Molasses and our plants!

Discussion in 'Growing Marijuana Indoors' started by Delta2012, Jan 20, 2008.

  1. #41 piratechefny, Dec 28, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 28, 2011
    Try alfalfa tea.... there is a hormone in the tea that promotes root and foliage growth called Triacontanol. Works wonders.

    More info on alfalfa:

    >>>>Alfalfa Meal: Alfalfa provides many nutritional benefits not only for plant use, but for soil organisms as well. One very important ingredient is tricontanol, a powerful plant growth regulator. Orchid and rose growers make an alfalfa tea and spray it directly on as a foliar fertilizer. Alfalfa is very high in vitamins, plus N-P-K-Ca, Mg, and other valuable minerals. It also includes sugars, starches, proteins, fiber and 16 amino acids. Sprinkle lightly over garden and water, or use about a handful (depending on the size) around each rose, tree, or shrub. Approximate analysis is 3-1-2. Alfalfa meal and hay used for mulch contain vitamin A, folic acid, trace minerals and the growth hormone “tricontanol.” Use at 25 pounds per 1,000 square feet or 400-800 pounds per acre. Alfalfa helps plants create larger flowers and increases the tolerance to cold. Make alfalfa tea by soaking 1 cup of alfalfa meal per 5 gallon of water. Good for all flowering plants. Research has shown that using more is not better. At recommended rates alfalfa works wonders on roses but it can be overused causing adverse effects."

    Recipe:

    5 Gallons water
    4 Cups Alfalfa pellets (get from a feed store, not the shit at the pet store)
    1/3 C Epsom salts
    can also add 1/2 C Fish emulsion

    Seal with a lid and let stand about a week; until it bubbles with fermentation.

    Mix in a ratio of one part tea to 7 parts water... this stuff is strong! The tonic should be used regularly and can also be applied as a foliar; was used on clones waiting to root as well.

    Note: One of the other members mentioned the use of lactobacilli (the stuff in yogurt) will keep the stank down. I haven't confirmed it, but it's worth a try because this tea freakin' reeks.
     
  2. Just started reading up on Kelp (seaweed) extracts.... another great organic amendment that acts similarly to the alfalfa tea and can be bought in concentrate. Here are some notes on the benefits of kelp:

    >>>>"The role of kelp in agriculture dates back thousands of years, and has been an integral part of coastal farming. It can be said with honesty that kelp is the most effective additive next to quality fertilizer.
    The kelp that has the most importance for our needs is a kelp that grows in the cold Canadian waters of the Atlantic Ocean, it is called Ascophyllum Nodosum. There are many kelps that have great benefits for agriculture but this particular kelp has the gold medal.
    Ascophyllum is harvested by collecting from either the rocky shores or using a type of dredge or seine to catch it. It is then washed with fresh water to rid it of excess sea salt and then it is dried and powdered. It is very important that they harvest it at just the right time to ensure that the cytokinin levels are at their peak (cytokinins are growth hormones responsible for cell division in plants).
    Kelp contains many wonderful things such as over 70 minerals and trace elements, growth hormones, vitamins, enzymes, and proteins.
    It has been proven that kelp or what is in kelp can accelerate growth, increase fruiting and flowering, provide resistance to disease, insects and frost. There are a couple of things that are important in regards to the benefits of kelp and how they work. The first one is all of the trace elements and minerals which are aided by a carbohydrate mannitol that chelates or makes available certain minerals. One of the problems of modern farming is enabling the plant to take up all of the nutrients to complete a healthy life cycle. Chelates are very important in allowing plants to take up certain essential elements. What researchers have discovered is that with so many trace elements and minerals as well as vitamins and enzymes not to mention growth hormones, kelp aids in building and or supporting the plants natural immune system. If you can keep a plants immune system high it will have the ability to resist disease, insects, frost, and drought.
    The second important and perhaps the most important aspect of kelp is the growth hormones. Kelp contains ample quantities of auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins. All growth hormones play a part in how a plant functions, and are more accurately called growth regulators. Kelp has very high amounts of a particular hormone, cytokinin. Cytokinins are responsible for cell division, cell enlargement, differentiation of cells, development of chloroplasts as well as a delay in aging."


    Simply Hydroponics - Benefits of Kelp


    this could be used in any garden.... i've found products that could be ran in a drip system for the hydro/auto feed growers, can be added directly to the soil, used on cuttings, roots during transplant and it's a fantastic foliar feed. there's lots of literature out there on the subject.... do a search and check it out :wave:
     
  3. Nice! I'm glad I'm using it! Lol. I've got liquid sea kelp extract I mix in with their food and kelp meal I mix into the soil. Didn't know all that stuff. Thanks for the info!!!
     
  4. #44 piratechefny, Dec 30, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 30, 2011
    It seems as though the kelp is best fed by foliar applications:

    >>>>"Foliar application is no doubt the most efficient and effective method of administering liquid seaweed to your plants . Kelp extracts are 8 to 20 times more effective when applied to the leaves then when broadcast on the soil. Spray as a fine mist until it drips off the plants’ surfaces and the plants will immediately absorb the fertilizer and begin to benefit from it by the second day."

    What are the Benefits of Using Liquid Seaweed Fertilizer.

    There are several other sources that claim similar results when spraying as opposed to root drenching. I would be a little leery of foliar feeding during late flowering, especially if your rh is on the high end, but the benefits are certainly there during veg. If you do go for the foliar feed, add a couple drops per gallon of dish soap as it acts as a wetting agent and allows you to fully coat the leaves instead of leaving big droplets on them. Be sure to use a non scented (avoid in particular anything with mint in it... they hate it) soap like palmolive or dawn.

    I'm not an organic guy, but i'll definitely be adding this; also I can only make the alfalfa tea in the summer so it seems like a no brainer.
     
  5. Hahahaha...reading this  is like asking directions from the three Stooges...pokes in the eye....
     

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