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EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: I want to garden this spring without using
chemicals. Are there any safe, non-toxic garden herbicides?
--D.
Muller, Jackson, MS
There are now several natural herbicides on the market. One of the
most effective natural ingredients is corn gluten meal, a yellow powder
that is a waste product of the corn milling process. While the meal has
been used in dog, fish and other animal foods for years, it has only
recently been marketed as a natural herbicide. As researchers at Iowa
State University’s (ISU) Horticulture Department discovered, the material
naturally inhibits the growth of seeds’ initial root systems, while doing
no harm to already established plants.
ISU researchers say that once vegetables or flowers have their first true
leaves, corn gluten meal can be safely and effectively applied to kill
weeds. ISU scientists also note that, because corn gluten meal is high in
nitrogen, it is beneficial to surrounding plants, doubling as a
fertilizer.
It has been reported that corn gluten meal is particularly effective
against dandelions, pigweed, crabgrass, plantain and curly dock. ISU
scientists suggest an application rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet
and they say the product remains effective for five to six weeks.
Researchers say that corn gluten meal should be applied to lawns about
three to five weeks before weeds begin to grow.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide
Programs urges people to decrease the amount of chemical herbicides used
to battle weeds. There are already more than 865 active ingredients
registered for use in pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. About 350
pesticide products, including herbicides, are used on the foods we eat and
to ward off pests from our homes and pets. But pesticides and herbicides
often contain toxic substances that are harmful to human and ecological
health.
ChemFree+ is one brand of herbicide that uses corn gluten meal. Available
from Chem Free Lawns, it is advertised as both a natural weed control and
fertilizer for lawns and gardens, harmless to people, pets, groundwater,
insects and soil microorganisms. Comparable products include Dynaweed,
from the American Natural Products Company, and “A-Maize-N,” from Planet
Natural.
CONTACT: Chem Free Lawns, (952) 473-2127,
www.chemfreelawns.com; American Natural
Products Company, (800) 221-7645;
www.americanatural.com; Planet Natural,
(800) 289-6656;
www.planetnatural.com; Iowa State University’s Horticulture
Department, (515) 294-2751,
www.hort.iastate.edu;
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs, (703)
305-5440,
www.epa.gov/pesticides.
GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to EarthTalk, c/o E/The
Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit your
question at
www.emagazine.com;
or e-mail us at earthtalk@emagazine.com.
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