Cornmeal for Brown Patch Disease Works

14 years ago

Hi,

I just wanted to share that I had Brown Patch Disease on my lawn for the past 10 years and even resorted to trying Daconil on the lawn last summer.

This year I decided to try only organic on the lawn. One member from Texas, I forget his name, suggested I use nothing but Cornmeal monthly as a preventative through the end of May. I have followed his suggestions. This month I have applied the cornmeal to my 3,000 sq foot lawn every three weeks along with Dried Molasses.

This day I am happy to report that my Fescue lawn has no Brown Patch Disease, and the grass is so long today, I have to mow again for the second time this week. In the past, by the end of May, the lawn was in pretty bad shape from the Brown Patch Disease and to me it is nothing short of miraculous. Also note we have had a lot of rain this spring in Louisville, Ky.--which normally makes the Brown Patch worse. Let me also say that this spring my two Dogwood Trees have had more blooms than ever before in the past 15 years, since I planted them. I started using Soybean Meal last year and I love that stuff too.

For the one in Texas, who suggested monthly treatments of nothing but Cornmeal as a preventative for Brown Patch Disease---thank you again!!!

Betty

Featured Answer

garycinchicago

14 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

David, your CAT5 cable is ringing!

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Comments (58)

WestchesterGrower
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Unfortunately, I put down a heavy cornmeal application around 3 weeks back and now brown patch is everywhere. Guess mother nature wins out sometimes.

But beautiful pic and yard!
dchall_san_antonio
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Ordinary whole ground corn meal, like the stuff you cook with, can be applied at a rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet to get rid of several existing lawn diseases. It should be applied to the entire lawn to ensure you get all of the disease. Also, since corn meal is an organic fertilizer, if you only treat the patches, you will have very dark green patches of grass where you applied the corn meal. I buy agricultural corn meal in plain brown bags at my local feed store. A 50-pound bag costs me anywhere from $4 to $12 depending on market prices.

westchestergrower, if you have not used any chemical fungicide, sulfate fertilizer, or baking soda in the lawn recently, the corn meal should work to stop the spread of the disease. It could be your lawn had already been hit and it took an extra week for the grass to show signs of being diseased??? In any case it takes 3 full weeks to see the results. Come back in a week or two and let us know if it seems to have stopped spreading and is coming back green.

If you have a fescue lawn and that grass dies, it will have to be reseeded. If you have a Kentucky bluegrass lawn and it does not completely die, it will spread back in where it was once killed.

The way corn meal works is by growing a predator type of fungus that will kill the disease fungus. Thus if you have used a fungicide, it will likely kill the predator fungus.
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Again.... We can ALL be right. Lets just not get too self-righteous about it. Different people yearn for a different outcome with their turf. So VERY true. Tolerance is one of the things I'm working on. I get brown patch every year and corn meal works for me every year. In Texas if you read the bottle and try to apply a commercial chemical fungicide, the only day of the year when all the temperature and rain forecast conditions are met is January 17th. Unfortunately fungus hits in the summer when it is too hot, too dry, too wet, or too uncertain to apply the chemicals. That's why I tried the corn meal, which has no environmental restrictions on the use. Fortunately for me it works. It does take THREE FULL weeks to see the results with corn meal. I realize that is a problem when your lawn is melting away in front of you. I had the same issue when I used chemicals. I'd ignore the label temps and such and apply anyway. A week later it was worse so I'd try something else (and ignore the warning). At this point I would be out about $80 and my grass continued to melt away. The back-up "organic" cure for fungal disease is baking soda. While it is approved for organic use, it is a non selective fungicide and really is not good for your soil. Still, it kills most diseases and leaves the soil ready for an expensive treatment with compost (or inexpensive treatment of compost tea). I'm not sure what the application rate is because I've never had to use it. I believe they dissolve it in water and spray it on. Just guessing at a starting app rate I would try 3 ounces per gallon of final spray. I was never good with dilutions and mixtures in school, so good luck getting that right :-)
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I live in Orlando and got hit with a fungus problem last year in one 20 x 20 area. I attacked it with Corn Meal I bought from Walmart. The grass that was affected slowly recovered and is very healthy this year. I don't think soybean meal will help much with a fungus problem from what I have read on this and other boards. They either recommend corn meal or milk/water, or commercial product sold from Home Depot. From what I read, don't put fert. down if you have a fungus problem. This might make it much worse. Cure the fungus before applying fert. Some people recommend milk/water combination if you can't use corn meal. I used the CGM in March for prevent of crab grass/weeds and it worked 100 percent. I had zero problems crabgrass this year but the downsize is the cost for CGM, 50.00 for 50lbs. I used Bradfield Organics brand CGM. Corn Meal - I could not find a large amount of Corn Meal until 15 minutes ago when I found a local ethnic store that sells 50 lbs for 18 dollars, which for me, is a decent price. From reading the last few days about Corn Meal as a prevent/cure for fungus it seems to have a pretty good following with the organic lawn people. So I will buy some tomorrow and put it down Friday and once a month until the rains go away in Oct. The cracked corn is different from the CGM. The CGM is really good fertilizer but expensive. It really prevented my weed problem and "greened up" my lawn. I've "gone organic" on my lawn for about 1.5 years and for the most part and happy with the results. It is a "learning curve" for the fungus problem and obtaining CGM. I liked the green results from soybean meal too. It is 18 dollars for 50 lbs down here. There advice I got from this and other boards has been very helpful. Mowing high, water deep/infrequent, CGM worked well. I had a terrible lawn when I started and it has greatly improved. A few tips - - I ripped out the worse parts and put down alfalfa and black cow mixed together. Then I put down the sod, with more alfalfa on top. That section is deep dark green after one year and weed free. It borders my neighbor who has nothing but weeds but those weeds never grow on that section of my lawn. Amazing.... So using Black Cow/Alfalfa if you have to redo sections of your lawn is something to consider. - The alfalfa down here is sold for horse feed...same with the soybean meal, dried molasses. CGM is different from the corn meal and cracked corn. If you rip out your lawn make sure you prep your yard before dropping new sod. There is another site (best lawn info) dedicated to organic lawn info. They have some great info too and some amazing results. Good luck!!!
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WestchesterGrower
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi dchall- To update, I actually believe the disease has stopped progressing, which is good news. A few dead spots but not as bad as I first thought. In a few weeks I will do the overseeding and milorganite and it should look beautiful in a month of so (if that plan works as well as last year).

