Homemade Weed and Feed

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A: The first thing that comes to mind for a homemade weed and feed is corn gluten. Commonly used as filler in dog and cat food, livestock and poultry feed, corn gluten is a by-product of corn milling. It can be applied like pre-emergent herbicide, but to be truly effective you need to familiarize yourself with when each type of weed sprouts so that it can be applied at the appropriate time.

In general, it tends to work best on common weeds like crabgrass. Corn gluten is also a good source of slow releasing nitrogen fertilizer (9-0-0) for your lawn. Using a fertilizer spreader, apply it at a rate of 20lbs per 1000 sq ft. of turf and scratch it into the topsoil. Follow with a light watering so that it sprouts seeds. Don't worry; these seeds will not develop roots.

The trick is in the timing. You need to time application in the spring prior to the weed seeds developing roots, but avoiding rainfall, so that the corn gluten has time to do its thing before being eaten by microbes. Once the weeds establish roots, the corn gluten loses its effectiveness as an herbicide. However, it will still act as a fertilizer and grow you a healthy crop of weeds. Don't plant seeds where you've applied corn gluten for at least 60 days following application. You can find corn gluten at feed mills or grain elevators.

About The Author:
Ellen Brown is our Green Living and Gardening Expert. Click here to ask Ellen a question! Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services. Contact her on the web at http://www.sustainable-media.com

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