The main ingrediant in MOST rooting hormones is Indolbutericacid Not B1 (B1 is often found in products to stimulate EXISTING root growth)as a organic product corn meal will enrich soil AFTER it starts to decompose but before that it will need NITROGEN to start decomposing .... & yes will ROB N from the soil at first.
The bottom line is that corn mweal is NOT!!!!!! a rooting hormone.

Thanks George. LOL You have spelled it out for me. I will not use cornmeal to develop roots on my already dying transplanted stems. I think I will go to the store and buy this rooting hormone instead of all of this. One question though. What do you mean by decomposing soil? Does it mean the soil is too weak and lacking nutrients? Sorry I didnot get that part about needing nitrogen for the soil to start decomposing.

What was meant, I believe, is that cornmeal has very low nitrogen content in it. The microbes which cause decomposition, i.e. break the cornmeal down into humus like in composting, use up a fair amount of nitrogen as they work. If you add uncomposted organics to your soil, you also need to add some source of nitrogen such as fertilizer, or perhaps bloodmeal or alfalfa meal if you are an organicker, to prevent this from depleting the soil nitrogen and starving your plants.

George (Not the one who answered above)

Thanks for that information Geoforce. I think I understand now, but the question is, what can cornmeal be used for if not for rooting plants?

Cornmeal is a natural pre-emergent herbicide.

Soeur

Toss it on top of the soil and let the worms work it into good stuff for the soil, since you already have it on hand.

DO the worms eat the cornmeal? if so i wouldn't have to worry about the nitrogen depletion, because i think the process through the worm would do all thats needed for the decomposition thereof, i have tons of worms can't dfig anywhere and not find worms. Was just wondering, because kiwi have yellowing of leaves and it was mentioned cornmeal was good for that, but then lack of nitrogen can be the cause of the yellowing to start with.

The corn meal I use as a pre-emergent is listed on the bag as containing 9% nitrogen, so it acts as a fertilizer, too. Worms will eat it, sure. They eat organic material.

Soeur

A very good hort guy was (just yesterday)telling me to work a fair amount of ag. cornmeal in to the soil when I plant bulbs. He said the cornmeal grows a fungus that eats the fungus that attacks your/my bulbs. I thought that was a wonderful thing to share.

Another little thing he told me is that if you can't find the ag. cornmeal, you can use the ground corn feed that they feed baby chicks. He said it is the same thing. I wonder what is the price difference?

I know John knows what he is talking about. He owns and operates a huge nursery, and it is just gorgeous.

Janie

Is ag corn meal the same as corn gluten meal? That is the thing they are promoting these days as an organic fertilizer/weed control.

Yes, it is.

And it works.

Janie

Cornmeal - what you purchase in the grocery to be used in making cornbread is NOT the same thing as corn gluten meal.

Absolutely not the same. I said Ag. cornmeal. Agricultural cornmeal, cornmeal gluten. Do not use cornmeal like you put on the fish or shrimp.

Buy AG cornmeal or corn gluten at the feed store, or some nurseries carry it.

Janie

I have never heard of any form of corn meal used as a rooting hormone.

WHOLE GROUND cornmeal(look carefully if you buy it at the grocery store) is helpful for fungal disease in grass and for black spot on roses.

Corn GLUTEN meal, used at intervals BEFORE seeds sprout, can prevent germination of seeds. It is also a very mild fertilizer.

Exactly how does corn GLUTEN meal prevent germination of seeds?

Check out the link below, very excellent review of good uses for cornmeal and you can buy from grocery store, only be sure it isn't mixed with flour and some cornmeal bread readymixes are. Just plain stone ground cornmeal will do the trick. It can't hurt, and is a fertilizer of sorts.
Unfortunately the whole A&M article is no longer at the link given in one of the postings, it explained a lot.
Pauline

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Web Discussion on Cornmeal

I note that Pauline has posted an old thread I started on my early cornmeal experiments. Time has passed. Much experimenting has been done since that was written. You will find the most complete information on cornmeal as a fungicide and corn gluten meal for lawn weed prevention by doing searches on GW's Lawn Forum. There this subject has been (and continues to be) discussed, dissected, understood and misunderstood. Take the time to do some research on the Lawn Forum.

Hello, I wonder if anyone knows where to get a small quantity of corn gluten meal for my lawn. I have a VERY tiny yard and the only corn gluten meal I've found is in 50 lb bags, that covers 2500 sq. ft. My turf is probably less than 200 sq. ft. total (guessing). Even though the bag keeps for 3 yrs, I'd rather buy only a small amount. I live in the Cincinnati area. Any ideas?