Do you have a Sam's? You can purchase it by the large bag there, at least in the South!

gw skyscraper.
I'm with you. I've tried Costco and some local feed stores, but I simply cannot find cornmeal in Northern Illinois.

Isn't it corn gluten that is used to supress weeds.

CGM and CM is two different things. CGM is used as pre-emergent. Whereas CM is used as fungicide/fertilizer.

Anyway, after reading the forum, I found that "Soybean Meal" is much preferred than "Alfalfa Meal" and "Corn Meal" for its protein content and application easiness. Also, I can get "Soybean Meal" for less than $10.00 for 50 lbs bag. So I'm going to stick with "Soybean Meal" for now.

ScyScrapper

ScyScrapper,
So where do you get Soybean Meal in Chicago suburbs?

Griswold Feed & Seed Store in Aurora. It cost 12.50 for 50 lbs.

Skyscrapper,

I live in Naperville and have been doing organic lawn care ever since we moved into our house 3 years ago. I get corn gluten meal from a Barn and Feed center near 111th st. The exact name escapes me at this moment. But if you are still interested I can hunt for it.

Rushma

Rushma,
Is it Wheatland Feed Center? I Googled it and came up with that. I believe that both me and Skyscrapper are looking for cornmeal, not corn gluten meal. I will call and see if they have cornmeal.

Thanks for the heads up.

fradog68, Wheatland Feed Center is closed for good. But their telephone number leads to "Barn Feed & Garden Center". As Rushma posted, it is in 111th street. They have CGM, not CM. But, their price for soybean meal is great - around $9.50 for 50 lbs bag.

Rushma, since you are doing organic lawn care for three years, can you post your lawn care calendar? I have been using chemical fertilizer ever since I know about lawn. So, IÂve no idea about "what to put" or "when to put" any of this organic stuff in lawn. If I have a month wise lawn care calendar, it might help me (and whoever wants to try organic gardening in Chicago land area).

Thanks

SkyScrapper

SkyScrapper,
Thanks for the information. I was told I may have some disease in my lawn. After applying compost tea, it was recommended that I apply cornmeal. Is soybean meal just as effective? I know that these meals are used to feed the microbes, but is cornmeal more appropriate for my needs than soybean meal?

fradog68, from what I've read here, soybean meal is high in protein and hence, good fertilizer. The order, from the fertilizer point of view, is soybean meal, followed by alfalfa meal and the last is corn meal. But that's for fertilizer.
However, corn meal is also considered as good fungicide. If you have lawn disease, CM is what you want. But why can't you try cracked corn. It works in the same way as corn meal. Much better to spread. "Barn Feed & Garden Center" has cracked corn for like $7.00 (50 lbs bag).

Since you are trying everything I want to try, let me ask you about Compost Tea. (I've 5-gallon home-made brewer)

1) What compost you are using? (Wormcasting or something)
2) What did you add to the tea, in addition to the compost itself and how much? (like 0.5 oz of molasses for every poundof compost)
3) How long did you brew the tea? (like 2 or 3 days)
4) How you are applying the tea? (like spray with regular water or something else)

I'll be making my first batch of compost tea this weekend. I'm little concerned about the whole process and that is the reason I'm asking all this.

Thanks in advance.

SkyScrapper

Skyscrapper,
I used Deuley's Texas Tea Maker
http://dchall.home.texas.net/organic/teamaker/
To answer you questions:
1)I used worm compost from a local nursery (came in a 40lb. bag)
2)I added fish hydrolysate instead of molasses.
3)Per Deuley's instructions, I brewed with the compost for eight hours and then another 18 hours after removing the compost.
4)I used a pressurized garden sprayer without using water.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I followed the directions, which are quite good, to the letter. I can't say whether the tea did any good or not, as it's only been about three weeks since I applied it.

fradog68, if you want the antifungal properties of corn meal, I think you really want corn meal, not cracked corn. go to the grocery store to get it! You don't need a lot.... I think soybean meal and alfalfa are cheaper/better sources for fertilizing, but for the antifungal properties, just get a canister or bag of cornmeal at the grocery store. I think it will be in the aisle with the baking supplies. You don't want something labeled "cornbread mix" because that will have salt. But I think you'll find what you need. Unless you have a big big yard, a few pounds will be a great start on fighting the fungus in your lawn.

If you're fertilizing AND using cornmeal as an antifungal, I'd put down the fertilizer (soybean meal or alfalfa meal) first, and then the cornmeal ... imagining it will attract the beneficials you're trying to promote best that way, but frankly I'm guessing on this last bit of advice.

