Biodegradable Lawn Care

Not all lawn care products contain harmful chemicals. In 1986, Nick Christians, an Iowa State University horticulture professor, discovered that corn gluten kills dandelions and other weeds. This environmentally safe alternative uses the byproduct of processing corn into syrup, starch and ethanol, and poses no risk to other plants or animals. In fact, corn gluten is also the main ingredient in Purina Dog Chow! Right now, the only drawback is that it costs about twice as much as traditional lawn care products. But as more ethanol plants are built, there should be more gluten to go around, bringing the price down.