I'm trying to control the chickweed that sprouts up in my fescue lawn
every winter (Atlanta) without resorting to synthetic poisons. I am
unable to keep up with it just by pulling it up.

Several years ago the University of Iowa came up with research that
showed that corn gluten inhibited weed seed germination (specifically,
seedling root formation). Several products have now been brought to
market:

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~isurf...gmwebsite.html

I tried one of these (Fertrell Weedban) about 3-4 years ago. It came
in a 5-gallon bucket and was a yellow powder, like flour. Being in
this powdery form made it very difficult to spread -- it might be
spreadable with a drop spreader, but in the hand-spinning thing that I
use, it just made a cloud that blew away. I have a very small lot (and
limited storage) and don't want to buy/use/store a drop spreader --
assuming that would even work.

I figure that by now certainly someone has solved this problem and
come out with a pelletized version of the same product. Does anyone
know if pelletized corn gluten exists now for weed control purposes?

Thanks!

- Chris

Does anyone know if pelletized corn gluten exists now for weed
control purposes?

It certainly does. I use a brand called "Weed Prevention Plus", made
by Concern. It's granular and is applied easily with a hand
spreader. You can get it online at
http://www.victorpest.com/lawncare/weedprevention.htm

Best o' luck in your war of the weeds.

-Fleemo

Does anyone know if pelletized corn gluten exists now for weed
control purposes?

It certainly does. I use a brand called "Weed Prevention Plus", made
by Concern. It's granular and is applied easily with a hand
spreader. You can get it online at
http://www.victorpest.com/lawncare/weedprevention.htm

Thanks!

I went ahead and checked through that whole list of licensees, and
determined that the following products are pelletized / granulated (or
their web site sucked).

* http://www.alternativeearthproducts....shieldplus.htm
* http://www.gardensalive.com/item_dis...er=8873&HOME=1
* http://www.victorpest.com/lawncare/weedprevention.htm
* http://americanatural.com/corglutweedc.html

(Chris Campbell) wrote:

Does anyone know if pelletized corn gluten exists now for weed
control purposes?

It certainly does. I use a brand called "Weed Prevention Plus", made
by Concern. It's granular and is applied easily with a hand
spreader. You can get it online at
http://www.victorpest.com/lawncare/weedprevention.htm

Thanks!

I went ahead and checked through that whole list of licensees, and
determined that the following products are pelletized / granulated (or
their web site sucked).

* http://www.alternativeearthproducts....shieldplus.htm
* http://www.gardensalive.com/item_dis...er=8873&HOME=1
* http://www.victorpest.com/lawncare/weedprevention.htm
* http://americanatural.com/corglutweedc.html

Where can I find the trials info for corn gluten effectiveness?

Dennis

Where can I find the trials info for corn gluten effectiveness?

Dennis

Well, you can start with my non-scientific conclusions about Wow! Plus (a
product by Gardens Alive). Big waste of money. I've dropped close to 1,000
dollars on this product (over a period of one year) and it is virtually
useless. No matter how much is applied it has no effect whatsoever. Buyer
beware.


-- Hany
Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World
http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 03:19:05 GMT, (Dennis G.) wrote:



Where can I find the trials info for corn gluten effectiveness?

Dennis

http://www.gluten.iastate.edu/

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On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 13:52:42 GMT, "Hany Hosny" wrote:

Where can I find the trials info for corn gluten effectiveness?

Dennis

Well, you can start with my non-scientific conclusions about Wow! Plus (a
product by Gardens Alive). Big waste of money. I've dropped close to 1,000
dollars on this product (over a period of one year) and it is virtually
useless. No matter how much is applied it has no effect whatsoever. Buyer
beware.


-- Hany
Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World
http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks

On what did you use the product, at what rate and within what window of time did you
apply it? I'm curious not to disparage you, but to find out why you did not get good
results.

Not at all. Glad you asked.

I applied it, last spring, to my 3/4 acre yard.

Used my Scott's spreader set to 17 (which is 20 lbs. per 100 ft).

It was applied about 6 or 7 days before the dandelions surfaced. I figured I
had missed the window of opportunity for spring results, but that the fall
might be a little better than the previous year.

The fall was no good at all. Dandelions, crabgrass, thistle, etc.

I didn't apply it again in the fall and just held on to what remained to use
it again this spring. Applied it (using the same setting on the spreader)
last Tuesday, which is LONG before the grass (or anything else) surfaced. (I
live in the Chicago area, just so you get a sense for what the climate is
like).

It rained really generously on a few occasions, but I noticed that the
fround, despite not being anywhere near frozen, is npt absorbing the WOW
Plus. In other words, it's just sitting on the surface, as opposed to being
broken down by the water and being absorbed into the ground.

The people at Gardens Alive will wash their hands of responsibility by
telling you that this stuff needs to be applied spring and fall, for three
years for a 90% reduction in weeds. At nearly 50 dollars a bag and 3/4 of an
acre, I'm reluctant.

