doc111
Well-Known Member
This is tame and actually quite civilized as far as most RIU discussions go. What makes you think we've been Trolled, as you put it?
Molasses - didn´t do ANYTHING for me.
- Thread starter Spanishfly
- Start date
Dinosaur Bone
Active Member
Halloween is coming... Popcorn Balls.
Shoofly pie is a brilliant way to use 8oz. >>>http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shoo-fly-pie-recipe/index.html <<<
Countryfarmer
Active Member
I have not done any scientific study related to molasses, but it doesn't take an experiment to know how molasses works and what it does not do; all you have to have is a basic understanding of how soil microbes and plants interact with one another.
If you use molasses, you are not feeding your plant. You are feeding the soil. Microbes utilize the sugar and the additional food causes an increase in soil microbes. As one poster has already pointed out, there is a point of diminishing returns. Plant roots need oxygen, and if you feed the soil microbes too much and allow them to multiply too greatly you run the risk of starving both your plants and the microbes of much needed oxygen.
Additionally, microbes break down the raw material, in this case molasses, and convert it into forms usable by the plants, such as nitrogen, potash and various needed micronutrients. If you are growing completely organically and do not have the necessary micronutrients, nitrogen and potassium in your soil, then the addition of molasses could provide these. If you are using a full spectrum fertilizer, then the addition of molasses is unnecessary as these needed building blocks are already provided.
I think a lot of people become confused about molasses because they think as if the plant is utilizing the molasses the same way we do, and that is untrue. A plant is not sucking up sweet, tasty goodness like a kid with a straw. Adding molasses does not equal a tastier bud. The sugars are not utilized at all by the plant, at least not in their raw carbon form, but instead are utilized when the soil microbes break them down into components the plant uses for its plant functions.
So, is adding molasses a good idea? Well, it could be, depending on how you are growing your plants and if you need the molasses to provide the plant with needed nutrients. As long as it is used in moderation, it should not hurt your plant, and molasses are inexpensive. But if you dump too much, you stand the chance of actually temporarily decreasing the oxygenation in your soil, as well as having an increased chance of either pest or mold, as both insects and mold love the sugars as much as the soil microbes do.
If you are growing hydroponically, molasses does absolutely nothing for you as you do not have the soil microbes necessary to break the molasses down into forms usable by the plants.
In conclusion, molasses are an excellent cheap source of fertilization if you are growing in soil, and will provide some essential nutrients. But if you are already using a full spectrum fertilizer their addition is completely unnecessary, but should not harm anything if you choose to utilize it in moderation. Again, this is not based on any experimentation I have done. It is my opinion based on an educated understanding of how soil microbes and plants work together.
If you use molasses, you are not feeding your plant. You are feeding the soil. Microbes utilize the sugar and the additional food causes an increase in soil microbes. As one poster has already pointed out, there is a point of diminishing returns. Plant roots need oxygen, and if you feed the soil microbes too much and allow them to multiply too greatly you run the risk of starving both your plants and the microbes of much needed oxygen.
Additionally, microbes break down the raw material, in this case molasses, and convert it into forms usable by the plants, such as nitrogen, potash and various needed micronutrients. If you are growing completely organically and do not have the necessary micronutrients, nitrogen and potassium in your soil, then the addition of molasses could provide these. If you are using a full spectrum fertilizer, then the addition of molasses is unnecessary as these needed building blocks are already provided.
I think a lot of people become confused about molasses because they think as if the plant is utilizing the molasses the same way we do, and that is untrue. A plant is not sucking up sweet, tasty goodness like a kid with a straw. Adding molasses does not equal a tastier bud. The sugars are not utilized at all by the plant, at least not in their raw carbon form, but instead are utilized when the soil microbes break them down into components the plant uses for its plant functions.
