# Herbicide for a vegetable garden.



## 57plymouth

Is there an herbicide that is safe to use in a vegetable garden? I have lots of grass that I'd like to kill. A local farmer said to use Poast, but the website indicates that it may not be safe to use within 30 days of harvest. I have no corn, but I do have tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, peas, beans, watermelon, onion, cucumber, zucchini and squash. Is there an herbicide I can use or is a hoe my only solution?


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## ksfarmer

Preen works. Available in most garden centers and wally world. It is treflan based and will work in the garden. I might add it is a pre-emergent, won't kill what is already growing.


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## 57plymouth

I'm looking for something that will kill the grass that has grown, but it safe to use around my veggies.

Any suggestions?


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## Phoebesmum

Round-up -- not organic but effective. I sometimes use a sponge with round up on it to "pat" the chemical on the weeds rather than risk over-spray. Pouring boiling water on the weeds works too but can take multiple applications.


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## frankva

57plymouth said:


> I'm looking for something that will kill the grass that has grown, but it safe to use around my veggies.
> 
> Any suggestions?


Pulling with a three tine scratcher. Or black plastic. I don't use herbicide anywhere near food.

I do use some chemicals, but keep it to a minimum.


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## T-Bone 369

Poast is your best bet - we use it here when the need comes up. It works best on grasses before they get too big but the 30 day Post Harvest Interval can be a little tight. Different crops have different PHI's so there is a chance you can use it selectivly on some things. It is on the Restricted Use list to to buy it you need to have an applicatorss liscense (unless you can talk that neighbor out of some to try). There is a non-restricted product that is marketed under the name Hy-Yield Grass Killer and uses the same active ingredient. It as also has the same PHI requirements. It is pretty easy to find here many feed and garden stores carry the Hy-Yield line. Be sure not to get the Killkall as it will do just what it says. I can realy feel your dilema - once that grass gets started it's a full time job to keep ahead of it. You might consider a pre-emergence product in the future - Preen is a good one but a little expensive. You should be able to find granular Treflan if you hunt around which IIRC is not restricted (I think the liquid is) and is more reasonably to buy and applies just like Preen. It's been a real time saver for us. 

Here is a sample label for the Grass Killer.

http://www.pesticides.montana.edu/N...401_HY_GRASS_KILLER_1_20_2006_11_35_21_AM.pdf


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## Stephen in SOKY

Were it not for Poast I'd have quit gardening long ago. As noted above the PHI varies. I have my label here by my chair if you'd like me to give you the PHI for any specific vegetables.

ETA: Re-read your post, PHI for curcurbits: 3 days, brassicas: 14 days, peppers: 7 days, tomatoes: 20 days, potatoes: 60 days. The product you use may be diferent, please go by your actual label. These are references from my label simply to help you evaluate the product.


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## woodsy_gardener

Get a 1.5 liter spray-mister at Lowe's for $9.00.
Fill it with either strong vinegar or (my choice) urine.


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## Windy in Kansas

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8101.html
http://veginfo.msu.edu/bulletins/E433/index.cfm
http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedworkshop/herbicide.asp
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/projects/projects.htm?accn_no=410068
http://www.hort.iastate.edu/gluten/


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## Danaus29

I used Ortho brand garden grass killer. It's a systemic herbicide which takes a couple weeks to work but it did kill the unkillable orchard grass in the fence line. I didn't have anything planted in the garden except rhubarb. Rhubarb still looks great, grass is dead or very sick. I need to get another bottle, some didn't get hit enough to kill it.


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## 57plymouth

I ended up using Vantage. The local fertilizer packaging plant said it is nearly identical to Poast, and the application on the website for Vantage said I should have no issues with my veggies.

I'm still a long way off on everything I sprayed today. The tomatoes, squash and cucumbers did not need anything. Everything from the watermelons over got sprayed though.

Hopefully I applied it heavy enough to work. If not, I'll be back out there Saturday...


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## Dexter

Back in horticulture class our teacher once said "anyone who sprays pesticides in a vegetable garden deserves to be shot".
He also was the one who taught the pesticide license course- not a dummy with these things.


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## Use Less

Can you cover the grass thickly with newspaper for a couple weeks to weaken, then pull up?


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## motdaugrnds

I like the "sponge" (with Round Up).


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## Fae

I am saving all my newspapers and as soon as I get all the grass pulled and hoed I am going to put newspaper between the rows. For some reason I guess I thought the grass was not growing so I did not take care of it when I could have pulled it up by checking on it daily. Sure made a lot of work for myself but I do not use chemicals in my garden because I firmly believe they are causing many, if not most, of our health problems today. Just my take on things. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.


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## NickieL

why not just COVER the grass with the newspaper and mulch? I do that to make new garden beds, kills the grass just fine.


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## 57plymouth

NickieL said:


> why not just COVER the grass with the newspaper and mulch? I do that to make new garden beds, kills the grass just fine.


Because of the size of my garden. I would have to get the newspapers too, since I won't buy the local liberal rag. 

I used the Vantage, and I have not been able to get out there since. I'll see what happened when I get a chance to go out there Sunday.


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## Stephen in SOKY

Effective treatments also depend on the type of grass/weeds you're trying to kill. Rhizome Johnsongrass isn't affected in the least by covering, even with black plastic, or by vinegar. Tall fescue is pretty darned resilient as well.


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## jlrbhjmnc

Newspaper and mulch. We just had to do that in the "orphan" tomato spot. Hubby wouldn't let me trash the last three pitiful tomato plants :fussin:, so they were put in a hastily dug trench in the clay to which we added compost. The grass was taking over so I pulled some, cut the rest down and surrounded the little plants with 8-10 layers of newspaper (really easier than it sounds because the small area just needed little squares of the newspaper for each layer). We covered that with straw for mulch. So far the plants are still growing.


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