Due to a lot of rain we couldn't get into the garden to till so this year's garden ws covered with weeds,mostly pigweed,lamb's quarters,johnson grass,etc..the usual thugs. I've been reading up on weed control/pre-imergants and came across the organic solution of corn glutin. Has anyone used it? How do you use it? Gardens pretty big..is it economical?
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corn glutin
Sigh... I didn't notice any great improvement here. It can get pricey on a big garden. I really put a good layer down on my asparagus bed but still had a jungle of weed seedlings start up. Maybe I got a bad batch...
Well,that's not good. Have you tried any other products? My gardens pretty big and I don't want to have to rob a bank to control the weeds.
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I have the best luck with several overlapping layers of newspaper covered with straw or other biodegradable mulch. Especially in the paths between beds. Keeps everyone happy, including the worms.
I tried to buy corn gluten locally. It is only available at the garden supply stores and is quite pricey. I will be using newspapers which are sure to upset the neighbors, so I will probably try to keep them covered with pine needles.
wonder if you could get it at farmers co-op...cheaper?
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I don't know if we have a farmers' coop. We have feed stores, but they don't carry it.
Well,there bio-degradible black weed barrier but it's not cheap either. Have to mailorder it and heaven only knows what frieght would be on something that heavy.
Newspapers will do the job. If I keep them covered with pine needles. Yes. It would be nice if we had a farmers' coop. Do you have to join a farmers' coop or is it just a store?
I have used the biodegradeble weed barrier made from corn, but I found the weeds shot through it more quickly than they did through the newspaper. Straw was on top of both. Quack grass was better controlled by the newspaper layers. I use 5 or 6 layers.
CGM has worked for me in several situations. The best has been with very dense plantings. Last year we had only the pelletized type. Big pellets - I mulched, and go a few winter weeds so I put this stuff on just before a rain. I had excellent weed control. Not total, but excellent.
It works very well in gravel paths too.
GGG
GGG, I haven't seen the pelletized type. I'll have to check it out.
My garden is too big for newspaper so I was hoping to use some form..preferribly organic,pre-emergent after we disc'ed and tilled the garden. Black plastic would be the cheapest but only early crops because our weather is just to hot to use in the summer months when the weeds are at their worst ...and it's not organic. I'd like to use the tiller less so I don't have to use the gas and pollute the air.
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The organic farm I sometimes work for often uses a wheel hoe: easier than hand hoeing, but no emissions. :) Plain straw or even grass clippings will supress weeds and keep soil moist better than nothing.
I use all my grass clippings and pinestraw on my flowerbeds. I'd have to get the whole neighborhoods clippings and pinestraw to cover this big veggie garden.
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Well, I'm plumb out of ideas, I guess. :)
Your county or city sanitation department might appreciate your getting your neighbors' grass clippings. I pick up my neighbors' leaves in the fall for composting with manure. When my neighbors complained about the "garbage" on my property the county told them that if it was compost, it was a okay with them. ( The leaves were in black plastic bags before I made the compost pile. The neighbor thought that meant they were garbage.
I do think newspapers are better for mulch than grass clippings which can mat if you spread them too thick. I gave up on straw because it has so many weeds in it. What really works for me is shredded leaves and branches. I don't have a shredder, but I talked one of those guys who does tree work into leaving the output of his shredder in my vacant lot. It makes a terrific mulch and he doesn't have to pay a fee to take it to the dump. If you see one of those tree guys with a large shredder in tow, you might see if you can talk him into emptying his shredder at your place. It also looks clean and neat.
I see those tree trimming service trucks around town and I've been temped to flag one down and ask what they do with the stuff they chip up.
I have a chipper but it takes two to run it...well,one can but it a pain and slow going. My husband has a stump grinder but hasn't used it for almost a year because he's working out of town but believe me when he's back home and grinding stumps I WILL be right behind him with a shovel and the truck.
GGG,
yes I read you can't use it then sew seeds. I do a lot of my veggies in 6 packs and jiffy pots except for the things you boardcast like greens or thing like beans and corn,so timing would be important.
Zeppy,
sorry I wore ya out*G*
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Oh, I'm tough. :)
Beans and corn were too big, I thought, to be much affected by corn gluten. Was I wrong?
what I read says you can safely apply it after seedlings have their first true leaves.