Eileen,
Corn gluten meal is a natural weed and feed fertilizer. It should be broadcast in the spring around February 15-March 15 to prevent grassburs, crabgrass, and other annual weeds that germinate from seed. These dates are for the North Texas areas. Your dates will depend on location. The key is to broadcast the material before the the weed seed germinate.
For the cool season or winter weeds, broadcast sometime between September 15 and October 15 at 15-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet for the control of henbit, dandelions, annual bluegrass and other winter weeds. It also serves as a powerful organic fertilizer having about 9-10 percent nitrogen.
Corn gluten meal can be used when overseeding ryegrass or other cool season crops but only with care. You must wait until the grass, vetch or clover has germinated and started to grow before putting the corn gluten meal down or the seed germination will be hurt. Do not use prior to planting anything from seed.
Corn gluten meal replaces the need for other fertilization for that period.
In the early 1990s Dr. Nick Christians and his research students at Iowa State discovered that corn gluten meal, a product of the wet milling process, works as a pre-emergent weed and feed. It inhibits weed root formation during germination. With a nitrogen content of about 10 percent, it is also a powerful fertilizer. It is available in the natural powdered form or in a granulated form. Powdered products are more effective and cheaper but the granulated products are much less dusty and messy.
Apply about 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet just like a fertilizer application. In North Texas, do it about March 1 and again about June 1 for even greater control. Unlike chemical herbicides, corn gluten meal replaces the need to buy additional fertilizer. Warning: Do not allow a bag of corn gluten meal to get wet. The resultant odor can be overwhelming.
P.S. Cornmeal only works in an organic program. When toxic chemical products are used, the effect of the cornmeal will be lost.
What type of soil is in the garden area? Have you done a soil test? In most states you can have your soil tested at the county extension for free. This will let you know everything that your soil needs.
I'm very familiar with the conditions of your garden area. There might be hope. Apply blood and bone meal and dried molasses to the garden and till it in. Get a soil test. Its my guess that PH is off and M/Org. inactive. We can fix this I think. Adjusting PH is easy but we have to know what it is.
If the hay isn't avail. can you find shredded peanut hulls?
Vinegar Herbicide Formula:
1 gallon of 10% vinegar
Add 1 ounce orange oil or d-limonene
1 teaspoon liquid soap or other surfactant (Plant Wash)
Add molasses at 1 tablespoon per gallon to the vinegar formula
Do not add water
Apply on a hot sunny day.
Molasses is harmless to everything. It doesn't kill the ants, it re-establishes mic/orgs. so abundantly that it creates competition for the ants, and fire ants hate competition. They just move out of the area.
Get back to me
Roy