For anyone else wondering ... there are lots of kinds of fungus. Corn meal promotes / grows a kind that doesn't hurt plants, but that competes successfully with kinds that DO hurt plants. I sprinkle corn meal under any plant that I know is especially succeptible to fungal diseases (which are sadly common in the warm humid south). It isn't a magic bullet, but can prevent problems. (I believe this based on experiments done by other gardenwebbers ... I'd like to point you to a link or cite a name but I'm having trouble remembering ... I think one experimenter's name sounded something like Nandia.)

Sky,
Did you make the tea over the weekend? How did it go?

I purchased 2 50lb bags of soybean meal over this weekend. How do I apply it to my lawn? How much do I apply?
Thanks.

fradog68, yes I made the first batch using Deuley's Texas Tea Maker. I used worm casting and seaweed (no molasses as the temp was around 90s last week end). Just before the thunderstrom on sunday, I applied the tea. Simple, easy. But don't know how effective it is!!!

For soybean meal, I used Scotts spreader. Measured 15 lbs (approximate) of soybeans, put it on spreader and spread it on an area of 1000 sq.ft. until all gone.

hyey folks, I'm having a hard time finding "Barn Feed &
Garden Center"? Can someone please post the address and phone number?

Thanks!

lcpw: I'm in zone 7 and just put out some corn meal the other night to try to combat what I think might be early blight on 4 of my tomatoes. Any suggestions as to how to keep the ants from carting it off? They seem to love it. I dusted with some boric acid and that seemed to slow them down a bit but I was wondering whether I was missing some simple solution??

new_eyes,

Easy on the boron. It doesn't take much to burn the crap out of plants. I learned that the hard way.

Skyscraper,

If possible, use WHOLE cornmeal. Most of the cornmeal in the grocery stores is de-germed. They remove the best part of the kernel, leaving a lower nutrient, lower protein (nitrogen), higher starch/carbohydrate corn meal. I don't know if the anti-fungal properties are better or worse with de-germed meal.

I think most corn meal from a feed store would be whole grain. You can get whole grain cornmeal at Whole Foods and other such places. They may be willing to bring in larger bags for you. Health food stores will likely have organic (non-GMO) cornmeal.

rangier

Rangier,

Thanks for the advice on the boron. How will I tell if I've burned my plants? (Perhaps you can tell I'm new at this :)

Hi guys! I live in San Antonio, but can find whole ground corn meal at the "natural foods" store. It is in a bag about the size of a bag of flour. It is a little pricey but has worked so far. According to our local organic guru, this is what you should be looking for. The store I shop at is just a small local chain, but you may try Whole Foods or something similar.

Hope this helps!
Jacci

New_eyes,

Depending on the amount of boron applied, it could be mild or severe. Severe means it would kill the plant. It could be any level of lesser damage. I think you'll know very soon if you burned it, and the symptoms will be apparent starting with leaf burn. Buena suerte.

rangier

I am still unable to buy Corn Meal in the Chicago burbs.
I called up
Griswold Feed & Seed Store - who said, they dont carry it.

Neither does Barn Feed & Garden Center (111th in Naperville/Plainfield area.).

Can anybody help?

Nobody? Corn Meal place anywhere in Chicago?

I used the soybean meal in my garden and lawn, and was happy with the results. I just poured mine in a five gal bucket and threw it around as I walked, making sure the flakes spread around somewhat evenly, like you might do lime. In the garden I sort of spread it around the base of the plants, and used a wooden dowel to make holes pushing it towards the roots. It really perked up my tomatoes and peppers. No more commercial fertilizer! I also made my own compost tea, both fungal and bacteria dominated, with good success in spite of drought conditions. You mentioned not using molasses, Sky, but I think you need that to feed the bacteria as they multiply in the tea. You would see steady bubbles on the surface after a day or so of air bubbling. I used the compost, enough to more than half fill a paint bag. I make about 7 gal at a time. Hope that helps.

Try Pioneer Feed in Villa Park on Ardmore. If they don't have it, they may get it for you. Very nice people to do business with.

I don't know how much you need, but Whole Foods Market has Corn meal in their bulk section. I buy it regularly to use in a Suet mixture I make for the birds.

I had no idea that it could be used as an anti-fungal and fertilizer for plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: Whole Foods stores in and around Chicago

Sold at griswold feed and seed in aurora il.
50 lb. Bag are 26.00 dollars.

Just called Sid's Greenhouse on Naperville-Plainfield Rd. - they have corn gluten meal for use as pre-emergent weed control. :)