is for flowers and specifically says not to use it on anything you intend to eat. Maybe it's another formulation than the Preen labeled for use in vegetable beds. Maybe I bought it a few years ago. Whaever. But the key is to read the label rather than rely on nebulous information bandied about online. Like I think Prene is a name brand and not a specific chemical formulation.

Without going into detail, you might also want to read up on Roundup before making claims that it breaks down to water and carbon dioxide without any residual in the soil. Because that's not what I read.

And yes I realize that we all eat Roundup daily since nearly every food on the shelf contains corn or soy products. I'm just a bit particular about the truth in general and about following label directions specific to chemical products.

[gardener]

Originally Posted by travis

Without going into detail, you might also want to read up on Roundup before making claims that it breaks down to water and carbon dioxide without any residual in the soil. Because that's not what I read.

I did some further research and found the soil half life of glyphosate is on average 40 days. So I retract my claim that it breaks down in two weeks, that was propaganda someone at Monsanto told me when I interviewed with them 30 years ago.

So I concede this point!

[roper2008]

I bought a very big container of Preen. I do not intend to use it for my
vegetables, just my flowers. Some of my flowers are near my veggies,
but in another bed. It says it can be used for flowers, veggies, trees and
shrubs.

[coloken]

Ok To clear this up. I was kind of slow
"Preen garden weed preventer" has triflurilan. It is listed for peppers and tomatoes, but over in the general discription it says not to sell any vegetables from it. Figure that one out.
"Preen vegetable garden weed preventer" is from corn glutten and is organic. That is the stuff I was looking for.
Sorry I was so dense, and they sure don't make it easy in their listings.
Kenny