What is corn gluten fertilizer?

Corn gluten fertilizer is a natural by-product used in the creation of corn starches and is used as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. It is nontoxic and is primarily a source of nitrogen.

Corn gluten is also sold as a weeding product, as prior research at Iowa State found that the gluten meal worked to prevent seed germination. There is still contention with the findings of the Iowa State study. An Oregon State study, for instance, showed no notable weed prevention. For nontoxic weed prevention, corn gluten does have some benefit, though. Nitrogen-rich soil benefits thick grasses, which can help prevent weeds from germinating simply by choking them out of space in the lawn.