I hope I'm not spamming with opening another topic, but could someone explain what exactly are the functions of cracked corn in lawn care, is any cracked corn good enough, like chicken feed, because it's super cheap, and I am not sure if it is the same thing you guys are using.
ales_gantar
Yes, the same chicken feed corn. You want cracked to avoid growing corn. In the usa, we could buy 50lb(22kg) for $7-8.
I'm feeding the 2yr old. I'll be back to answer in detail.
I'm feeding the 2yr old. I'll be back to answer in detail.
There's quite a few myths floating around regarding corn and its variations : cracked corn, corn meal, corn gluten meal. Cracked corn is a good source of water insoluble nitrogen and you can apply to your lawn to get a slow trickle of nitrogen to the grass as it decomposes. Make sure it's cracked good or you'll have a corn field growing in your lawn. Corn meal does not prevent or treat any fungal disease. Corn gluten meal is not an effective pre-emergent - it will just fertilize the weeds.
It was lunch time in the usa. Now I'm at the pool "watching" the 7 yr old (he is a good swimmer).
Cracked corn provides 1.65-0.65-0.4 as an organic source. You will need to apply 60lb/ksqft to get an 1lb of N/ksqft. I don't recommend doing that much and that would be expensive. I use 10lb/ksqft, but you can go up to 20lb/ksqft. Go light first until your soil can absorb it. Like many other organic sources, it provides organic matter to the soil.
Corn helps feed trichoderma which is a beneficial fungus. Based on a study in Texas in a crop of peanuts or some legume at fairly high quantities corn got the reputation as antifungal, but it really isn't. First we can apply enough of it our lawns and second it is just a way to feed the trichoderma if it there. So don't think that throwing some corn will fix and or prevent a fungal disease.
Lastly, my experience is that I like using cracked corn, but I still fight fungus just like anyone else.
More info on trichoderma here: http://waytogrow.net/trichoderma-biofungicide/
I was looking for the Texas study and couldn't find it. I found this instead, it seems well researched http://www.organiclawndiy.com/2012/07/how-to-treat-lawn-disease-organically.html?m=1
Cracked corn provides 1.65-0.65-0.4 as an organic source. You will need to apply 60lb/ksqft to get an 1lb of N/ksqft. I don't recommend doing that much and that would be expensive. I use 10lb/ksqft, but you can go up to 20lb/ksqft. Go light first until your soil can absorb it. Like many other organic sources, it provides organic matter to the soil.
Corn helps feed trichoderma which is a beneficial fungus. Based on a study in Texas in a crop of peanuts or some legume at fairly high quantities corn got the reputation as antifungal, but it really isn't. First we can apply enough of it our lawns and second it is just a way to feed the trichoderma if it there. So don't think that throwing some corn will fix and or prevent a fungal disease.
Lastly, my experience is that I like using cracked corn, but I still fight fungus just like anyone else.
More info on trichoderma here: http://waytogrow.net/trichoderma-biofungicide/
I was looking for the Texas study and couldn't find it. I found this instead, it seems well researched http://www.organiclawndiy.com/2012/07/how-to-treat-lawn-disease-organically.html?m=1
A very good read on cornmeal and its use to fight fungus:
http://gardenprofessors.com/deconstructing-the-cornmeal-myth/
So what about those three pathogenic fungi mentioned in the Texas peanut guide? Do they like cornmeal?
Indeed they do! Published research (about 20 or so articles) shows that cornmeal (not cornmeal agar) has been used to enhance growth of Rhizoctonia fragariae, R. repens and R. solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and S. homoeocarpa, and Sclerotium rolfsii. In some cases the pathogens became more virulent in the presence of cornmeal.
Cornmeal is nothing more than a carbohydrate-rich resource that can be used by many microbes. If you happen to have a lot of beneficial fungi in your soil, cornmeal will feed them. If you happen to have pathogenic species in your soil, cornmeal will feed them too. So it depends on what fungi are already living in your lawn, vegetable garden, or rose bed on whether cornmeal will help, or just make disease problems worse.
http://gardenprofessors.com/deconstructing-the-cornmeal-myth/
So what about those three pathogenic fungi mentioned in the Texas peanut guide? Do they like cornmeal?
Indeed they do! Published research (about 20 or so articles) shows that cornmeal (not cornmeal agar) has been used to enhance growth of Rhizoctonia fragariae, R. repens and R. solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and S. homoeocarpa, and Sclerotium rolfsii. In some cases the pathogens became more virulent in the presence of cornmeal.
Cornmeal is nothing more than a carbohydrate-rich resource that can be used by many microbes. If you happen to have a lot of beneficial fungi in your soil, cornmeal will feed them. If you happen to have pathogenic species in your soil, cornmeal will feed them too. So it depends on what fungi are already living in your lawn, vegetable garden, or rose bed on whether cornmeal will help, or just make disease problems worse.
Thank you for comprehensive contributions.
@g-man I know, that's why it's funny.
@ everyone: I guess, after reading this, it is not important to introduce corn, but proteines, that are in the corn. As I can extrapolate from the texts.
I can not conclude that there are any benefits for me if I introduce cracked corn to my lawn, beside adding organic matter, which is good, but now I am concerned about feeding all the bacteria and that I only have the bad ones.
I thought it was an going to be an easy topic.
@g-man I know, that's why it's funny.
@ everyone: I guess, after reading this, it is not important to introduce corn, but proteines, that are in the corn. As I can extrapolate from the texts.
I can not conclude that there are any benefits for me if I introduce cracked corn to my lawn, beside adding organic matter, which is good, but now I am concerned about feeding all the bacteria and that I only have the bad ones.
I thought it was an going to be an easy topic.
Agree. Be very careful with DHMO in your lawn. More info here. http://www.dhmo.org/Miller_Low_Life said:
Hey this is no laughing matter. Take this seriously for our kids. Do you know how much dhmo lawns could have?
I suppose some people might be spraying at an seriously inflated rate. I know I was a culprit of that my first year in my home.
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