Corn gluten meal is steadily becoming more popular with savvy homeowners.
Most synthetic lawn fertilizer or herbicide bags have large blocks of fine print dedicated to warnings, cautions and dangers. Corn gluten meal, on the other hand, is safe for people, pets and plants, but is lethal to burgeoning lawn weeds. Does this Spark an idea?
History
Iowa State University turf disease researchers used corn gluten meal as a medium for a fungal disease study. They applied infected corn gluten meal and normal corn gluten meal to seeded plots, leaving other seeded areas untreated as experimental controls. When plots with corn gluten meal showed drastically reduced growth, whether or not the fungus was present, the researchers realized corn gluten meal was an effective, natural pre-emergent herbicide.
Function
Corn gluten meal is high in protein. When lightly sprayed with water, the proteins spread into a thin, root-inhibiting layer on the soil. When spring temperatures rise, seeds on the soil's surface germinate but are unable to produce roots, quickly succumbing to dry conditions. Corn gluten meal is also 10 percent nitrogen by weight, making it a valuable slow-release lawn fertilizer.
Use
Corn gluten meal only affects young, hair-like roots on the soil's surface and does not kill growing weeds. Spread corn gluten meal over your lawn three to five weeks before soil temperatures reach 55 degrees F, using 12 to 20 lbs. per 1,000 square feet, or according to the manufacturer's directions. Spray the area lightly with water to achieve a naturally weed-free lawn.
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