Thanks
ljbrandt
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
dchall, I too have successfully stopped the brown patch on my lawn with corn meal. Luckily, I was able to find a feed store that was able to mill feed corn into meal for me...cost about $15 for per 50# bag and was 50 miles away, but I bought six bags which should last for the rest of this season and next. My question is similar to the above poster...even though I've stopped the disease, I'm left with several large dead patches of lawn and some patches are even showing mostly dirt. I have zoysia grass and have not seen a very speedy recovery in the 3-4 weeks following recovery...and am left wondering if I should spot seed the dead patches even though I've read not to do so with zoysia.
ljbrandt
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
This is a bump, but I'll soon post some pics of the damage brown patch has caused to my lawn.
roundrock
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
New to the forum and have never posted. I have St. Augustine and there is a patch of Brown Patch Fungus that comes around every single year. Of course I made the mistake of fertilizing and applying a Scotts Fungus killer and haven't seen any results. I applied this about 2 weeks ago. How long will I need to wait before trying the cornmeal approach? Thanks in advance.
zanegreywolf
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Whenever you have a fungus problem NEVER fertilize until the fungus problem is sured, otherwise, the fertilizer makes he fungus grow faster. BTW- Scotts anything is about the worse stuff you can apply to a yard, espcially Bonus S weed and feed!
kevingalaxy
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi all I really want to use corn meal and go organic can someone explain what 20 pounds per 1000 sq ft means? I just have a Scottsdale spreader 3000, how do I work out the correct rate? and am I right in thinking Applying this every month will prevent most diseses? Thank you!
bpgreen
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
"Hi all I really want to use corn meal and go organic can someone explain what 20 pounds per 1000 sq ft means? I just have a Scottsdale spreader 3000, how do I work out the correct rate? and am I right in thinking Applying this every month will prevent most diseses? Thank you!"

I never trust the spreader settings. I measure my lawn and calculate the square footage. Then I buy the right amount of what I need. I set the spreader at a low setting and make multiple passes in different directions until it's all gone.

I've got 4k sq ft. So I'd use 80 lbs to get 20 lbs per 1000 sq ft.
dchall_san_antonio
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I agree with bp on spreader usage. You are better off calibrating it yourself using his method described above. You might end up running it wide open.

