OK - I know - there is no alternative. But... the smell is attracting the wrong kind of attention from neighbors, dog-walkers, and the dozens of kids who walk to/from school by my house . So for at least the front yard, I'm looking for an alternative pre-emergent please. We have mature oaks and a pecan in the front yard, so there are roots in at least 3/4 of the lawn. The lawn is 1/2 St Aygustine, 1/2 weeds-plus-misc-grasses. We add a little more St Augustine each year, with the goal being full coverage. Please don't tell me "just pull the weeds" because half the lawn is nothing but weeds. Frustrated ...

I guess we are different types of gardeners, or have different types of neighbors, because I wouldn't care if it smelled funny for a little while. Maybe your timing is such that it's more noticeable. It's too early right now to do a "pre-emergent" application, Howard usually recommends doing it in the week between christmas and new year's day.

I suppose you could do with your weeds what you're doing with your St. Augustine--pull a few more each year. (I have an old "Plugger" cartoon around here with the observation that "mowed weeds look just like turfgrass" as the punchline). I'm probably not the best advisor on the best looking lawns--I've been trying to crowd and kill as much turf as I can here at my place.

A heavy application can get a little stinky. Put a few ounces of molasses in your tank sprayer, fill it up with water and spray around the yard... will knock the smell out in short order.

If the neighbors complain about the smell of molasses, compost them.

CHF3 - thank you. After speaking with multiple organic gardening centers, that is the first real advice I've gotten. Can you recommend a ratio for the molasses? Is the CGM able to remain effective with molasses sprayed over it?

The molasses won't affect the corn gluten meal as it works. It'll work with it.

Sandy - I'm not real careful with it, God Bless organics for the lazy among us. A couple ounces will do fine. I purchased a funnel with a screen that I use for molasses and such as it sometimes has clumps that will clog a sprayer.

I'd stir in about two ounces per gallon of water, mix the molasses with a little water before straining or it will be slow as well, you know, going through the screen.

It works better over time but if your property gets a consistent organic regimen the microbes explode even in relatively cool weather it seems.

Anyhow... it works well for me and give an extra squirt or two to dog poop piles.

BTW: Lowes has molasses for about $12-$13/gallon. I've seen some very overpriced mollasses from time to time.

Feed stores have 'Kandy Kid" - dried molasses sprayed over some fiber source like bran, great to spread on the lawn and it smells lovely. A LOT cheaper at feed stores typically.

Happy worm feeding to you

Some feed or farming co-ops sell molasses for $0.10 per pound. That's about a dollar per gallon if you bring your own container.

I've never heard of CGM smelling. What rate did you apply? Normal for a preemergent would be 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

I find the natural smell of CGM quite nice, but I don't see how it could carry from one house to the neighbor's or how the neighbors would be annoyed by it.

One time, however, I got a bag that was nearly powder and it clumped on the ground. After a week it smelled like death. That would definitely raise a few eyebrows and nose hairs.

I moved into a house that was not lived in for a year. Wich means the whole yard was "WEEDS". I have no weeds now, I never used a "pre-emergent". All I did was something most every one tells you not to do any more. And the solution for me was... Mow twice a weak on the LOWEST setting. Do this untill the weeds are GONE. The only thing that will be left after propper watering, will infact be nothing but thick turf grass. The weeds will disapear in a matter of weeks. After the weeds are gone, only then do you start to raise your mower setting. CHEF uses this same practice aswell to thicken up turf grass. Sometimes breaking the rules works, and in this case, it does. Good luck.

Thanks everyone for all the great ideas. I should have mentioned in the original post that it only smells when it rains, then it reeks. Maybe I am applying too heavily. The garden center told me to ensure the powder completely covered the ground, with no spaces in between. I always applied by hand so it went on pretty thick each time. We recently bought a Scotts broadcaster, and I applied it on setting 9 a couple weeks ago. I know it went on the lawn, but I could not see it, the dusting was so fine. Is this application enough, or does it need to be thicker, like a covering layer?

Measure your area and weigh your CGM. If you have 1,000 square feet to apply, that should take a little less than half of a 50-pound bag no matter what method you use to apply.

I guess I never really noticed the smell before,but if you really want to make the neighbors complain try using Alaska Fish Fertilizer thru a sprayer on your lawn.I had a problem with kids using the side of my house to smoke while waiting for the school bus,so I used that stuff at full strength and bye-bye kids!