I'd say thousands if not tens of thousands have (successfully) tried it. Texas A&M at Stephenville did the original university research on peanuts in 1995. They found that if they used corn meal, diseases did not linger in the soil so they no longer had to rotate the crops.

The application rate to prevent disease (and fertilize the lawn) is 10-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. If you have active disease, you need 20 pounds per 1,000. It takes 3 weeks to work but it almost always works. It runs into trouble if you have already used a commercial fungicide, sulfur, or baking soda. It also does not work against red thread or rust, although milk (at 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet) seems to work against those two.

Just keep in mind that Texas A & M could not replicate the results of that first study using corn meal as a fungicide and the University of Georgia as well as Virginia Tech could not get the same results Texas A & M clained the first time. Now Dave will tell you that Texas A & M people do not know how to do a good soil test but will quote research from them.

Just keep in mind that Texas A & M could not replicate the results of that first study using corn meal as a fungicide and the University of Georgia as well as Virginia Tech could not get the same results Texas A & M clained the first time.

kimmsr, have we talked about this research? Can you point me to the various university studies? Since 1995 I keep seeing the orginal TAMU research but nothing further - just continual updates. It seems odd that out here in real life, person after person (after person after person!) reports success using corn meal against turf fungus disease, but the universities cannot do it.

Now Dave will tell you that Texas A & M people do not know how to do a good soil test but will quote research from them.

Universities don't speak with one voice. When I was in school I was fortunate to sit in on the department faculty meetings as a student rep. I can assure you there are sometimes less than polite disagreements regarding what the "truth" is from person to person.

When you read TAMU's original message (which hasn't changed), the report considers all means of fungus and nematode relief for peanut farmers. The corn meal discussion is more or less buried inside the report. For whatever reason, TAMU Stephenville has pulled the web page with the research; however, it can be found intact at the website of the Southwest Peanut Growers' Association (link below).

Here is a link that might be useful: 2004 Peanut Disease and Nematode Control Recommendations

Does anyone know the NPK breakdown of regular cornmeal? I know CGM is 9-0-0.

See the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: NPK of stuff

NICE, dchalL! I was just looking for that link glad i found it

I am just a novice to this organic gardening but am determined. When you spread the cornmeal on the yard do you water it in or rake it in? I would love to try this again. I used some once in Florida and the squirels were down eating it. I guess that is not a problem. Can you work it into the soil when you are making a flower bed before planting?
thanks from

dchall, thanks for the link. I added it to my favorites, and will find it very useful.
Mrs H

I think corn meal works best on the surface. You should moisten it after you apply it, but you don't need to rake it in. Just wash it off the grass blades and you're good to go. Squirrels can't eat enough to make a difference.

I heard that corn meal is good for tomatoes so I went to a fertilizer store, they don't sell it. they said that ground corn is same as corn meal. Is it really the same? Does it attract ants? we already have lot of problems with fire ants in my yard. Thank you. K.

Corn is often ground up into a meal consistency called corn meal. If they grind it up more it is called corn flour. If they grind it up less, it is called cracked corn. All ground or cracked corn materials work the same and are applied at the same rate of 10-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

I have been using corn meal since 2001 and have not seen any ants in my yard. If you have fire ants, they seem to hate sweets, so if you dissolve 3 tablespoons of table sugar or molasses in a gallon of water and drench their mound with it, they should go away. The theory is that the sugar breeds bacteria on their underground food supply that makes the food inedible for them, so they go away. You might also spray a 10 foot circle around the mound so they don't just move a few feet and set up a new camp. Some people have fortified the sugar mix by adding a few ounces per gallon of orange oil. Orange oil softens the exoskeleton on the ants which seems to hasten their demise.

i've started using "degerminated" yellow corn meal as its the only corn meal i could find in bulk. any diff or drawbacks using this type?

thanks in advance!

Hi,

How often should you sprinkle the corn meal? Once a season?

Thanks!

Emily

dchall, history has repeated itself. I followed the link you posted and found a most comprehensive treatment of the subject titled:

2004 Peanut Disease and Nematode
Control Recommendations
Thomas A. Lee, Jr. and Mark C. Black
Extension Plant Pathologists for Texas Agricultural Extension Service
Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology - Texas A&M University System

The sole 'non synthetic' mentioned was Bacillus "something or the other" and even that was coupled other chemical(s), I recall.
The last time this occured the site turned out to be broken.

Jeez kimmsr,

Why do you follow people around this place just taking petty little potshots at them?