If you live where it is humid, organic materials typically clump up in the spreader and do not flow like synthetics. If you can find pelletized corn, it will flow, but I've only heard about it. I apply by hand like I was scattering chicken feed. I have a 1-pound coffee can. A pound of corn is close to a pound of coffee. I "measure" off 100 square feet (10 ft x 10 ft) and scatter the pound of corn inside that area. Then I refill and do it again. That gives me 2 pounds per 100 or 20 pounds per 1,000. If you buy a little more than you need, use it all. You cannot hurt anything by going to 30, 40, or even 50 pounds per 1,000.

Applying corn meal once a month should cure your ills. I still get spring brown spots caused by fungal diseases. My wife likes to prune the shrubs and toss a pile of trimmings on the lawn for a week. This year I caught her early and explained how the cow ate the cabbage. So far so good, but I have a bag of corn meal on hand just in case. The problem for me is poor air circulation and high humidity.
mikey99
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi, I live in central NC and am having a problem with my lawn that I think is brown patch. I took a few pictures and will try to post them here. This just started a few days ago but the spots are getting bigger. It has been really rainy the past few weeks and hot with highs 80-90 and lows at night in the 70's.

I want to try the cornmeal cure but would like advice on what to buy.
mikey99
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Following are links to the pictures I just took.
If someone could confirm this is in fact brown patch
hopefully I'll be able to salvage some of my lawn by adding the corn meal.

Does the corn meal need to be applied under any particular
conditions ? wet/dry ? right before it rains ?

http://yqsmrw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1plf8dc3zBSS9VcOwdEFbP-jipENPv3ojGU8JVik8s8GE9YqesSXjb1bZGdsiQCfVzkZB7xqBp3X0TndA9mMMpxcHiu3xNPzXd/DSCF0035.JPG

http://yqsmrw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pwEhKds-bhEPQsfG8RXlEyRJInRPdtQifnZmD57j2KMuqA0OmQUTWFOc-KQ6m3-rFLcab1ChGBEbICdyeaJXH-lOgGsPzVfr5/DSCF0036.JPG

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1102268}}
Linda_Kay55
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I've read everyone's comments on brown patch and I'm anxiously awaiting the answer to Mikey99's question: When do you apply the cornmeal? Before rain? While it's hot and dry? That's an important point to know. Thanks so much for your assistance. I have brown patch in my new 1 year old lawn and would like to cure it if possible. Blessings to all.
dchall_san_antonio
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Here is one of Mikey's pictures

{{gwi:1102268}}

Could be brown patch. Try corn meal anyway because it has the same effect on several lawn diseases.
One of the things I like about using corn meal is that you don't have to get a final diagnosis on the disease.
Just use corn meal. Start at 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Apply now and again in 3 weeks.

Corn meal can be applied any day of the year or every day of the year, rain or shine, day or night,
hot or cold, before or after rain, etc.

Remember you are looking for ordinary corn meal or cracked corn. You are not looking for corn GLUTEN meal.
Those are two different products with different peculiarities.
Amy0120
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hello! My name is Amy, my husband and I recently bought a house in Texas. He is currently deployed to Iraq. I want the yard to look perfect for him when he gets home. How can I post a picture on here so anyone can see it and let me know if its brown patch disease?

Thank you in advance
dchall_san_antonio
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi Amy,
I see you are new here. You will get more and better advice if you start your own 'thread' to ask your question.

We assume you are organic since you posted in the organic forum. The only fungal disease advice we can give you is to use corn meal or to use used coffee grounds (available at any Starbucks and many other coffee shops). Apply at 20 dry pounds per 1,000 square feet and give it a full 3 weeks to see improvement.

When you post your question in the new thread, the way you post pictures is to follow the following rules.

1. post the picture somewhere else online. That could be at Photobucket.com or Picasa.com (or whatever).

2. When the photo is posted there, right click on the image and scroll down to Copy Image Location. This will give you a URL for the photo similar to http://www.photobucket.com/your picture's name.jpg. The photo URL will always start with http and end with jpg.

3. Come back here and start your topic. Paste the URL for your photo into the text box just so you can see what it looks like.

4. Use the following code to make the image appear.
[img src="yourURL"] except it must have the symbols instead of the [ and ]. If I used the real code for you in my reply the software would try to make an image out of it and you would not be able to see it. For example here is the coding for an image

[img src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/324082/Tall%20St%20Augustine%20at%20La%20Mirage.jpg";] note that the quotes are necessary.
When I use the symbols it shows the image and looks like this

{{gwi:81434}}

Also a tip or two about starting your new thread. Texas is a big place. Tell us where you live and what kind of grass do you have?

