Corn Gluten Meal Organic Fertilizer
Corn gluten is used for many lawn and garden applications, but the two most popular are as an organic natural fertilizer and as an organic crab grass control or preventative. If you are thinking of using it on your lawn, read this before you start.
What Is Corn Gluten Meal?
Corn gluten meal is a by-product or leftover from when companies make corn starch and corn syrup. When you get it at the store or local garden and lawn center, you will find it in 40 or 50lb bags in pellet or granular form. Overall, it contains around 10% nitrogen. Nitrogen is pretty much the essential nutrient that turns grass green, and corn gluten meal has a very solid and stable amount naturally, making it a GREAT choice for an organic fertilizer.
Is Corn Gluten Meal A Good Organic Fertilizer?
Yes, it is! Corn gluten contains a very nice amount of nitrogen, and because it is organic, it is naturally slow releasing. This means that it feeds the lawn slowly over time, making a nice impact on plant growth without pushing the turf unhealthily. So many of today’s synthetic fertilizers are full of quick release super hydrated nitrogen that pushes the growth of grass plants, almost like giving them a sugar rush that will end in a crash at some point. Organic fertilizers like corn gluten won’t do this.
How Does Corn Gluten Prevent Crab Grass?
Corn gluten meal, when applied early enough in the season, will build up in the soil line and prevent annual crab grass with some fairly good results. The key is you have to get it down just after the snow goes away. If you wait too long, you will not get very good control. I also recommend you NOT apply corn gluten in heavily shaded areas because:
1) crab grass does not usually grow in shady areas
2) the corn gluten will build up in the soil and actually thin out the grass in shaded areas. This grass is weak already from lack of sunlight.
You also may want to apply two applications of corn gluten to the lawn. Apply one time in March, and again in April. Where do you buy corn gluten? Look below…
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Corn Gluten Meal has worked wonders on my lawn.
I toss scratch grains into the yard in the same place almost everyday for the chickens and the grass in that area is a thicker and a deep dark green, nicer than any golf course I’ve seen. I wondered if it was the chicken poo but then I saw something about corn meal. I’m convinced it’s the corn meal and stoked I found the fix for my lawn finally after spending hundreds of dollars on organic fertilizers. btw – the Dr. Earth stuff didn’t work worth a darn.
Most corn grown in this country is NOT organic and is a GMO crop full of pesticides. How do the authors of this article expect a consumer to find truly organic corn???
I don’t know where you live, but here in Indiana, lots of our corn is raised for cattle feed and it is very organic. The leftovers are used for gluten fert.
It should be explained that corn gluten meal prevents new plants from seed, its only effect on established plants is to fertilize them. It works on everything, not just crabgrass; if your turf is thin and needs to be overseeded, don’t apply corn gluten meal – it will stop the grass seed from growing.
My other comment is not appearing. I ask again — where do I find corn gluten meal that does not have GMOs? GMOs are NOT organic by any stroke of the imagination and 85% of the corn grown in this country has GMOs… If you are not going to post my comment because you want to hide these facts from your readers, at least tell me, so that I will stop trying to post and will unsubscribe to your inaccurate newsletter.
I did not approve your comment because I am a landscaper by trade and this is the spring time and I am working 15 hour days. thanks. Today is Saturday, and I only worked a half day, hence the fact I am in my admin panel approving comments.
You can find certified organic gluten products at your local garden supply or nursery, but prolly not gonna find it at Home Depot
I am so sorry that I jumped to conclusions on the lack of my comment being posted within a couple of days. I am quite distressed over certain other groups which pose as one thing when their interests are really somewhere else. I will check with the local garden supply to find organic gluten. Thank you again…
Where do you buy corn gluten???
you can get it at most garden centers and nurseries.
I will give this corn gluten a try and let you know. Thanks
I did not seed my lawn last fall. Is it still safe to use corn gluten this spring?