If my hunch plays out, the stuff I threw down last week will have no effect
and I'll have ended my relationship with the people at Gardens Alive.

Not impressed. And I don't accept the garbage premise that I need to spend
500 dollars, twice a year, for three years just to see if it's going to
work.

On to the next product.

Anyone know of anything more effective (and natural)?


-- Hany
Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World
http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks


"animaux" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 13:52:42 GMT, "Hany Hosny"
wrote:

Where can I find the trials info for corn gluten effectiveness?

Dennis

Well, you can start with my non-scientific conclusions about Wow! Plus (a
product by Gardens Alive). Big waste of money. I've dropped close to
1,000
dollars on this product (over a period of one year) and it is virtually
useless. No matter how much is applied it has no effect whatsoever. Buyer
beware.


-- Hany
Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World
http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks

On what did you use the product, at what rate and within what window of
time did you
apply it? I'm curious not to disparage you, but to find out why you did
not get good
results.

Okay, a problem may occur due to the rains. This product does not work the way other
herbicides work. It is much more effective if it stays dry. There is a lot of
information about how it works, its patents, and how to use it on this website:

http://www.gluten.iastate.edu/

I'm assuming you know this is a pre-emergent. It is a host to a fungus which renders
the seeds non-viable. It can take up to 3 years to work at the maximum effect, but I
am not sure where you read it takes 20 pounds per 100 square feet. I will look it up
myself and see what it says to do and how to use it.

Corn gluten meal also has a 10% nitrogen factor, which also helps turf green up, but
studies indicate this effect is useless at the time you would need to put the stuff
out.

In Texas, our window of opportunity is as soon as you see daffodil foliage till maybe
a month later. When the rains come in spring, the efficacy is lower, but the product
has already done what it needs to do in order for seeds not to germinate.

It's also a process of eliminating whole weeds before they go to seed. This is one
of the only organic tools we have as a pre-emergent. You can also use 20% vinegar
and orange oil as a contact herbicide. Take a look at weed control on
www.dirtdoctor.com

I do not agree with the entire website, or Garret's methods in total. Sometimes I
think he's a big windbag, myself...nuff said about that relationship!

I don't use any of these products, but I do keep my turf at 4 inches, mow weeds
before they set seed and hand pull perennial weeds or use the Weed Popper, which is
very effective and not too hard on the back.

Victoria


On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 20:40:17 GMT, "Hany Hosny" wrote:

Not at all. Glad you asked.

I applied it, last spring, to my 3/4 acre yard.

Used my Scott's spreader set to 17 (which is 20 lbs. per 100 ft).

It was applied about 6 or 7 days before the dandelions surfaced. I figured I
had missed the window of opportunity for spring results, but that the fall
might be a little better than the previous year.

The fall was no good at all. Dandelions, crabgrass, thistle, etc.

I didn't apply it again in the fall and just held on to what remained to use
it again this spring. Applied it (using the same setting on the spreader)
last Tuesday, which is LONG before the grass (or anything else) surfaced. (I
live in the Chicago area, just so you get a sense for what the climate is
like).

It rained really generously on a few occasions, but I noticed that the
fround, despite not being anywhere near frozen, is npt absorbing the WOW
Plus. In other words, it's just sitting on the surface, as opposed to being
broken down by the water and being absorbed into the ground.

The people at Gardens Alive will wash their hands of responsibility by
telling you that this stuff needs to be applied spring and fall, for three
years for a 90% reduction in weeds. At nearly 50 dollars a bag and 3/4 of an
acre, I'm reluctant.

If my hunch plays out, the stuff I threw down last week will have no effect
and I'll have ended my relationship with the people at Gardens Alive.

Not impressed. And I don't accept the garbage premise that I need to spend
500 dollars, twice a year, for three years just to see if it's going to
work.

On to the next product.

Anyone know of anything more effective (and natural)?


-- Hany
Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World
http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks


"animaux" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 13:52:42 GMT, "Hany Hosny"
wrote:

Where can I find the trials info for corn gluten effectiveness?

Dennis

Well, you can start with my non-scientific conclusions about Wow! Plus (a
product by Gardens Alive). Big waste of money. I've dropped close to
1,000
dollars on this product (over a period of one year) and it is virtually
useless. No matter how much is applied it has no effect whatsoever. Buyer
beware.


-- Hany
Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World
http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks

On what did you use the product, at what rate and within what window of
time did you
apply it? I'm curious not to disparage you, but to find out why you did
not get good
results.

Hany Hosny writes
Where can I find the trials info for corn gluten effectiveness?

Dennis

Well, you can start with my non-scientific conclusions about Wow! Plus (a
product by Gardens Alive). Big waste of money. I've dropped close to 1,000
dollars on this product (over a period of one year) and it is virtually
useless. No matter how much is applied it has no effect whatsoever. Buyer
beware.

It *ought* to have the effect of increasing both weed and crop growth
since it is high in nitrogen.

Hard to see how it would work as a weedkiller though.

--
Oz
This post is worth absolutely nothing and is probably fallacious.
Note: soon (maybe already) only posts via despammed.com will be accepted.