How long do we have to clean up the lawn before your soldier returns?
mariee
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
We have brown spots that are spreading on our formally thick green lawn. The weather has been hot (upper 90's) and very little rain. We have a lawn service company that treated it with a fungicide & it has not helped.
How long do we have to wait after the chemical application before we can use the cornmeal?
mariee
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
We have brown spots that are spreading on our formally thick green lawn. The weather has been hot (upper 90's) and very little rain. We have a lawn service company that treated it with a fungicide & it has not helped.
How long do we have to wait after the chemical application before we can use the cornmeal?
kersh956
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
where can i purchase the cornmeal in large bags. also, can i put down the cornmeal in august. or do i have to wait until its cooler thanks
dchall_san_antonio
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Call all your local feed stores to find corn meal in 50-pound bags. I paid $9.00 for a bag the day before yesterday.

You can apply corn meal any day of the year. That is part of the beauty of using it for fungal disease control. Most of the chemical fungicides cannot be used in the summer.
Bryan Scott
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
50# bag of cornmeal for $9.00 = jealous in Austin...
Kodiak1120
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi everyone,

How long after applying cornmeal is it safe to fertilize? I have several areas where I've identified fungus in my lawn... the areas are browning quickly. I intend to apply cornmeal this weekend, but I'm also thinking about my fall fertilizing, which I usually do in October. Assuming I put down the cornmeal this weekend, would I be okay to fertilize in about a month? Maybe another application of cornmeal and fertilizer in a month. I usually use Milogranite (sp?) organic, slow-release nitrogen fertilizer.

Thanks,

Kevin
dchall_san_antonio
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Corn meal is fertilizer, too. You can add to it if you like with Milorganite. You can do it the same day or wait a week. It doesn't matter.
mrtaylor
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
will self rising cornmeal work too?
kbinmd
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
self rising has other stuff in it that you probably dont want. salt, vitamins and whatever makes it rise?
dchall_san_antonio
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Too much sodium in self rising. Stick to the plain Jane ground corn meal or corn flour.
SWEETirony
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi beacivil1. Could you please share where you found that price on the cornmeal? I'm in Pflugerville and struggling with a nasty case of brown patch. Thanks much!
Bryan Scott
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
While I'm jealous of the $9/50# bag that Dchall gets in San Antonio, I have been able to pick it up for about $12-14 a bag at a feed supply store in Cedar Park called Callahan's Feed and Pet Supply just off old 183 (S. Bell). I have not had a need for it that past two seasons, so you might call them and one, double check that they have some bags in stock, and two, check on the price.
ktipp
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
DcHall, where in San Antonio did you get the corn meal. I would like to go buy the same as I am fighting brown patch as well with no success.

I have tried garlic spray by GP and a followed by a fungicide and neither has worked.

any recommendations on how I can stop it before it completely destroys my yard?
davidwang27
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi, thanks for such valuable information! Can some tell me how often I apply the cornmeal to the lawn? Once a day ? Or three times a week?
Or once a week? How long should I keep doing it? When I can see the result?

Thanks
David
Lushgarden77
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
This was my post on a new post I created. Help I have lawn fungus!!

Hi everyone,

I'm a 100% newbie and in need of dire advice. I'm located in Chile and we recently bought a house and I'm the proud owner of a garden :p) I need some cornmeal to combat my brown lawn fungus, being in Chile means that I can't just pop into my local garden center or nursery to pick some up. It's not available here.

Question 1 Can I use cornmeal that chickens are fed with? Or should it be cornmeal that is fed to another type of animal. Or does it really need to be the special cornmeal you can buy in a garden center.

Question 2 What is the recommended ratio?

Question 3 Can I just throw it around sparingly on my lawn or should I use a homemade shaker. Lawn feeders also don't exist here. ( I can foresee a business here)

After applying the first dose and waiting the 3 weeks when should I reapply? Can I apply it to my plants and bushes?

The land where I live is mainly sandy with poor drainage, 9 months of sun per year. It rained four times last year. Think Las Vegas but in the 1950's.

I would deeply appreciate your tips and advice.

I've scoured this forum looking for solutions for lawn fungus I've applied the cornmeal along with compost and watered it as everyone has suggested. After only 2 weeks this fungus is spreading like wildfire please see pic attached and I'm wondering if it's because of the timing and length of our automatic irrigation system. This is what I just posted in the irrigation forum.

m in desperate need of HELP! I have a newish garden which was finished at the end of the September.
Total land are is 645m2 - 200m2 for the house.
Total lawn area 165m2
Other spaces filled with stone and some plants.

