"What the heck is that yellow stuff?" loudly asked the neighbor boy at about 1PM as the Maximalist was finishing up spreading many pounds of corn gluten on her yard. My first thought was to say "that is no more of your business than it is mine that you are lounging around the house at this time of day". While that was true, this would have been unnecessarily provocative. Though annoyed, I answered as I had read the gluten bag and noted that it was immediately safe for children and pets,(even children in their mid 20s), though probably not for those with some rare corn allergy. I explained the concept of the gluten killing the immature root systems and that it was indeed corn based. The corn-flakey smell might have given that away.
I had also read the chemical pre-emergent weed killer bags and was rather stunned by how unsafe they were. Many cautions; do not breathe in fumes, do not get on skin or clothing. If you do wash for some extended period of time. Well how the heck do you spread that stuff without getting in on at least your clothes. I do not own a haz-mat suit or a gas mask! And while the bag suggested all this immediate washing, it was vague as to the consequences of coming in contact with the product.
Nothing could have tempted me to not use the corn gluten, and no I did not spread it anywhere near my garden bed. My little immature root sstems will be better for the omission.
And what did the neighborboy say? "Sweet". I agree.
On to the peat moss!
Your (earth)friendly, neighborhood Maximalist.
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