Question
Since I can't buy corn gluten meal in this area in Florida for seed emergence will just plain corn meal do the job? The crab grass is overtaken my lawn.
Thanks!

Answer
Hi Jimmy;
The cornmeal won't work, but,,,,,
Tell you what I did to eliminate weeds growing in my lawn. sounds nuts, but it works.
sugar, plain old table sugar like you use to sweeten your tea,
Dry molasses was what was recommended in the article I read, but it wasn't available here, and it said sugar would also work.
I put down sugar (broadcast it by hand) at the rate of 1 pound per 250 to 300 sq.ft.
Fertilizing kills beneficial microbes that enrich the soil, and weeds like poor soil. they won;t thrive in poor soil.
I had enough crab grass, that if it had been a cash crop, I could have cleaned up!
Dollar weed, johnson grass, dandelions, clover, and scads of others.
After I put down the sugar the first time, in about 2 or 3 weeks, about half the weeds were gone. they just died out. I put down sugar again, and in a few more mowings, no weeds at all.
Some came up the next spring, but not nearly as many. I put down sugar in the fall(no fertilizer). each year fewer weeds came up until about the 3rd or 4th year, when no weeds even came up. none have come up since. About the 4th year, my grass got a pale yellowishness, like it needed iron, so I put down chelated iron, and it greened right up.
You can fertilize if you feel the need, but put down the fertilizer, then the sugar,m and water them both in together.
My grass stays a darker green, stays green longer in the fall and comes back green sooner in the spring.
Fertilizers don'e really do much to enrich the soil. They wear out, and they kill those microbes that work the year round, enriching the soil.
My lawn care program now, consists of sugar in the spring, top dress with compost or good top soil in the spring, watering, mowing and edging, sugar in the fall. That's all we do, and we have a gorgeous, thick, lush weedfree lawn.
I water to at least a 6 inch depth. that encourages the root system to go deep and a deep root system helps protect against cold, heat, and draught damage.
I don't put any poisons on my lawn or garden. I let the beneficial insects, my lizards, toads, and grass snakes take care of the unwanted insects. they do a better job of it than all the insecticides I used to use did.
I use herbs to keep away other unwanted insects like termites, ticks, fleas etc.
I never see aphid damage on my roses anymore. My fat little lizards take care of them for me.
cockroaches live in the soil, and
I want them there. they are great little aerators, but I can't abide one in my house, so once a month I put a fresh piece of rosemary on each pantry and cabinet shelf, under the fridge, washer and dryer, and all other appliances. I put some of it anywhere roaches can come in or hide, and you never see a roach in my house. It must work for spiders too, because I used to have a bunch of them, but don't see them anymore. rosemary is an evergreen shrub in my area (Dallas/Ft. worth) and it is the same rosemary I use in cooking.It is evergreen in your area too, I am sure.
When I use a lemon, I chop the peels and toss them in my flowerbeds and container plants. kitty cats don't use those for a litter bix anymore.
The only drawback to using the sugar is, wild violets won;t grow in my yard anymore. they are a weed, but i liked them. they like poor soil too.
Hope this helps.
charlotte