The land was toiled, evened out and prepared with sand and compost before laying down the turf. Since the first week of December I noticed some patches appearing in the grass which I now have come to learn is a type of fungus. It is spreading fast and I'm worried that I am over watering the garden. I'm trying the cornmeal route before applying a herbicide as I would like to maintain the garden organically.
Our climate based in Chicureo, Santiago in Chie is pretty hot with summer temps of 30'C and winter temps don't drop below 12'C. Annual rainfall 356mm during winter.

Land type sand with a large quantity of clay minerals.

My irrigation system is set to come on every day at 12.00pm at night and 9am in the morning twice a day. The grass gets 5 minutes and the plants get 9min.

Lawn total watering times 10 minutes.
Plants watering times 18 minutes.

Now I've given the background (hang in there) I have the following questions:-

1. Should I be watering at a different time during the day
2. Should I be watering less frequently i.e. every other day or twice or three times a week.
3. How long should I water for.

I would love just to speak to a professional company here but trust me on this they just don't exist, no-one has a freaking clue what they're doing, no-one has professional studies. All the gardeners have no previous knowledge about gardens and come in with their blunt mower blades and cut and chop as they wish.

I would really appreciate anyone who can take the time to help me determine when and how often I should be watering.

Thanks
joankat
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Can you use cornmeal for brown patch disease if you've previously applied a fungicide?
morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Joan1962: Absolutely, application of corn meal after fungicide is no problem, and neither will interact with the action of the other.
bballdad52
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Can I expect any help with Red Thread by using cornmeal?
PRO
Picture Perfect Settings
8 years ago
I have used the cornmeal on my St. Augustine a couple of weeks ago but the brown patch seems to be spreading. I did not use any chemical treatment prior. How often can I put cornmeal down? Also will neem oil help or will that interfere with the cornmeal?
khat1963
8 years ago
I'm new here to this but in reading everyone's comments, I'm totally interested. Last year we had st Augustine sod put down and have babied it every since. We live on Toledo Bend lake in Texas and have had a wet spring, hot dry summer and currently raining. Yesterday I noticed that there are huge brown spots everywhere! We haven't fertilized in about 3 months and I'm hoping to get the cornmeal tomorrow. Since the ground is wet, how long do I need to wait until I can spread the cornmeal? Thx
homeharmonyeb
8 years ago
I am in florida and have brown patch popping up all over. Found 50# bag white corn milled, but is cooked with lime added. Will this work or does the cooking kill all the good stuff?
hoganjr
8 years ago
David you mentioned that corn meal will not work if ammonium sulfate is applied at same time. What about the ammonium sulfate you use to make an iron spray appl.? How long between applying the corn meal and ammonium sulfate?
HU-960280
7 years ago
David, I read your FAQ and see a slight ray of hope for my poor lawn! For the past three years it has been decimated by fungus and I've had to have it "redone" each Fall. Now here I am again. In a desperate attempt to minimize the fungus damage I had a fungicide professionally applied (Heritage DG, G, and Velista) this past June. It didn't help. Can I still use corn meal now? I have to have it professionally redone now (dethatch, topsoil, seed). Can you give me guidance on how to proceed? It's just lil old me (62 year old female). Last year I hand raked up the thatch, applied topsoil and seeded myself but the damage is too extensive this year. I also want to mention that for the last three years (yes, since I've had a problem with fungus) I've been using only an organic fertilizer in the spring and have come to believe that it has created this problem. And yes, I only water deeply, only in the morning, cut the grass high. Advise please!!!
kimmq
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Using Corn Meal to control fungi is a waste of time, energy, and money. The original research into this was done at Texas A & M and no one, including the original researchers, has been able to replicate what they initially reported finding. This quote is from the article linked below, " I was then notified by someone at Cooperative Extension in Washington State that the initial testing was for a specific problem under specific conditions, not for a general purpose fungicide. Even then, the cornmeal did not show any promise."

http://gardening.about.com/od/naturalorganiccontrol/qt/Cornmeal.htm

kimmq is kimmsr
HU-960280
7 years ago
So do you have a suggestion for getting rid of the fungus, which my Cooperative Ext tells me over-winters?
kimmq
7 years ago
Where in the world are you?

Which fungus is in that turf grass?

What has your Cooperative Extension Service suggested for control?

kimmq is kimmsr
HU-960280
7 years ago
Central Jersey. Pythium, pink patch, powdery mildew. Chemicals and cultural practices (which other than drying my lawn if it gets wet at night I do). See my post from last Friday. Thanks!
kimmq
7 years ago
What does a good reliable soil test say about the soils condition? What is the soil pH
? What are the nutrient levels? How much organic matter is in that soil?

kimmq is kimmsr
HU-960280
7 years ago
The only organic matter has come from an organic fertilizer applied in the spring for the past three years.

