Molasses or Sugar??
- Thread starter Mannheim
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scroglodyte
Well-Known Member
molasses has some trace minerals.
polyarcturus
Well-Known Member
all sugar is the same, honey and molasses are considered the best as they have the highest nutrient value, i personally use cornsyrup and honey(2-1 ratio).
missnu
Well-Known Member
Molasses is good to feed the little things that liv ein your soil to break the nutrients in the soil down to make them more available to the plants...
I don't use it, as I have never seen any benefit and it is yucky to work with...
I use sugar water on my plants if they show signs of Nitrogen overload...sugar is a super simple carbon, but plant's can't break it down, but it binds excess nitrogen in the soil, so it is no longer actively hurting the plant, which usually gives a plant long enough to grow more and use the nitrogen as the sugar gets broken down by the soil beasties..(same ones mentioned above basically)...Sugar water can't hurt a plant, provides a cellulose source with time, and can turn around slight nute burn...so I do use it, but not just for fun...I use it if when I flip to 12/12 they look overdone...because nitrogen levels that make for happy fast growing plants in veg make for nitrogen overfed flowering plants...
I don't use it, as I have never seen any benefit and it is yucky to work with...
I use sugar water on my plants if they show signs of Nitrogen overload...sugar is a super simple carbon, but plant's can't break it down, but it binds excess nitrogen in the soil, so it is no longer actively hurting the plant, which usually gives a plant long enough to grow more and use the nitrogen as the sugar gets broken down by the soil beasties..(same ones mentioned above basically)...Sugar water can't hurt a plant, provides a cellulose source with time, and can turn around slight nute burn...so I do use it, but not just for fun...I use it if when I flip to 12/12 they look overdone...because nitrogen levels that make for happy fast growing plants in veg make for nitrogen overfed flowering plants...
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
I'm not a chemist, but I've heard it argued that the carbo molecule in molasses is too complex to be absorbed by plants -- it's supposed to feed the microbes in the soil, not the plant.
I just started using bud candy because it includes a few different carbos which can be absorbed by plants.
I just started using bud candy because it includes a few different carbos which can be absorbed by plants.
STLbudz
Well-Known Member
I like to use it, Im going to be running it against Sweet this run ina couple weeks , but i would try on a couple plants instead of all of them and see the diff for yourself and see if it works for you,,,some people like it some dont your going to get dif answers you just got to do it, I do 1 tablespoon per gal, and its keeps mircros alive ive noticed more sweeter,denser, buds using molasses
wristychronicles
Well-Known Member
you want to use organic, non pasteurized, molasses. It feeds the soil and more specifically the natural mychorrhiza within the soil. All Soil growers will confirm that feeding and understanding your "soil" plays an important role in optimum production and overall success. I use a heaping table spoon per gallon.
Gastanker
Well-Known Member
I've heard crazy weird stories about molasses but here is the basics -
First off you want black strap molasses - this is NOT the stuff sold in supermarkets as blackstrap (although it will work to a lesser degree). True black strap molasses is gross, you would never ever eat it. Its what is left over when making sugar and store quality molasses and generally has much much much less sugars as they've all been stripped out and much much more of the good stuff - what makes it bitter. True blackstrap can be found at ag and feed stores for really cheap. My 5 gallon bucket cost me $20 which comes to like $0.50 a pound.
Ok, now what it does - Molasses has many micros, vitamins, metals and other trace elements that your plant can absorb. More importantly these micros and vitamins help encourage healthy beneficial in the soil - the same bacteria and fungi that mineralize your organic amendments making them available to your plants. Secondly, the sugars that are left in the blackstrap are a readily available form of carbon for which the beneficials eat. Bennies, although they turn N,P,K material into ionized forms, mostly eat available carbon - for every gram of nitrogen they need they must have 30-50 grams of carbon...
So in essence molasses does fairly little for the plant itself but does wonders for your soil which in turn will help your plant. I recommend feeding your soil molasses all through the grow - the notion that it's only beneficial at the ends is a bit silly imo, and the stories of plants directly absorbing sugar to make the plant sweet is a bit crazy... Ever burn sugar? It's gross - I don't know why anyone would want extra sugar in their buds.
I would stear you away from honey as it contains several antibacterials - bacteria is what you are trying to promote.
