| My question involves a product called corn gluten meal. Three years ago we started two flower beds. One 130' x 15' and the other 130' x 6' plus several other smaller gardens. We have included in these beds many bulbs etc. such as tulips, asiatic and oriental lilies, iris plus numerous other periennials and plant dahlias, glads plus annuals each spring. My concern is I am told that corn gluten meal could eliminate weeds and grasses. However, after some research on the subject, it appears that the test initially were on lawns. The article I read stated although it is highly effective against weed seed, it could not determine bad seed from good and it eliminated root growth. Would it do the same with roots of my bulbs and other periennials? I do mulch. but not heavily because I do plant annuals each spring. We live in a zone 3/4 area. Help!! What would you advise me to do? Thanking you now for your advice. Keri |
| The corn gluten meal works on seeds when they try to germinate so it should not affect already established plants (or already germinated weeds). If however you tried to grow your flowers from seed then it could inhibit their germination just as it does that of the weeds. If you are mulching your flower beds with several inches of organic mulch then you should not be having too much of a problem with weeds grminating with or without the corn gluten meal because the muclh should smother the weed seeds. I hope this helps. |