Soil test:

Results and Interpretations
Serial #: EZ-8895 Referred To: Rutgers Cooperative Ext. of Union County
Soil Test Report
Soil Testing Laboratory Rutgers, The State University ASB II 57 US Highway 1 South New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8554
Date Received: 2016-07-05 Date Reported: 2016-07-14

Est. Turfgrass, cool season
Crop or Plant

pH: 6.44 Slightly acidic; optimum pH range of many plants except acid-loving species.
Lime Requirement Index: 7.51

Macronutrients (pounds per acre)
Phosphorus: 385 Potassium: 170 Magnesium: 421 Calcium: 4640
(Above Optimum) (Optimum) (Above Optimum) (Above Optimum)
by Mehlich 3 extraction
Micronutrients (parts per million) Zinc(Zn) 13.66 (Adequate)Copper(Cu) 7.72 (Adequate) Manganese(Mn) 20.09 (Adequate) Boron(B) 0.77 (Adequate) Iron(Fe) 258.00 (High)
akarinz
7 years ago
Is TARR (take all root rot) the same as Brown Patch Disease?
dchall_san_antonio
7 years ago
I don't need to restate anything I've already said in the seven years since this topic was started. What year is this? 2016? Okay I've used cornmeal on my lawn every year for the past 14 years and it's worked for me. Your mileage may vary. It does not seem to work against red thread, rust, or whatever the fungus is caused by 2 weeks of saturation rainfall. But it does work against the disease caused by blocking off the air to certain grasses.

Here's the entirety of kimmsr's link text.

I had previously reported that cornmeal was being tested for use as a
fungicide, siting a study by researchers at Texas A&M Research
Station in Stephenville, TX that was highlighted by Howard Garrett, the
Dirt Doctor.

I tried it around a couple of tomato plants, but the
results were very disappointing. The cornmeal first caked and later
turned moldy - not an auspicious experiment. I was then notified by
someone at Cooperative Extension in Washington State that the initial
testing was for a specific problem under specific conditions, not for a
general purpose fungicide. Even then, the cornmeal did not show any
promise.

It would have been nice if something as available and
safe as cornmeal turned out to be effective to, but that is not the
case. Cornmeal is not an effective fungicide.

-Marie Iannotti Gardening Expert

The Stephenville experiment was done in the 1990s. The specific problem and specific conditions were a variety of assorted fungal diseases on peanut plants. The suggestion was made that by using ordinary corn meal against a variety of diseases (which are common in all gardens), that a farmer would get the same effect as crop rotation. What that means is by using the corn meal a farmer would not have to rotate his crops every year, and he could plant peanuts year after year. That is a huge bonus for a peanut farmer. The paragraph on corn meal was buried in a very long list of possible attacks against disease in peanuts.

Doing an experiment once is not considered to be scientifically relevant. Why it was not continued or picked up by other researches is beyond comprehension...unless someone with deeper pockets did not want the research done. TAMU was well known as deeply anti-organic in the 1990s and 2000s. From what I've seen the 2010s are only marginally better than previous decades.

As Betty said in her original post corn meal worked for her. It worked for me, too, 14 times. I believe it was working for Ms Iannotti, too, but she did not recognize it as working. She said the corn meal turned moldy. That mold she was seeing, assuming it was the blue-green trichoderma, is exactly the fungus that works against her diseased plants. By not knowing what she was doing, she missed an opportunity to learn something.
dewdrop378
7 years ago
Some one mentioned using cornmeal flour. Is that acceptable and does it work, also?
edwards_ash
6 years ago
I have a small St. Augustine lawn in north Georgia (which is rare these days) and have struggled against brown patch in my postage stamp sized front yard off and on for several years now. Started with Aunt Jemima in early spring of this year then transitioned to agricultural cornmeal used for livestock feed mix ($11 for 50 lbs sack). Every three weeks I apply it again. Fingers crossed. It is a bit early here for brown patch so I am not worried but simply puzzled at at some yellowish blades of grass here and there so I applied an organic/natural liquid fertilizer recently ...
edwards_ash
4 years ago
^^^ two years later and my corn meal experiment was a total success: the brown patch never returned and the St Augustine lawn is thick and emerald green.

Cornmeal for Brown Patch Disease Works

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