Question
QUESTION: Weeds are overtaking my yard.  What can you recommend to eliminate them without destroying the grass?

ANSWER: This largely depends on where you live.  I live on the North Shore of Long Island, New York.  Crabgrass is controlled best here with an organic pre-emergent control, the most effective of which is Corn Gluten Meal, invented by Iowa State about 10 years ago and now packaged by licensees for sale in garden centers from here to California.

Mowing at the correct height is incredibly effective at Weed control.  For spot weeding, Boiling Vinegar works best, followed by boiling water and even flame throwers.  Ringer Lawn Restore comes from a very nice line of premium Organic products.  They're not for everyone.  These are more like the Rolls-Royce of Organic Gardening, and you can spend a lot of US$$$ bathing your Lawn in style.  It's fun.  And if you can afford it, it definitely shows -- DEFINITELY.  Don't let anyone tell you different.

But also remember that if you did absolutely nothing but
applied a Corn Gluten Meal pre-emergent Weedkiller every April, and mowed carefully, and watered right, and took your seed selection seriously, you would still be building a beautiful Weed-free Lawn.

Any questions?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Please explain this "Corn Gluten Meal pre-emergent Weedkiller".  Is it organic and why I haven't I heard of it before?

Answer
About 15 years ago, researchers at Iowa State discovered that Corn Meal Gluten is such an effective treatment to prevent seed germination that they patented it and licensed it for use to 2 dozen companies for their organic pre-emergent herbicide lines.  Like all pre-emergents, it must be applied diligently at the right time in the Spring, when rising soil temps trigger Weed seed germination in your Lawn.

One formula sold on the internet is called 'WOW Plus!' (www.gardensalive.com).  It would be applied immediately to stop new weeds from growing in your lawn.  'WOW! Plus' is mixed with lawn fertilizer.  It zaps baby weeds and then
fertilizes the grass.  Basic 'WOW!' (without the Plus) would be applied in the mid-summer and again in fall to stop new weeds from germinating in the early spring of 2007.  And THAT will be the beautiful Green carpet every American longs for.

You can get similar Corn Meal Gluten powders from other approved licensees: GreenEarth Organic Lawn Care (www.earthsbestfertilizers.com); Jonathan Green Inc. (www.jonathangreen.com); Bioscape (www.bioscape.com).  

The good science behind the corn gluten is posted by Iowa State at its Corn Gluten Meal Research website:

www.gluten.iastate.edu  

Why don't you already know about this?

Well, that is probably because the companies that market products based on it have SMALL ad budgets.  The Scotts Companies spends MILLIONS of dollars on advertising and have the sales numbers to justify it.  Little companies do not.

Think of it like MacDonalds versus a great little restaurant in Greenwich Village with superb food.  The great little restaurant does not have any presence among MOST New Yorkers.  But a small, select, intelligent few appreciate the little restaurant and would eat there every night if they could.  They can never however post the sales of MacDonalds.

Corn Meal Gluten is totally organic and risk free.

It is different from Cornmeal, which is effective as a BAD FUNGUS killer.  We'll go into that another day.  Thanks for writing.