difference between meals....

15 years ago

okay, i'm looking for a little education/clarification here.... i'm sure this has been addressed in some other post, but i couldn't seem to find one talking about specifically this:

cracked corn, corn gluten meal, alfalfa meal, soybean meal...what's the difference between the 4?

from reading around on the forum, it seems that cracked corn is the "food of choice" for your lawn throughout the season. true or false? would alfalfa or soybean be a better option?

corn gluten meal seems to be praised for its pre-emergent herbicide qualities. does that mean it's only ideal for use early in the season? also, do the other meals possess the same herbicide qualities?

and then, soybean meal seems to be the fertilizer of choice for the lawn's "final meal" at the end of the season...any other time it's useful?

also, the feed store i'll probably be getting everything from has the alfalfa and soybean meals in either granulated or pelletized form. is there a benefit to one over the other? it would seem to me that the pelletized form would be longer-lasting as the soil microbes would take longer to break it down, but is that true? does corn gluten ever come in pellets?

i'm sure most or all of these questions will probably seem a bit boring and elementary to most of you regulars, but hopefully answering them will help shed some light on more "inquiring minds" than just mine. and thanks in advance for humoring me and enlightening me. i think the answers to these questions will really help me figure out a game plan for recovering my lawn.

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Comments (4)

decklap
15 years ago
You don't need to put such a fine point on it. Corn meal is going to give you some fungicidal protection that other grains wont and CGM has herbicidal properties but beyond that just start using grains and watch your lawn respond.
dchall_san_antonio
15 years ago
from reading around on the forum, it seems that cracked corn is the "food of choice" for your lawn throughout the season. true or false? would alfalfa or soybean be a better option?

False. Any of them would be good.

corn gluten meal seems to be praised for its pre-emergent herbicide qualities. does that mean it's only ideal for use early in the season? also, do the other meals possess the same herbicide qualities?

The testing was done on corn gluten meal. As far as I know no other materials were tested. CGM is simply a great fertilizer.

and then, soybean meal seems to be the fertilizer of choice for the lawn's "final meal" at the end of the season...any other time it's useful?

False. It is a great fertilizer any day of the year.

also, the feed store i'll probably be getting everything from has the alfalfa and soybean meals in either granulated or pelletized form. is there a benefit to one over the other? it would seem to me that the pelletized form would be longer-lasting as the soil microbes would take longer to break it down, but is that true? does corn gluten ever come in pellets?

Pellets last about 30 seconds longer than the granulated. As soon as a pellet gets damp, it melts into mush. CGM comes in dust and in granules.
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When I shred alfalfa, it comes out almost as fine as if it were put through a grinder, approaching powder in size. I plan to use it in compost primarily but would probably want to use some on the garden as well. It sounds like the three are almost the exact same thing, with the exception of no additives in the ground alfalfa. Ken
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The biggest difference between the meal and pellets is spread-ability when using a broadcast spreader. The meal is very light/dusty. It must be applied on a calm day, Otherwise it will blow all over the place. Pellets on the other hand spread perfectly in any condition. Pellets are a great choice for using a broadcast spreader on your lawn. Meal is great for apply by hand to your landscape plants and working into the soil. Im sure the meal will breakdown a bit faster but its not an advantage. I am also able to get soybean meal -- would there be benefits to alternating fertilizations between alfalfa and soybean Yes and Yes. Both are excellent but you will get more bang for your buck with Soybean Meal. The protein content in Alfalfa is approx 14% whereas SBM is approx 46%. You would have to apply approx three times as much Alfalfa to get the same affects as SBM. Both have there time and place. Alfalfa is a bacterial food with lots of vitamins and micro-nutrients and they contain trianconatol, a natural fatty-acid growth stimulant. Soybean Meal is a fungal food with a high protein content. You want to have a good combo of both in your soil. SBM is a great choice when you grass is actively growing. Some cool season grass experts should be able to give you a plan when to apply what.
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skoot_cat
15 years ago
Cracked Corn or Corn meal - Primarily used as a natural/organic fungicide. It also offers some nutrients for a mild/light feeding.

Corn Gluten - Expensive, High Protein value/High percentage of nitrogen, Possible Germination inhibitor. Excellent nitrogen source.

Alfalfa - Meal or pellets offer nutrients(NPK) and a high availability of trace minerals. They contain trianconatol, a natural fatty-acid growth stimulant.

Soybean meal - Rich source of nitrogen plus offers some micro nutrients. Economical choice for an all purpose fertilizer.

As for granulated or pelletized, go with the lowest cost.

I personally like to mix the alfalfa and soy together to get diversity.
mscottw2
15 years ago
Someone else provide this link a while back, but it helped me out tremendously when I first started organic lawn care. I still refer to it today when I plan on going to the feed store, and I want to try something new.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grain Info

difference between meals....

Comments (4)

decklap

dchall_san_antonio

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skoot_cat

mscottw2

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