There have been some university studies that show it's effect. The application rate is 10-20 lbs per 1,000 square feet every three to four weeks to help prevent disease and 20 lbs per 1,000 square feet if there is an active lawn disease. You should start seeing results within 3 weeks.
Cornmeal treats lawn disease because it becomes a host for trichoderma. Trichoderma is a fungus prevalent in many soils and many strains act as a fungicide.
As a fertilizer it is very mild having an NPK rating of around 1.7-0.7-0.4. At 10 and 20 lbs per 1,000 square feet that turns out to be 0.17 and 0.34 lbs of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet which is very light for a fertilizer but you can apply it frequently without burning your lawn. For many, the disease control is the main reason to use cornmeal, the fertilization is a bonus.
Finding enough cornmeal for your lawn can be a challenge but here are some ideas of where you can look to find large bags of cornmeal if you don't live near a feed store.
You can buy small 32oz packages of whole cornmeal at your local supermarket but it is much cheaper to buy it in bulk 25lb or 50lb bags. Many people will go to a feed store to purchase it, but what about those of us that don't have a local feed store?
Well, the good news is that cornmeal isn't just for animals, humans eat it too and many food distributors provide it to restaurants in bulk. Many pizzerias use cornmeal as ball bearings so that pizzas slide easily in the oven. If you know someone that has a restaurant you can ask them to get you an extra bag for your lawn or you can try asking your local pizza place if they have any extra they would be willing to sell or if they can order you some.
You may even be able to find soybean meal which is a more effective organic fertilizer with an NPK of 7-0.5-2.3.
If that still doesn't work for you, how about getting organic corn meal delivered automatically every month or two?
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