What does molasses do?

getogrow

Well-Known Member
example: cow poop , pee, bone meal , ect... cannot be taken up by plants until the precious organisms break it down. keep your soil happy an your plants will be happy.




soil
 

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
No it does contain some macronutes but doesn't really do much to actually feed your plants. It is to feed the soil microbes; sucrose is like the most basic food particle. Microbes consume it, become very active, and multiply. It is millions of microbeasts eating, fighting, fucking, and farting on each other that break down organic matter to make what's in the soil available to the plants root system.
Molasses is cheap & easy to get but you could use any form of natural sugars like honey or pure maple syrup. If you add oxygen by bubbling sucrose in water it will help make populations of microbes rise exponentially forming a base for compost teas. Insects are always attracted to sweet but if you just use it in a tea that in and of itself does not attract more bugs. Organic soil has all manner of living creatures both tiny and small; it's oar for the course but fairly easy to control most pests in my exp.
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
Right hott stuff ...like they said....it's not really a note...but this of it the way I do...it makes the nutes work basically....feeds those buga that poop out what ur plant can eat....It doesn't have to be molassea but I'd just atidk with it for safety ...corn syrup... Maple syrup... Glucose and what not.....I used afrdities extraction for my teas and every tea I made bubbled up better and faster...but it's just a gimic ....work got my bag ass though
 

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
I would definitely suggest molasses over other sugar sources simply because molasses brings the calcium, magnesium, and iron. I only use 1/2 tbsp per gallon every three weeks.

Compost tea is a great way to utilize molasses.

5 gallons of dechlorinated or ro water
4 cups of Compost or worm castings
1/2 cup of Molasses
Aerate with an air pump and air stone (or hose) for 24 to 48 hours

Apply to plants. You can dilute if needed to stretch the water to more plants but you don't have to.

This will inoculate your soil with the microbes that break down matter and make it available to your plants. If you want a more scientific explanation I suggest picking up a copy of Teaming With Microbes!
 

hyroot

Well-Known Member
I would definitely suggest molasses over other sugar sources simply because molasses brings the calcium, magnesium, and iron. I only use 1/2 tbsp per gallon every three weeks.

Compost tea is a great way to utilize molasses.

5 gallons of dechlorinated or ro water
4 cups of Compost or worm castings
1/2 cup of Molasses
Aerate with an air pump and air stone (or hose) for 24 to 48 hours

Apply to plants. You can dilute if needed to stretch the water to more plants but you don't have to.

This will inoculate your soil with the microbes that break down matter and make it available to your plants. If you want a more scientific explanation I suggest picking up a copy of Teaming With Microbes!

1/2 cup of molasses is way too much. you only need about 3-5 tbsp for 5 gal compost tea. 1/2 cup molasses will make the tea take days til it's ready. Unless you're making a concentrated tea that's going to be diluted to a 30 gallon tea

To the op if you are just looking for macro nutrients. Then rock dusts are a far better option than molasses. It's like a steak dinner vs candy and soda. Microbes love rock dusts too.
 

Chronikool

Well-Known Member
1/2 cup of molasses is way too much. you only need about 3-5 tbsp for 5 gal compost tea. 1/2 cup molasses will make the tea take days til it's ready. Unless you're making a concentrated tea that's going to be diluted to a 30 gallon tea

To the op if you are just looking for macro nutrients. Then rock dusts are a far better option than molasses. It's like a steak dinner vs candy and soda. Microbes love rock dusts too.
Yip...personally i have given up on feeding molasses as i have confidence that my soil is in balance (4th generation no till) and i dont need molasses to feed my micro beasties.

I top dress everyweek with a dry blend thatz really simple to sprinkle: Basalt Rockdust blend (which includes dried seaweed + fish), kelpmeal, dried blood, compost concentrate, bio phos (calcium, phosphorus, sulphur) organic rolled oats, organic diastatic malted barley flour.

I occasionaly top up with fresh worm castings (wormz included) as a boost, but most of the food is in my dry blend.
 

testiclees

Well-Known Member
1/2 cup of molasses is way too much. you only need about 3-5 tbsp for 5 gal compost tea. 1/2 cup molasses will make the tea take days til it's ready. Unless you're making a concentrated tea that's going to be diluted to a 30 gallon tea

To the op if you are just looking for macro nutrients. Then rock dusts are a far better option than molasses. It's like a steak dinner vs candy and soda. Microbes love rock dusts too.
I got banned at IC for explaining to that asshole BurnOne that microbes eat minerale.
 

testiclees

Well-Known Member
Yip...personally i have given up on feeding molasses as i have confidence that my soil is in balance (4th generation no till) and i dont need molasses to feed my micro beasties.

I top dress everyweek with a dry blend thatz really simple to sprinkle: Basalt Rockdust blend (which includes dried seaweed + fish), kelpmeal, dried blood, compost concentrate, bio phos (calcium, phosphorus, sulphur) organic rolled oats, organic diastatic malted barley flour.

I occasionaly top up with fresh worm castings (wormz included) as a boost, but most of the food is in my dry blend.
Soil test at all?
 
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