So, is adding molasses a good idea? Well, it could be, depending on how you are growing your plants and if you need the molasses to provide the plant with needed nutrients. As long as it is used in moderation, it should not hurt your plant, and molasses are inexpensive. But if you dump too much, you stand the chance of actually temporarily decreasing the oxygenation in your soil, as well as having an increased chance of either pest or mold, as both insects and mold love the sugars as much as the soil microbes do.
If you are growing hydroponically, molasses does absolutely nothing for you as you do not have the soil microbes necessary to break the molasses down into forms usable by the plants.
In conclusion, molasses are an excellent cheap source of fertilization if you are growing in soil, and will provide some essential nutrients. But if you are already using a full spectrum fertilizer their addition is completely unnecessary, but should not harm anything if you choose to utilize it in moderation. Again, this is not based on any experimentation I have done. It is my opinion based on an educated understanding of how soil microbes and plants work together.
Nullis
Moderator
So people mis-attribute results they experience (or lack thereof) to certain amendments they use, and/or utilize certain things out of context. This happens all of the time.Actually, I was trying to make everyone look stupid for using molasses. Molasses feeds the soil, how much carbohydrate do the microbes actually need? Who came up with the dosing anyways? We all know there are trace amounts of minerals in it, how much exactly? From my experience and a few others, apparently not enough to make squat worth of difference. When I was part of overgrow, I do not recall any hoopla about molasses.
For instance, a lot of people talk about using molasses during the last two weeks of flowering in order to swell their buds or make them sweeter, so on and so fourth- which is out of context. Molasses can be used through out an entire grow, as a nutritional component (fertilizer) and/or to feed microbes, not just in soil but for tea brewing as well. If it had any additional effect(s), such as increasing yields or improving taste, it would just be an added benefit so far as I am concerned; not a primary reason for it's incorporation.
As I mentioned previously, molasses is already a component of various liquid fertilizers and has been for quite some time. Then of course there are different varieties of molasses, with varying amounts of carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. At any rate it consists of much more than just sugar.
Depending on the brand of molasses, it could contain more or less of the following per 100 grams (the percentages are human % DV):
Minerals
- Calcium ----- 205 mg --- 20%
- Iron -------- 4.7 mg --- 26%
- Magnesium --- 242 mg --- 61%
- Phosphorus -- 31 mg ---- 3%
- Potassium --- 1464 mg -- 42%
- Sodium ------ 37 mg ---- 2%
- Zinc -------- 0.3 mg --- 2%
- Copper ------ 0.5 mg --- 24%
- Manganese --- 1.5 mg --- 77%
- Selenium ---- 17.8 mcg - 25%
- Thiamin -------- > 0.0 mg -- 3%
- Niacin ------------- 0.9 mg -- 5%
- Vitamin B6 ------- 0.7 mg -- 34%
- Pantothenic Acid - 0.8 mg -- 8%
- Choline ---------- 13.3 mg - ~
- Sucrose 29403 mg
- Glucose 11919 mg
- Fructose 12791 mg
Just as well, if I was going to do an experiment to see if a particular ingredient had any influence on a particular plant; I would do it on that plant and with a wider pool of genetically identical subjects. If I wanted to see what if anything molasses could do for cannabis, I wouldn't use tomatoes and assume that the results would be exactly the same just because they are both green plants and have roots.
Kerovan
Well-Known Member
yes it is... ;o)
Noobthumb87
Member
The mollases is to feed the microbes mainly not the plant it turn helping the plant they have a symbiotic relationship, kind of like a gf. Also, the main things that affect the plant are A. genetics B. space of growth (space between plants, they can actually sense eachother) and C. Light (1000grams per 1000watts). All the other shit is to minutely sculpted the plant, to take it from good to great. I know this because I started a UC system I built next to one that was bought, both ran into similar problems but my hand maid system didnt yield as much because my plants were closer together and I had 1k watts over 2 apposed to 1 like the commercial UC system.
Noobthumb87
Member
Over all I got .9 grams a watt apposed to the commercial system getting 1.1, Im an engineering student, I leave the grammar to the birds.
