You probably have a container of cornmeal somewhere in your cupboards, but you probably didn't know it could be used in more places than your kitchen. What if we told you to take it outside?
For most of us cornmeal is used in cooking and the idea of it being outside would only come to mind if we happened to drop our grocery bag on the way into the house. The blog DIY Life recently rounded up a list of natural weed killers. We've talked about a few of them in the past and even some more recently, but cornmeal was a new one to us.
How does it work? Essentially it doesn't allow the weeds to germinate, so it should only be sprinkled onto grass that's already taken hold. It may also encourage worms which, as you know, are a gardener's best friend. I'm betting the birds will get a fine kick out of it as well!
• Check out more details over at DIY Life
(Image: Flickr member Katie Loughlin licensed for use by Creative Commons)
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i heard about this and tried it on my lawn. i didn't see a difference. maybe it'll work better in the cracks on my driveway...worth a shot :)
problem is that birds eat it and poop all over everything
I was under the impression that corn gluten meal was what was used, not cornmeal. Two different things. I'm interested in hearing more, as CGM is more expensive and harder to find.
It is corn gluten meal, not corn meal. Completely different things.
You people are going to have people all over sprinkling their lawns with muffin mix!
This method attracts mice and rats :(
what? i'd rather pull weeds then deal with bugs, mice and whatever eats corn meal.
Skunks and 'possums would love this!
Cornmeal is good for ridding garden of slugs.
Ants. We gots 'em. In the yard. They would be very happy about a gift of cornmeal.
I'll stick to high-test vinegar for the spaces in our brick walkway. Nothing likes straight vinegar.
Grandma swept the paved walkways with a coarse broom and raked the gravel. Once a week. Every week.
We thought Grandma and all the other ladies to be extremely fussy, just typical German ;-)
Maybe they were, but today I know that seedlings being disturbed again and again will never settle, thus nearly no weeds!
After asking Grandma's forgiveness I cleared all the weeds one more time by pulling them out and then started sweeping and raking. Once a week. Every week. ;-)
An environmental friendly activity with great effect, I have to admit. Thanks, Grandma!
Janis on the Farmette : this sounds so very ignorant of me but I had no idea vinegar could do that!!!!!!!!! super excited to try it. what do you meant by high test though? will distilled vinegar work i have a ton of that.