From

Location

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Date Posted

Syracuse, NY

at what concentration does cornmeal begin to
honestly act as a FUNGICIDE? i know that 20 pounds per
1K SF is the recommended rate, but will that affect the growth of Mycorrhizae such as from Bio-Grow Endo Plus?
...maybe the inoculated soil will be fine with only the
Myco added to it and the other amendments, as perhaps one
main fungus in the soil will ward off the other, BAD ones...
i would like to do all soil(s) basically the same,
with 2 patches having Mushroom Compost added
and two of them having Bio-Grow-inoculated soil.
oyyy, that's a LOT of Myco! any suggestions or help---eric

4/12/2006 5:51:42 PM

Puyallup, WA

This year, I added 240# to about 10,000 sq.ft. I add it along with molasses to feed the good microbes. I did not know that there were claims of it being a fungicide.

4/12/2006 8:57:25 PM

Rocky-r@stny.rr.com

I have prepped 55 gallons of molasses and kelp powder mixture to put into my soil ( I tilled yesterday ) to feed the good microbes and get my soil buzzing early. The cornmeal will also help to feed the worms you may have lost in years past to chemical ferts. GYpsum in the fall, and cornmeal in the spring will always help get those natural casting makers back into your soil. They do a nice job at making the soil permeable also.

4/12/2006 11:38:50 PM

Syracuse, NY

Stan, keep an eye on this post a few days--
there may be a few more responses and i will try to find my Dear Dirt Doctor book that may explain to me what i want to know, but wanted to know ON HERE also, so that everybody would. yeah, it CAN be a natural fungicide to an extent,
hence the post---
and, thanks for the replies, Stan and Rock! eric

4/13/2006 12:45:12 AM

Follansbee, Wv

I'm with Stan. I've heard that corn gluten acts as a pre-emergence herbicide, but never heard about cornmeal acting as a fungicide. I would be interested in more information.

4/13/2006 7:46:21 AM

Follansbee, Wv

A quick Google search found this:

"Cornmeal Juice
Cornmeal Juice is a natural fungal control for use in any kind of sprayer. Make by soaking horticultural cornmeal in water at one cup per gallon of water. Put the cornmeal a nylon stocking bag to hold in the larger particles. The milky juice of the cornmeal will permeate the water and this mix should be sprayed without further diluting. Cornmeal Juice can be mixed with compost tea, Garrett Juice or any other natural foliar feeding spray."

--http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=204

This could prove interesting.

4/13/2006 7:52:08 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

As usual there is no published efficacy data at the edus regarding Corn Meal Teas. Just the usual garden forums & book hawksters.

This doesn't mean that Corn Meal doesn't work. We just have no proof.

Dwaine Gipe was going to try using cornmeal but he may have just added it to his soil. Does anyone know if he tried it as a tea & if it worked for him on Powdery Mildew?

I see the potential for Cornmeal teas if they work with weekly sprays.

4/13/2006 10:24:11 AM

Syracuse, NY

why do i always forget about "site search"?:

http://bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=10&p=113714

some interesting points....

4/14/2006 1:39:32 AM

Montoursville, PA

I have used corn meal following the family traditions for fifty years. There is indeed fungicidal value. This is searchable and reported uses as such for thousands of years. I apply it to the soil to support good fungi as well.

Corn tea and corn plasters are as old as time. When the drug stores fungicidal foot treatment stops working go to corn meal soaks and plasters to treat foot fungus problems effectively.

If the plant is strong enough growing in nicely ballenced soil the asundry foliar treatments will also be less needed. This is not to suggest that foliar feeding is less than great. The key is to figure out how much and when.

10/15/2006 9:00:03 PM