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Try These Cornstarch Tricks To Help Your Garden Thrive
By TIM BUTTERS
Boosts Soil
Cornstarch is rich in magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus, so you can improve your soil by sprinkling some above your plant’s roots and then lightly watering.
Fertilizes
A report in HortScience found that tomato plants treated with cornstarch-based, biodegradable polymer had more flowers and fruit. The powder can also fertilize grass.
Sustainable packing peanuts have often been used as a fertilizer for their cornstarch content, but you can also simply stir up some cornstarch powder in a watering can.
Combats Nitrogen
A little nitrogen in your soil is great, but too much will cause slow-growing plants to die and fast-growing plants to take over the garden. Cornstarch can help.
A 2009 study by NC State University found that a slurry made of cornstarch helped soil absorb the nitrogen from fertilizer in a slower and more manageable manner.
Deters Worms
Worms can become pests when they start feeding on your plants. Sprinkle a little cornstarch on your plant's leaves to suffocate them and deter other insects.
Aids Seeds
To keep seeds from going astray, try a cornstarch-based seeding gel. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 cup of water, pour into a saucepan, and bring it to a boil.
Once it’s cooled, skim off the skin, place the gel into a bag, and distribute the seeds into it. Then, cut a triangle in the bag and squeeze the gel along your planting rows.