Jerry’s Pea Beans Are Growing, and So Are Weeds

Last Friday afternoon I went out to the farm to check the crops. While I was pleased with how the pea beans were growing, I was shocked at the weed pressure! It had been five days since I saw them. The field looked pretty much weed-free five days ago. I did get out there this afternoon and got the field sprayed with a quart and a half an acre of glyphosate. I am quite confident the glyphosate will kill them because the tallest ones were only 4 or 5 inches tall.

I have grown pea beans a number of years and it is unusual to see so much weed pressure when beans are planted in July. Many weed species do not germinate later in the season. Unfortunately waterhemp and pig weed do germinate later in the season. I was pleasantly surprised that I could not find any soybean aphids. Soybean aphids like young, lush soybeans so pea beans are a prime target. Maybe I will get lucky this year and not have to spray for aphids.