Watering and Corn Gluten Meal
One common, almost agreeable, point in the never ending battle between purists on both sides of the organic vs. synthetic debate is watering. Most organically minded pros and some synthetic ones too, will tell you to water once per week. At Organicare we are firmly in the once per week camp. If you have the water volume and pressure to provide that magical one inch of water (just less than 625 gallons per 1000 square feet of area), once per week is fine.
Now let\’s assume for the moment that you got a half inch of rain on Monday. Should you cut your watering in half on Thursday? Maybe, but then again, maybe not. Maybe you should just skip that week’s watering all together. Deciding when to resume normal watering after a recent rain is simple. You only have to answer one question; has the surface of the soil had a chance to dry out yet? If the answer is yes, then resume your normal schedule. If the answer is no, then wait until the soil surface has dried out a little before taking the rain delay off your sprinkler system.
Letting the surface dry out between waterings promotes deeper root growth and reduces fungal disease. This is not new information; most people are aware of this. What most people may not be aware of is the importance of letting the soil surface dry out when using Corn Gluten Meal(CGM) as an organic pre-emergent weed control.
To affectively control weed seed germination with CGM you must first know how the CGM affects the new seedlings. CGM does not kill them directly; it reduces their ability to form a normal root system. The seedlings, with their poorly developed root systems, die when the soil surface is allowed to dry out after germination. Too little water and the seeds will not germinate at all and too much water may allow the seedlings to live long enough to develop a normal root system in spite of the CGM.
Controlling weeds with CGM is a team effort. First, the timing has to be right and that is Organicare\’s job. Past weather patterns tell us that for people in the North Dallas region the time to put out CGM is mid February and mid September. For those in the Austin area it may be the first of February and the first of October. Second, the quantity has to be right and that is also our job. The CGM recommended application rate is 20lbs/1000 sq ft, we apply it at 25lbs/1000 sq ft*. Third, a day or two after being applied the CGM should be thoroughly watered in. This is where the homeowner’s responsibility starts. From this point on it is important that the soil surface be allowed to dry between waterings.
We wish there was a magic formula we could provide, but there isn\’t. We\’ve got to get the timing and quantity right. While you the homeowner must be in tune with the weather and your own watering schedules. Only as a team can we successfully control weeds with CGM.
For more detailed information, go where we go, straight to the source, Dr. Nick Christians at Iowa State University. He\’s the man and the inspiration for this newsletter. Check out one of his many CGM articles at:
http://www.hort.iastate.edu/gluten/pdf/cornglut.pdf
*higher rates are available for an extra charge