I used it last year and put it on later than I should have, but I still got good results. I just bought a 100 pound bag – reasonably priced [~$40.00~] from a local animal feed store, who sells all types of pet food for all types of animals, birds, goats, etc. They also raise many of these animals, chickens, etc. We’re in farm country. I hate synthetic chemical pesticides and other synthetic additives because I’m a real old chemical engineer who understands some of the science and the detrimental effects on people and fetuses. Many synthetic chemicals cause birth defects in developing babies as well as cause illnesses in grown people.
Hi Allan – I am not quite as extreme as you are in regards to lawn chemicals, but I respect the fact that you have chosen to move further than myself. In my opinion, organic/natural lawns just look better and last longer. FOr me, that’s what it is all about!
AL
can i successfully plant grass seed after corn gluten is applied?
Sure Jim, just rough up the soil a bit first. aeration would do the trick also.
Help looking for some way to kill this chick weed that is over running my yard.. Any help???
Hi Phil, chickweed is not the worst of the weeds you could have. I recommend lots of aerating and lots of seeding to thicken up the lawn. choke it naturally
I’m try the seeding in the bare spots. With a lot of watering.. But the aerating i did was bad chickweed come up the next day and very thick. And now i am cutting the grass at 4-5 inchs even though it looks bad. Until the short stuff get chougt up.
I have a 40 lb of corn gluten. How much does it cover? Or what setting do I put it on for a spreader? It is now 4/26 in up state ny and we have had a lot of rain, is it too late to put down an application? My back yard is like a swamp can I wait for it to dry out before I use the gluten?
Hi Monica, you need to look at the bag to tell you how much it covers.. they are all different.
as far as the setting on the spreader, I that is a little too tough for me to explain here. You have to know the weight of the bag and how much sq ft it covers. Do some math. It the bag covers 5000 sq feet and it is 50lbs, then that means you should apply 10 lbs per 1000 sq ft. You should measure out an area of the lawn and see how much goes down. If too heavy, then walk/push faster… if too light, then wlk/push slower. If this is too complicated… hire a pro.
BTW– you are too late to get any crab grass control out of corn gluten this year, sorry. You should NEVER apply fertilizer over standing water.
if the rate is 50#/5000ftsq. then measure out 1 pound and sprinkle it over a 10×10 area on your pavement or bare area and see how thick it is and apply that rate to total area you want to treat? That is pretty much the way Preen is applied? just a suggestion
I read that the feed store corn gluten is not good for lawn. Not the same as corn gluten meal sold as fertilizer.
I live in Michigan (northern Detroit suburb). Our forsythias just started blooming last week. Is it too late for the cornmeal for crabgrass preventer/weed control.
Thank you
I am wondering if corn gluten meal only prevents crab grass from sprouting, or if it prevents other weed seeds such as dandelions from sprouting too. What organic product do you recommend for preventing dandelion seeds from sprouting? Is there one out there? Thanks.
@ Roxanne – you are right at the best time to apply. Go for it!
@ Amy – corn gluten is minimally effective against weeds. It only works for crab grass when applied early enough and in the proper dosage (which is typically 15-20 lbs per 1,000 sq feet).
There is no way to prevent dandelions. They are bi-ennial meaning the same one comes back every two years – bigger and stronger.
If you can, pull them or use pesticides in small doses until you can thicken up your lawn enough to choke them naturally.
We had a heavy infestation of pythium blight last year due to several weeks of hot temperatures along with frequent rain (NE Ohio). The corn gluten was recommended by a couple sources as an organic way to combat this… We put this down in early June about 6 weeks after doing a thorough core aeration. Looks like we should have done this sooner – will this cause any problems? Thanks much!
I have a river rock stone lawn (stones are 2 to 3 inches diameter).
I want to get rid of weeds and grass that grow up between the stones, not fertilize them. My neighbor suggests using corn gluten meal.
I think it’s worth a try. Do you agree !
Thanks from Bill in SW Florida.
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