Corn gluten is gaining some popularity as a natural fertilizer and weed-controller, says Rod Sirman, owner of Greenland Garden Centre.
Made from coarse-ground corn, many gardeners find it nourishes the soil and keeps weeds at bay as a pre-emergent, especially after a couple of seasons, he says. It looks like a coarse meal and can simply be applied with a fertilizer-spreader.
Sirman cautioned that the federal government hasn't sanctioned corn gluten as a weed controller and its benefits are purely anecdotal. He sells a 2.5-kg pail for $11.99.
Alfalfa is another product some gardeners swear by as a great natural fertilizer. It is available in pellet form. "It hasn't really started to catch on yet," says Merna Halliday at Apache Seeds. The Alfalfa Green they sell, produced by Western Alfalfa Milling in Norquay, Sask., is a 3-0-2 product (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) and costs $19.94 for a 23-kilogram bag.
The company's website touts the certified-organic product as a great, slow-release fertilizer that won't burn lawns. It recommends applying the fertilizer before an expected rain, or watering well after application. It can be spread with a fertilizer-spreader, set on a wider opening because the pellets are quite large.
Greenstar, a plant-product company out of Langley, B.C., offers a wide range of organic and natural fertilizers and herbicides under the Grotek label.
It, too, sells a corn-gluten product but recommends it only as a fertilizer, says company vice-president Brent Jackson.
Grotek's newest product, Elimaweed, has just been federally registered as a natural weed-killer. It's made of food-grade vinegar which, combined with other ingredients, works well as a non-selective herbicide, meaning it will kill grass as well as weeds. Jackson say it's great for spot application or for clearing growth from patios and pavers. Unlike some chemical herbicides, it is safe to use around kids and pets.
Do-it-yourselfers can also try a super-strength vinegar. Mix it with equal parts water and a bit of dishwashing soap and spot-apply to the base of weeds, suggests Michael Kalmanovitch, owner of Earth's General store.
For more information on organic garden products, check out grotek.net or, for Western Alfalfa Milling, wamcoltd.ca
-- Canwest News Service
