Corn Gluten Meal

Tammy W · Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 6 Location: Plano,TEXAS

We used CGM as a pre-emergent in March. I'm not completely thrilled with the results, but we are just starting the program, so I will be patient. We will put the granular CGM down again in Sept for pre-emergent. However, will it burn our lawn or have any adverse affect if we use CGM now to fertilize and AGAIN in Sept? It is too much nitrogen for the lawn to use it that close together?

Tammy

Dchall_San_Antonio · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1986 Location: San Antonio,TEXAS

Hi Tammy,
I'm not completely thrilled with any preemergent. You never know whether it worked or not.

You're still thinking chemical when you need to learn to think organic. With organic fertilizer you are not adding nitrogen, you are adding protein. The protein will be digested by the soil's hundred thousand species of natural microbes and the eventual byproducts of the digestion is a bunch of "chemicals" that the plants and grasses can use for nutrition. If you add too much you will get a bloom of microbes that can actually use up all the oxygen near the surface of the soil. When that happens, you get a sour smell from the yard. That is the only problem with using too much. You cannot burn anything with a grain. You can burn with something like blood meal and possibly urea, but not with a grain. So you can use CGM all year long if you want, but do so at a low rate so you don't offend yourself and neighbors. CGM above 30 pounds per 1,000 square feet per application is asking for smell. Between 20 and 30 pounds per 1,000 and you may get a smell. Below 20/1,000 and you are probably good to go. At 10 pounds per 1,000 you are perfectly safe to use it monthly. Each grain is different in this regard.

Bill Zee · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Mansfield,TEXAS

I have a Scotts Spreader and am wondering if it will work well with CGM and what setting if any do I set it at !?

Tricky Grama · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:09 am Post subject:

Bill-

I just applied CGM last week w/Scott's spreader. Not the broadcast type, the 'drop thru' type. It was set on '9' & I felt it wasn't putting down much so I tried to set it differently & it seemed to disperse the same on any setting. So I guess what I'm trying to say is: get about 20lbs per 1000-2000 sq ft down & it's probably about right.

Patty

Tricky Grama · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:11 am Post subject:

PS- see 'Dchall's' post above...
Patty

Bill Zee · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Mansfield,TEXAS

Thanks for all the feedback. I use the Accu model 3000. I put down almost 20 lbs last evening on setting 10 then moved it down to 6 and it seemed to work much better.

I believe I like the idea of putting down 10 lbs a month best of all. Gonna give that a try in my Back yard and do an overseed on my Front.

Keep thinkin' Green :)