CGM is most economically obtained at feed stores although smaller, more expensive pre-packaged forms can be found at better retail nurseries and garden centers specifically for use in gardens and on lawns. And the mode of action behind CMG is not 'sucking water from the roots'.....CGM contains several naturally occurring compounds - dipeptides - that inhibit root formation by altering the cellular development. When turf is treated with CGM, weed seeds still germinate but are unable to develop a root system able to support further growth. Death of the seedling occurs within a matter of hours after treatment.

Corn gluten meal is a very effective preemergent for anything propogated by seed. The key is timly application. Basically you make an application in the early fall for cool weather weeds and another in early spring for summer weeds such as crabgrass and perhaps your bent grass. The application rate is 20lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn. In addition, since CGM is 60% protein, it acts as an excellent fertilizer as it contains 9% nitrogen. However, CGM is ineffective on perennial weeds that are not spread by seeds an in fact fertilizes them.

This is the sort of discussion you wish never got started. Howard Garrett is the biggest proponent of using CGM as weed control, so the number of Dallas area writers on this message does not surprise me. Garrett is also the only one I've heard distinguish between CGM and CGF. He makes a pretty big deal out of it, too. Could it be that corn gluten feed is a mix of corn gluten meal and something else??? Maybe molasses is used to sweeten it for the cattle? Maybe ordinary corn meal is added to dilute the product? I would be surprised if there were major differences between CGM and corn gluten feed. The corn industry is very sophisticated, but I don't think they can carve "feed" off of the corn gluten particles. That really sounds like something done at local feed mills. What scares me is that I agree with Linda Chalker-Scott about this. She must be getting smarter ;-)

Three things need to happen for CGM to work properly: First you need to have the timing down. If your timing is off by a couple of weeks there's a possibility it will not be activated before the first weeds start germinating. These will survive. Second (as was already mentioned) you need to have a drying period. The CGM will allow the seed to germinate but it will not allow it to form the the tiny hair roots it needs for proper nutrient and water uptake. Without these roots as soon as the plant is stressed it will die. Third, and this is the most important, you need to have the right set of organisms present in the soil for the CGM to work. Has anyone ever thought why the trials stated it most effective after three years of use? It's due to the repeated bi-yearly cycles of feeding the organisms that allow it to work. Without them the CGM remains just an amendment with lots of protein. Applied over a three year period, and even sooner if good ACT is used, and applied at 20lbs./k when the forsythia blooms and mid-August (for my area anyway, other warmer climates will have different Fall application schedules), it WILL drastically reduce the number of weeds in your lawn. Others can speculate what they want but the trials weren't set up to be made up. CGM is not a myth. If you feel compelled to apply chem's to your lawn I believe there's another forum that addresses that, but this isn't it. Greenjeans