I don't know if anybody's posted this already but I found this cool little article by Robert Moore over at thesoilguy.com. Nice condensed article about the benefits of molasses, check it out... MOLASSES Molasses is used for a lot of things, including amimal food and as a food additive for human consumption. But in this article, discussion of this product (mainly from sugar cane and beets) is limited to food for MICROBES. Yes, molasses can feed microbes in lots of different environments, but the only environments discussed herein, are for composting and in an organic garden. Two Types In this context, there are two basic types of molasses available: sulfured and unsulfured. Basically treating molasses with sulfur results in fortification of iron, calcium and magnesium. So the question is, do microbes need iron, calcium and magnesium. In this author's opinion, no. But some organic gardeners use sulfured molasses in their drenches because they feel plants will appreciate the fortification. However, I think there are better ways to accomplish such fortification than spending the extra money for the sulfured type. Cane or Beet Is cane molasses any better than beet molasses? Based on research I've studied, and considering its use to feed microbes, I think the best price should rule that decision. Both types have about the same number of calories as sugar - about 16 calories per teaspoon (5 ml). Recent Studies Molasses to boost soil microbial activity has been talked about for many decades and the theory has been that it provides an energy source for microbes that can be utilized equally well by all soil organisms. However, field applications that I have studied, have not tended to produce many convincing responses. For instance, Recent research by SWEP laboratories, has begun to shed light on this issue by looking at soil biology from a balance perspective (according to the principles of the Mikhail System) that has shown some significant effects on soil biology, but are now finding that the soilfoodweb is much more complex than expected - something Dr. Elaine Ingham (Soil Foodweb) could have told them many years ago. Results of these studies appear to indicate that the lowest application rates work best for fungi and cellulose utilizers, while some bacteria showed the opposite response, with activity increasing as the application rate increased. So my 'take' on this is that BALANCE is the prerequisite to consider, involving the type of microbes you want to supply, based on what you are attempting to accomplish. With regard to feeding compost tea microbe population (liquid environment, not solids), in my opinion there is no equal in the field, to Dr. Ingham. However, tea must be aerated and fed more than just molasses to accomplish such objective effectively. Molasses is CARBON Molasses is an effective, quick source of carbon energy for various forms of microbial life in a compost pile or gardening dirt. In fact molasses has long been a part of the common products used by organic gardeners to bring greater health to their soils and plants, because it's a great source of carbohydrates that stimulates the growth of beneficial microorganisms. Types of Molasses There are many grades and types of molasses, depending upon the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet, and the method of extraction that they undergo. The different types are: first molasses, second molasses, unsulfured molasses, sulfured molasses, and blackstrap molasses. You should also know about DRY molasses which is something different altogether, and is not discussed in this article (see: Dry Molasses). But just so you know, dry molasses is molasses that has been sprayed onto grain residue which acts as a "carrier, and is used by many composters because it is easy to broadcast onto to a feedstock layer without mixing in water, so a square footage/depth of application is then simply watered-in as needed, for appropriate feedstock moistening. The Best Type for Boosting Fertilizer For organic gardeners, I recommend unsulfured cane blackstrap molasses as the best choice because it is the most nutritionally (trace elements) valuable of the various types of molasses. I do not recommend using synthetic chemical fertilizers, but I would be remiss not to mention that molasses is also a chelating agent, which means that it can 'help' convert 'some' chemical nutrients into a form that's 'more' easily available for organisms and plants to use. Molasses can be an important addition to an organic fertilizing program (drench or foliar), depending on whether your garden dirt is in need of such. Most organic garden beds worked by folks who actively compost - and use their compost on their garden - do not need molasses, but then, it can be (in minor amounts) added to compost tea when used as a foliar spray directly on plants - a highly recommended practice, especially if the tea is direct leachate and not brewed tea. Basic Drench Mixture: 1 to 3 tablespoons (15 to 45 ml) blackstrap molasses (unsulfured) per 1 gallon (3.8 liter) of liquid fertilizer mix (this can be any liquid fertilizer, compost tea, kelp, or alfalfa meal tea) Molasses and Alfalfa Tea Mixture: 4 gallons (15.2 liter) of water 1 cup (225 ml) of fine ground alfalfa meal 1 tablespoon (15 ml) blackstrap or sugar beet molasses Allow this to sit for 24 hours, and then it is ready for application as a soil drench. As a foliar feed, recommend straining the mixture so there is nothing to clog the spray head. © Robert C. Moore ~ All Rights Reserved
I was looking at some research the other day and they where saying 1 teaspoon of black strap per gallon of water.more than that and the balance of the beastys could be thrown of with to much bact, taking over.
