How Corn Gluten Can Feed Your Lawn & Kill Weeds
As summer starts to come to an end weeds in your lawn are getting ready to make an appearance one last time for the season. Stop them in their tracks by making their home an inhospitable one. An ounce of prevention in early fall will go a long way this season and well into next spring.
Maintaining a Thick, Healthy Lawn to Crowd Out Weeds
Regular feedings of lawn fertilizer throughout the growing season help to create a thick healthy lawn. A thick lawn crowds out weeds, reducing their chances of establishing a foothold in your turf. "Another great preventative measure comes from applying corn gluten to your lawn" says Glenn Martin, Senior Marketing Manager Healthy Lawns and Sustainability at Scotts Canada. Corn Gluten has pre-emergent herbicidal properties. That means that if applied prior to weeds appearing in your lawn, the corn gluten will prevent weed seeds from germinating. There are a number of corn gluten products on the the market today. The key is to look for products marked 100% corn gluten and that are in pelletized form (not ground corn meal) so they can be easily applied to your lawn with a spreader like Scotts® Turf Builder® Weed & Feed according to Martin.
Corn Gluten
Corn gluten prevents the germination of dandelion and large crabgrass seeds by releasing amino/dipeptides (proteins) into the soil, starving the roots of water. Apply when the soil is moist and when rain is forecasted within 2 days of application. Remember corn gluten won't eliminate the weeds you have but will prevent new ones from sprouting. It also stops grass seeds from germinating so never overseed your lawn and apply corn gluten at the same time. Corn Gluten is a great way to keep ahead of your weeds before they become a problem.
Calibrate It
New or old, you must properly calibrate your spreader before first use every spring. Your spreader's calibration may not be at the ideal level as a result of wear and tear, factory setting, or user modification. This may result in more or less than the recommended amount of product being dispensed on your lawn. Some Scotts® Turf Builder® Edgeguard® Mini Broadcast Spreader were calibrated at a setting below 8, and they need to be adjusted using setting 8 to ensure product is applied at the correct rate. For calibration instructions, please select your model of spreader below.