Ditto! I also put the Corn Gluten down the end of February and I also have a bumper crop of weeds! What happened?

From what I understand, for use against our Feb/March weeds, CGM should be put down in October. I have done this with some good success in my backyard. For more info on CGM, check out the Dirt Doctor's (Howard Garrett)website or check out the Lawn Forum.

Carla in Rowlett, TX

That's my understanding as well. Putting it down in the spring doesn't affect the weeds that will sprout/have sprouted in the spring. This application is for next fall, and later when you apply in the fall you're trying to get those winter/spring weed seeds from emerging. I've read that it takes time, and that successive applications show increasing results. Maybe don't give up on it yet!

Well....this was my third application. First was last spring, did it again in the fall, and again just a few weeks ago. Weeds are getting worse, not better. I read somewhere that CGM only works for about 60 days and then needs to be reapplied - but if that's the case, this is going to get too dang expensive for me! It doesn't help that my next door neighbor has 100% weeds and every time it rains his seeds wash into my lawn. Maybe what I really need is a flame thrower to torch his yard!

Yes, I've heard that CGM's effectiveness lasts about 6 weeks. And it doesn't stop weeds from growing -- it stops them from germanating. In a perfect world (ie, where your neighbors are also diligent in fighting weeds), this would mean a steady and noticable decline in your weeds. When your neighbors are sending over weed seeds every time the wind blows, you are fighting a losing battle. But even under the best of circumstances, CGM is a slow and gradual solution. I only apply it in the fall (for spring weeds) and I have seen good results. It's not a fast cure-all.

Carla

To be honest --- I think its bogus! I've done it now for three years (following exact directions from Garrett's book) and although my grass seems to be greener for awhile I have just as many weeds as everybody else on my street.

I'm beginning to agree with you ocgardener. It might have some preemergent capabilities, but when you have 10,000 weed seeds and it keeps 3 from germinating ....well, you do the math! I think I might have to give up on this part of the organic program. We're on our 3rd gallon of 20% vinegar and that stuff ain't cheap either. Chemical weed killer....I'm baaaaacckk!!!

Yep. Very good fertilizer. Using it for Pre-em is very tricky unfortunately. The timing is very hard to figure out. You MUST lightly water them in and hope that there is no rain for 2 weeks.

you can just go with AMAZE from greenlight that you can get from home depot. I know it's chemical pre-em but much more effective than CGM. For the perineal weeds, you will have to use weed killer product to get rid of them. Pre em will not get rid of them.

Me - I just mow weeds and learn to live with weeds and getting the grass to thrive and choke out weeds... water deeply infrequently and mow at the highest setting for st augustine (like mine that i mow at 4 inches during the summer. I actually tried growing white dutch clovers from seeds and it backfired because the grass was too tall and thick!).

For bermuda- same thing except mowing as low as you can with rotary mower. No higher than 1 inch and you probably will have to do it 2 times a week at least during may through sept.

There are several pre-emergents (says crabgrass preventer, but works on any seeds) that have worked for me. Probably a little late to use it now. Definitely use in September then again in mid to late February (I finally got mine in the 1st of March this year). Neil Sperry's web site might be informative.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW.....FOLLOW.....FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!!!!
(Like you've never seen THAT before) Chemicals used CORRECTLY do not pose a problem. INCORRECT use can be dangerous and damaging to your environment.

Mow and catch clippings (seed heads). Drink raspberry tea - it doesn't do anything for the weeds, but it tastes real good.

The opinion of a chemical salesman.

This might be the pinnacle of bogusness, but I have heard that the *type* of gluten you purchase may make a difference. Buy the really cool kind from the organic people and see if it's any better. Oh... but you probably already did that if it's too expensive. I don't know. Perhaps making your soil richer and nicer would discourage Texas weeds?

I always read the misinformation about corn gluten meal with great interest. To begin, CGM is the byproduct of the wet milling of corn to produce corn oil and corn syrup. This resulting byproduct is 60% protien and has been used for decades as cattle feed. Some years ago some researchers at Iowa State University discovered an element in CGM that prevented sprouted seeds from absorbing moisture therefore killing the plant. They saw the commercial implications in this and patented the product as a weed control product. Now, CGM is CGM. If a producer of CGM touts their product as a weed control they must pay a roality to Iowa State. Most millers simply package their product as CGM in a rather generic package.
Further, you must understand how CGM works. It does not kill existing weeds and it does not kill perennial weeds that grow by runners or stolens. It will only control the weed seeds of annual weeds if it is applied in a timely manner. In my zone 8 Texas, that involves late September for winter and spring weeds and early March for summer weeds such as grabgrass. Its effectiveness can be tempered if there is a heavy rain shortly after application. In addition, since CGM is 60% protien, that translates to 9% nitrogen so it is a powerful fertilizer. So, in short, CGM does not kill existing weeds and it actually fertilizes perennial weeds.