hmmm, never heard of that before... Pretty good article, kind of reinforces what just about any good grower will typically tell you regarding fertilizing, less is more. l was really interested in where he talks about using molasses as a chelating agent with both organic AND synthetic ferts in order to help plants absorb and use more nutrients. I knew that we organic growers benefited from this effect but I had no idea that growers using synthetics and salts could also make use of this too. Obviously they lose out on the micro herd that we are all cultivating but still have something to gain by using molasses. I'm not affiliated in any way but there's plenty of good reading on soilguy if you're looking to increase your knowledge.
a buddy of mine uses honey without additives... works nice for him... i go with molasses for the flowering period
I was thinking of trying honey...rather than buying molasses, I will probably try adding like a teaspoon of organic sage honey into my nutrient brew
I just started using molasses. What i want is some proof its effective during veg and not just flowering.
I started watering with molasses in after 3 weeks in veg, I think I will water one more time (tonight) with it in veg, then turn the light back on Sat., then every watering in flower. I actually watered my clones with molasses before this grow, but I don't think that was a good idea. They are doing alright now but I lost some clones.
ive never managed to have any luck with it for some reason..last time I used it, it killed my super lemon haze and my mk ultra..I pulled them out of the pots to check the roots and there was a shit load of mold so I tossed'em..no more molassas for me..
how much were you using? pretty much what the article is saying is molasses can be great when used in moderation, but applying too much can throw the micro herd out of wack and then all the molasses does is feed the harmful bacteria. if you had visible mold in your rootzone, i'd bet that's what happened.
I know, I know. I heard somebody else use the term and immediately thought of millions of tiny cows charging around down in my soil, trampling nutrients into pulp so my plants can better use them.
The term was first used here by Lumperdawz.......read his posts here if you haven't already. Maina posted a thread about him and everything he said is right on.
i haven't heard of anyone using it in veg yet... just take two clones off the same plant, and do a comparison...
I posted this recently in the sticky about Molasses as nutrient under advanced growing techniques but for anyone that hasn't seen that here you go: I found that 1 TBSP of Molasses according to http://www.nutritiondata.com/ Calcium 41 mg Iron .9 mg Magnesium 48.4 mg Phosphorus 6.2 mg Potassium 293 mg Zinc .1 mg Copper .1 mg Manganese .3 mg Now you must realize this sight doesn't differentiate between "Black Strap" un-sulphered Molasses so I'm sure brands and such may be different. So as you can see it has a wide variety of nutrients available to the plant albeit some in smaller quantities. I feed mine 2 Tbsp /gal every other watering and mix it with liquid ferts with np. Other people also use it when flushing as well just molasses and water while flushing - cannabis loves it. You can use it all all stages of growth and your plant WILL benefit.
You really need to look his posts up. Your head will spin. I feel like I owe him a tuition check every time I read his info. Check out his info on molasses.
hmmm, that's a bummer dude. i just recently started using only 1 tsp/gallon and my plants seem do be doing great, a little really does go a long way. also i would venture to bet that our choices of growing mediums and nutes have a significant impact on how much molasses is going to be beneficial vs how much is going to be overkill. so for example, someone growing in canna coco may require more or less molasses to properly feed their herd as someone growing in ocean forest. the more microorganisms that exist in a medium, the more carbohydrates it's going to take to feed them, no? i could be totally off base but it would make sense that everyone would have to fine tune their ratios dependent on their plants and their mediums unique situation and nutritional demands. as the author of the article stated, it's all about the BALANCE. anybody have any thoughts on this???