Time out! Let's take a minute to untangle a matter which is confusing to many. 1. Plain cornmeal is used as an organic fungicide to control certain plant fungus problems such as Brown Patch, Southern Blight. It is not a natural pre-emergent weed killer. Nor should it be used as such. It also is a minimal fertilizer. 2. However, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, a by-product of corn processing, has proven to be a useful organic pre-emergent weed killer. Not 100% perfect but the best we have to date for the organic gardener. Much has been written about these two types of corn products here on GW over the years on the Organic Forum. A bit of searching should yield some interesting reading. Many in the deep south are faced with frustrating weed problems and the shade cast by large live oaks. A common solution is to plant Asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) in the area as a ground cover. This is an aggressive grower, requiring few plants which is then controlled with a weed eater keeping all trimmed low and tidy. Even though weeds sprout through it and tree debris falls into it, none of this is noticed due to the thick growth of the jasmine if it is well maintained as needed. An old southern gardening trick worth considering.

gardengalrn, I also live in Kansas and I'm an RN. I used to fight weeds in our veggie gardens also. I mulched with little benefit no matter how thick I spread it. I then tried laying a layer of newspaper on the soil and covered that with mulch (I use grass clippings and shredded leaves). The first time I didnt use thick enough layers of newspaper. Weeds came back after several weeks. With thicker layers it was effective all summer. By the next spring the mulch and paper had decomposed and were tilled in, benefiting the soil :) This year I used newspaper in some areas, brown paper bags in others and cardboard in others. I can honestly say I had a weed free veggie garden :) Laying down the newspaper/cardboard is a bit time consuming but well worth it. I place the barrier right up to, but not touching the stems of plants. My neighbors give me the leaves they collect in the fall and in the spring I run over them with the mower...using the collection bag...this is spread over the newspaper/cardboard. I'm so happy I have found a way to enjoy my veggies garden and not be overwhelmed with weeds. As for Preen...I use that only in flower beds. I sprinkle it after I put a good layer of mulched leaves. It lasts about 3 months. You can successfully plant seeds in the area. There is a long list on the back of the box of seeds that are not effected by the product. I just checked my box and green peas are listed as not being effected by Preen. There are a number of other veggies that it is safe to use with as well as grasses, flowers, shrubs, trees, ornamental grasses, etc. Great product...I just choose not to use it on things I'm going to eat. With a little preparation you can spend your summer enjoying your garden instead of fighting the weeds :)

Best - great memory! That is yet to be seen, as those problem spots browned faster in the hot summer sun - so far so good though. Vicki - I did reseed with compost the year I started, which filled in a lot of the bare/crabgrass spots I inherited from the previous owner. The best weed prevention is more grass! Having said that, the key to CGM is 1) timing & 2) lay it on heavy. I'm sure someone can chime in with more precise temperatures, but I believe most (weed) seeds germinate when the soil temps hit around 65F. Since CGM (I use Blue Seal brand) seems to resist being washed away better than the more soluble synthetics I've tried, I put it down as soon as the air temp hits 60F. Last year, it was Feb! This year I put it down in April, right before that big rain storm we had (since you appear to be local). And by lay it on thick, I use 30-40 pounds per 1000 sq. feet. Due to the way organic fertilizers like CGM works, you can't over-fertilize (unless of course you totally bury your lawn with it!). I know it was the CGM (plus fairly thick, tall grass) that kept the dandelions out because I put very little on my lawn. I do CGM at 30-40 lbs / 1000 sq feet in the early spring when the air temp hits 60F and then I'll put soybean meal (also fairly high in protein) down in the fall sometime. Other than that, I mow high and water deep -that's it! Good luck and thanks for the kind words.

The active ingredient in Halts is Pendimethalin and is used to prevent grassy weeds like crabgrass, dallisgrass, goosegrass, etc. The active ingredient in Portrait is Gallery and is used to prevent broadleaf weeds like dandelion, clover, plantain, henbit, etc. These are the chemicals you want to check into to find if they are banned in Canada. If so, penalties can be severe for attempting to smuggle them. If they are not banned, you can transport them for a fee. I don't know how much, but shipping grass seed from Canada to the US is $60 American money.