I put it down in October and February and each year I have more weeds, especially the annual blue grass. I really think it is a better fertilizer than weed control - in my opinion; but I still don't want to use the synthetic stuff. Last weekend I spent a lot of time pulling up a lot of that blue grass. Sorry, I don't hire out for anyone elses yard. I got enough of my own to pull.

I forgot to mention, I broadcast CGM at a rate of 20 lbs. per 1,000 Sq. ft. of lawn. My front yard is 50 X 50 so I use an entire 50 lb. bag just on my front yard. I have no poanna or the so-called annual blue grass in my 50 year old St. Augustine lawn.

Wow, you guys are dashing my hopes about being a successful organic gardener! Well, I guess I will have to get rid of my weeds the old-fashioned way (pulling) and maybe learn to live with some. I was really excited about the CGM! I applied roughly 10 lb/1000 square feet of granular CGM that I got from a local nursery (close to $20 for the 40 pound bag). It wasn't cheap, but I do feel glad that I am not using anything poisonous. I applied it last weekend, so only a couple days before that deluge we got on Tuesday & Wednesday. sigh.

Just a side note for those of you who own dogs, CGM is a popular filler for may dog foods, as a result many many dogs are allergic to it. If I used it, my dogs would walk through it, lick their paws and then have bad bad allergies. Presenting mostly in an itchiness of the face and chewing of paws. My Roxy actually breaks out in what looks like warts on her head when she gets any CGM. So here's me, on my hands and knees, pulling up the weeds one by one...

Well, I looked at my backyard again today and it is covered 80% by ANNUAL weeds - I put out CGM last spring, in the fall, and this spring, so obviously it's not working in my yard. I'm going back to preemergent granules like we used the 22 years before I thought I'd like to try organic, and IT DOES work! Not that I'm going to totally give up organic - still going to fertilize organically and I'm not using any chemical bug or fungus control, but I can't pull the weeds faster than they're coming up. My backyard is only partial sun, so the St. Augustine isn't as thick as I'd like, or as thick as my front which gets tons of sun, so maybe that's why the weeds are getting such a hold on the back. One good thing, my lawn is greener than anybody elses on the block right now!

IF you are going to use a chemical "weed and feed", better carefully read the label as the product will kill a lot more than weeds. Also, contrary to popular belief, St. Augustine needs 5 or 6 hours a day of sun shine. Now, before Lou starts in about shade tolerant varieties of St. Augustine, yes, there are some new strains, they are expensive and it involves resodding your lawn.

To reiterate about CGM, an application of less than 20 lbs. per 1,000 sq.ft. has limited effectiveness, and a heavy rain immediately after application will render the weed killing effect nill.

If your desire is to use a natural approach, you need to understand how products work and what to expect of them. Most of the grassy weeds will die out in the heat. Others will be crowded out as the grass regains its vigor as it comes out of dormancy. The best way to control a lot of weeds is with a healthy lawn. Further, I have been praticing organics for 50 years and my present property for 35 years. Don't expect a property to turn around in 1 or 2 years as it will take that long at least to get the toxics out of your lawn and garden.

Nope, don't intend to use weed n feed. Texas weather - ya gotta love it. You wait for the weatherman to tell you no rain for the next 3-5 days, so you put down your CGM and wham-o, here comes a gully washer. Of course, you also gotta hope that you can get a Saturday or Sunday with the perfect conditions cause ya can't do it during the week cause it's already dark when ya get home from work. Too exact a sience for me.

Ahh, Deb, so it's YOU we thank for the rain!!! Thanks!! :) hehehehe Hey, could you put some more of the CGM on again? Purty please?

I'd really like to do that prairiepaintbrush, but if I do, it will rain again, and my gardening budget is already blown. Maybe if they start selling it for a reasonable price, I'll try again. Or, when all these weeds die when it gets hot, I'll forget what a nightmare it looks like now and try again in the fall. Sometimes having a short memory can be a blessing!;o)

I killed my beloved dog using chemical products on my lawn. Please don't do it! Weeds/chinch bugs are not worth the dangers of this. My dear dog was only 6 years old when in summer 2010 he developed a high-grade sarcoma. It was removed by surgery but came back less than 2 months later and I had to put him down. Oh my gosh, how horrible it all was. I used herbicides, including preemergents, and pesticides. I always followed the instructions. I talked to a research vet at at major university and he said the instructions on these products are insufficient to protect animals from harmful effects, including cancer, and that the pose huge dangers. I won't use chemicals again. They're harmful to children and pets and chemical companies aren't being honest. There's plenty of research on this. Please put your family and pets first. I'm going organic all the way, even if less effective.