"Oz" wrote in message
...
Hany Hosny writes
Where can I find the trials info for corn gluten effectiveness?

Dennis

Well, you can start with my non-scientific conclusions about Wow! Plus (a
product by Gardens Alive). Big waste of money. I've dropped close to
1,000
dollars on this product (over a period of one year) and it is virtually
useless. No matter how much is applied it has no effect whatsoever. Buyer
beware.

It *ought* to have the effect of increasing both weed and crop growth
since it is high in nitrogen.

Hard to see how it would work as a weedkiller though.

at 2kg a day it is a good cattle feed.

Normally in the region of £90 per tonne if you buy it forward at the right
time of year.

--

Jim Webster

I believe that this thought has been enunciated before. A surly critic might
even use the word "banality".

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 22:22:35 +0000, Oz wrote:


It *ought* to have the effect of increasing both weed and crop growth
since it is high in nitrogen.

Hard to see how it would work as a weedkiller though.

Then you don't know the research and how to use it. It's very effective as a
pre-emergent weed control tool.

The poster said he uses 20 lbs per 100 sq.ft.

The directions are to use 2 pounds per 100 sq.ft.

The reason many people don't have good results using any of the many organic method
products is they do not use it properly. Either "more is good" or "I paid too much"
or any number of things.

In article ,
wrote:
On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 03:19:05 GMT, (Dennis G.) wrote:

Where can I find the trials info for corn gluten effectiveness?

http://www.gluten.iastate.edu/

Or, more precisely:

http://www.iastate.edu/IaStater/1996/may/tech.html

which page turned up in the first 10 presented by Google when I search
for "corn gluten weed killer", so it wasn't hard to find. It's a bit
of PR blurb, but I see it's seven years old. So "A-Maizing Lawn" has
been around a while! It is claimed to inhibit root growth in
germinating grasses but does not affect established turf.

As to effectiveness, in one paragraph they say (bearing in mind we're
talking back in 1996 here):

quoting
The future looks rosy for the corn gluten meal weed killer. It's the
only natural pre-emergent herbicide in the turfgrass industry. In
addition, corn gluten meal contains nitrogen and acts as a fertilizer
for mature grass. On the other hand, A-Maizing Lawn costs more than
common synthetic herbicides and doesn't work as well. Research
indicates that after three years of use, up to 80 percent of the weeds
are controlled, compared to synthetic herbicides that kill nearly all
weeds.
/quoting

Iowa State also has a whole web page devoted to the product, with a
raft of links to published docs etc. (mostly bloody PDF files though):

http://www.gluten.iastate.edu/




Cheers, Phred.

--
LID

On Mon, 24 Mar 2003 15:00:35 GMT, (Phred) wrote:


Or, more precisely:

http://www.iastate.edu/IaStater/1996/may/tech.html

which page turned up in the first 10 presented by Google when I search
for "corn gluten weed killer", so it wasn't hard to find. It's a bit
of PR blurb, but I see it's seven years old. So "A-Maizing Lawn" has
been around a while! It is claimed to inhibit root growth in
germinating grasses but does not affect established turf.

As to effectiveness, in one paragraph they say (bearing in mind we're
talking back in 1996 here):

quoting
The future looks rosy for the corn gluten meal weed killer. It's the
only natural pre-emergent herbicide in the turfgrass industry. In
addition, corn gluten meal contains nitrogen and acts as a fertilizer
for mature grass. On the other hand, A-Maizing Lawn costs more than
common synthetic herbicides and doesn't work as well. Research
indicates that after three years of use, up to 80 percent of the weeds
are controlled, compared to synthetic herbicides that kill nearly all
weeds.
/quoting

Iowa State also has a whole web page devoted to the product, with a
raft of links to published docs etc. (mostly bloody PDF files though):

http://www.gluten.iastate.edu/




Cheers, Phred.

Well, organic gardeners who would use corn gluten meal are also accepting of a weed
here or there. Speaking for myself, I don't freak out and pop a cork if a weed is
growing in the lawn. I control weeds by arduously hard work. I actually "garden."
I think with all the chemicals and fast works, we are getting fat and lazy, as
gardeners.

--

"animaux" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 22:22:35 +0000, Oz wrote:


It *ought* to have the effect of increasing both weed and crop growth
since it is high in nitrogen.

Hard to see how it would work as a weedkiller though.

Then you don't know the research and how to use it. It's very effective
as a
pre-emergent weed control tool.

The poster said he uses 20 lbs per 100 sq.ft.

The directions are to use 2 pounds per 100 sq.ft.

The reason many people don't have good results using any of the many
organic method
products is they do not use it properly. Either "more is good" or "I paid
too much"
or any number of things.


I meant to say that I used 20 lbs per 1,000 square feet, actually.

Exactly what they say to do (10-20 pounds/1,000 sq. ft.).

Just saw your other note (which I will answer soon, but in brief, I can't
see why rain would be a problem when they say to water heavily after
application).


-- Hany
Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World
http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks