Organic fertilizer

I asked a question about organic pre-emergence about a week ago. I am not sure how I get the question answered.
The question is, does anyone use corn gluten meal as a pre-emergence. How do I find where my question goes? And where do I find my answer?

prcastle...I'm sorry that no one has answered your question....and I SURE can't...LOL...I am going to email Horseshoe and he can tell you. I'm sure others can too...just a matter of them finding this thread! Jo

sheesh!...Roadrunner knows when I sit down in front of the 'puter to chow down, eh!? (Just got her email!)

prcastle, I'm assuming you are meaning using it as a pre-em herbicide, right? I'm familiar with it (corn gluten) but have never invested the $$ in trying it. My veggies gardens are a bit too big to be able to afford it but I bet in flower beds and small lawns it would be worthwhile. (Course now, the wire grass/crab grass is now here and there in the veggie gardens...maybe I should give it a try!)

From all reports and talks I've had, it is definitely organic, safe for humans and pets, and apparently works wonders. Sometimes, depending on the weed you want to eradicate, double and triple doses are required.

Care to elaborate on what you're gonna use it on? I'd love to hear your report on it? Is something in particular making you hesitant to try it, other than the price? (I think it is now down to about a dollar a pound.)

Will be watching this thread! ô¿ô

pr... I just read some info. on this product after seeing the above post. Looks quite interesting and is especially attractive to me since I have pets.
http://www.gluten.iastate.edu/

Me! I have used it in the past. Very successfully, too. Only trouble is, I can no longer find a local source for it!

I got a 40-lb bag, applied it according to label using a broadcast spreader on part of the front lawn in mid-August. My goal was to try to prevent the winter annual weed from germinating. I don't know what it is, but one local name for it is annual speedwell.

Anyway, it worked very well. I had no weeds germinate in the lawn until the following spring. Usually, we have little rain fall from late May until early to mid October, so the corn gluten probably didn't dissipate as quickly as it would in times of heavier rainfall.

I used half the bag that I had, so the following year I did it again; identical results. No weeds germinated until the following spring.

Now my only problem is to find it again! I can't even remember the store, much less the brand. I have seen it offered mail-order, but the price of shipping is more than the price of the product.

prcastle, to answer your other question, about how do you find out where the answer is, up at the top of the page is a line of remarks including "Watch Thread" Check this option, and whenever anyone posts a reply to a thread, you are notified on your homepage. You can watch any threads in any forum, whether you start it or not, whether you reply or not. You can also "unwatch" threads at any time.

Note to Horseshoe and Lupinelover,
I got my corn gluten meal from our local nursery in OKC. It is milled in Ardmore OK. I would think that any milling company would have this product. The 40 lb bag was $26, making that about 65 cents per lb. The mill in OKC is Bluebonnet Farms. The chemical makeup is 10-1-.05.
I will be using the meal on my neighbors grass burrs and my crabgrass. Thanks for all of your comments. prcastle

thanks pr. Wow, that's a good amount of N, just what grass loves!

Much obliged!

Here's another article that I found when I was researching corn gluten meal (CGM) as fertilizer/pre-emergent: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1997/6-20-1997/cornglut.html

It contains a list of sources, but be forewarned the bulletin was issued several years ago, so some of them may no longer be in business, or offering CGM.

I've also heard debates on whether or not you can use milled corn from feed 'n seed stores or co-ops with similar effects. Haven't tried it, but I might - it's cheap and organic; nothing ventured, nothing gained ;o)

I have purchased corn gluten pre-emergent lawn products as well as organic fertilizers, pest repellents, etc. at Gardens Alive. I have always been 100% pleased with their products and their customer service reps have always been very knowledgable. I am on their mailing list and the catalog frequently will have a substantial discount on the cover. You can view their products at www.gardensalive.com
Check them out, I highly recommend them.

To NOH2O,
Thanks for the new info. In case you are wondering, corn gluten meal is a by-product from the making of corn starch.

I wondered about its efficacy; this is good to know. Now we just need to see if we can find a local source. Gardens Alive often has coupons for $20 off your order - that might make it worth the shipping, too; I've ordered from them in the past and had great service.

I also have had good success with Gardens Alive -- they used to provide my parasitic nematodes in the summer (I found a local source now). I seem to recall that I got my corn gluten for about $10 for the 40 lb bag, tho. It was a few years ago, '99? '00? Sometime in there.

I know I couldn't find it last year, I haven't looked much yet this year. But I am not having much trouble with the winter annual this year -- all the rain has kept the grass lawn green and growing; the weed sprouted in all the dead/dormant lawn areas. I haven't had those this year (yet).

The only downside to using the corn gluten (or any type of pre-emergent) is that if you want to direct-seed anything in your lawn or garden, it will not grow. Most of my favorite annuals are the kinds that do not transplant, so I must direct-sow.