zolfavm. what you describe indicates you applied the Corn Gluten Meal too thickly and for the wrong reasons. CGM is a pre emergent, it aids in keeping seeds from rooting but does not stop already rooted plants from growing. The recommended application rate is 20 to 40 pounds per 1,000 square feet, applying more will not be better and most likely will attract unwanted vermin. kimmq is kimmsr

I hated it on my strawberries caused mold and rot on every one the touched it doesn't affect any weeds but certainly will not stop the runners from taking

I have used treflan (trifluralin) in the past on my iris beds and it worked great with no problems. It should be lightly raked in or sprinkled into the soil soon after application as the sun will degrade it, and should be applied shortly before weeds begin to germinate. If your weed pressure is in the spring, a fall application won't be as effective as an early spring one, although it will help control fall annuals (cheatgrass, mustards, etc). I've never used it on newly planted iris and would probably shy away from it there as it would get mixed right in with the roots and could do some root pruning as the rhizomes were trying to get established, though I don't know if this would actually occur.

I don't follow any particular strategy for fertilizer. I just spread CGM in my yard because my St Augustine green-up this year has been real slow, and I felt it needed a nitrogen boost. I have one area of my yard that gets full mid day to late afternoon sun, and it is still slowly filling in some dead spots. Freeze damage in the D/FW area was particularly hard on St Augustine in the area, although my neighbors don't seem to have it as bad. I finally broke down and bought a bag of CGM to give the lawn a boost. It is already the third time I have fertilized this year. In Feb I spread dry molasses and in April I spread alfalfa pellets. That is a great price for a 40# bag of CGM. Where can I purchase it that cheaply?