First off you want black strap molasses - this is NOT the stuff sold in supermarkets as blackstrap (although it will work to a lesser degree). True black strap molasses is gross, you would never ever eat it. Its what is left over when making sugar and store quality molasses and generally has much much much less sugars as they've all been stripped out and much much more of the good stuff - what makes it bitter. True blackstrap can be found at ag and feed stores for really cheap. My 5 gallon bucket cost me $20 which comes to like $0.50 a pound.
Ok, now what it does - Molasses has many micros, vitamins, metals and other trace elements that your plant can absorb. More importantly these micros and vitamins help encourage healthy beneficial in the soil - the same bacteria and fungi that mineralize your organic amendments making them available to your plants. Secondly, the sugars that are left in the blackstrap are a readily available form of carbon for which the beneficials eat. Bennies, although they turn N,P,K material into ionized forms, mostly eat available carbon - for every gram of nitrogen they need they must have 30-50 grams of carbon...
So in essence molasses does fairly little for the plant itself but does wonders for your soil which in turn will help your plant. I recommend feeding your soil molasses all through the grow - the notion that it's only beneficial at the ends is a bit silly imo, and the stories of plants directly absorbing sugar to make the plant sweet is a bit crazy... Ever burn sugar? It's gross - I don't know why anyone would want extra sugar in their buds.
I would stear you away from honey as it contains several antibacterials - bacteria is what you are trying to promote.
UgrowGurl
Member
I fed my first grow with Epsom salts and molasses the whole way through and during flowering I buried banana peels in the soil when I re-potted. I got 4oz of really nice fat bud off of two plants. My only issues were that toward the end of the grow the fan leaves got really yellow, spotty and I had to prune a lot off and the little flying bugs (fungus knats?) were pretty abundant. . . .although I use ONA gel for odor control and it seems the bugs are attracted to it--dive in and die--lol
Excellent information..now I just hope it's all correct, lol. No offense intended. Gonna go get some of that blackstrap goodness and dose the 1/2 of the next grow. I use FFOF with subcultures -m and -b, along with Root 66 when I can afford it, so there is alot in the soil to benefit from the molasses. Thanks guys.
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
wristychronicles
Well-Known Member
You can also use a brand by the name of "grandmas molasses", when I bought it for the first time 3 years ago I looked everywhere for blackstrap and had no luck but grandmas is just as good. (just in case you go to the store and end up in the same situation as I was once in)
polyarcturus
Well-Known Member
Honey is primarily a saturated mixture of two monosaccharides, with a low water activity; most of the water molecules are associated with the sugars and few remain available for microorganisms, so it is a poor environment for their growth. If water is mixed with honey, it loses its low water activity, and therefore no longer possesses this antimicrobial property.
straight from wiki, but no for real there are many reasons why i use honey, but it is the best choice even above molasses bu this is a personal preference. this is just so you know.
straight from wiki, but no for real there are many reasons why i use honey, but it is the best choice even above molasses bu this is a personal preference. this is just so you know.
Gastanker
Well-Known Member
Great info! Thanks! Just started a graduate discussion/lecture on agricultural entomology and bees and all we've covered so far when it comes to honey is the antibacterial properties - I'm sure the rest is just around the corner. My bad for spreading bad info on honey. The rest of what I said should be dead on though 
polyarcturus
Well-Known Member
your info is on point! no probs its just honey is good for the soil. yeah i dont know why people "try to sweeten their bud" as the end with molassis... if you want to increase the terpines? try honey as these are collected with the pollens from the bees because of their electrical nature, honey actually has tons of enzymes and in the tea its amazing stuff, really.
Gastanker
Well-Known Member
Hehe, hate to be picky but honey comes from nectar and is picked primarily based on the sugar content of the nectar (varries greatly between plant types) and the proximity from the hive. Pollen is the bees protein source and generally only fed to developing larvae. If you're a bee keeper and you want more honey production or increased pollination you actually use pollen traps to steal pollen from the bees - essentially forcing them to gather more pollen for the developing young but while they are out they also gather additional nectar as well. Something we have covered
If I find a cheap source of honey I'll definately give it a go.
If I find a cheap source of honey I'll definately give it a go.
polyarcturus
Well-Known Member
thats why i mix 2-1 with cornsyrup lol.
Nunchukawaria
Active Member
Molasses has potassium and thats why it's good for budding.