3LB's Molasses - The Miracle Addative

[dangbongdang]

I've got a quick question for you guys about molasses. First off this shit is the best and makes my ladies very very happy on many occassions, but im nearing the end of my grow and im just wondering if i can use it until the end? Can I flush the plant with a solution of water and molasses or should it just be water? Thanks
-DBD

 

[gladysvjubb]

When I first heard about molasses I thought the people who mentioned it were nuts! I tried it and all I can say is I'm hooked. The smoke comes out smooth and sweet. If you haven't tried it .... you should. Quite amazing. I use one teaspoon per gallon of water for the last month of watering and do not flush, but that's just me. I have saucers under my pots and I water to runoff, just barely. Then I let the pot sit in the water for a couple of hours and the runoff gets sucked back up into the soil. I have to empty the saucer every now and then but for the most part my soil likes to drink it back up. Of course I use a readily available mix with nutes in it for 3 months time which gets me thru the grow. Go with Mo! My Speed Queen is coming up on her second watering of "Grandma's Molasses". I love it!

 

[Guest]

I use 1tblsp per gallon in addition to PBP Soil Bloom. Damn ph drops down to almost 5. I ran like this for a while before I realized. Without molasses my ph was 5.7-5.8, so I just never thought to check. Yields were still above a lb per 1kw though, and the plants looked pretty healthy, although still really green at the end. So just keep that in mind, feed grade is acidic.

Also - it is possible to use too much. I generally give just plain water as a flush, but wanted to try a little sugar water (thinking along the lines of clearex) so I gave 2 tblsp per gallon plain water. Gave each 5 gallon plant (50/50 coco perlite) 3/4 gallon of mollasses water. They drowned in a couple days. Too much mollasses clogging the root pores I think. Will never use in excess of 1 tblsp per gallon again.

Otherwise - the smells and tastes are spectacular using mollasses - dry off the stalk in 7 days and still smells fabulous (not like hay). I will never go without.

 

[Suby]

Hey guys,

Yeah 2TBS per gallon near the end will do that lol.
I've also found coco to like a lower amount than just plain peat, dunno why though.
I would not see the point of exceeding 1TBS per gallon every second watering.
I've not understood the logic behind using molasses in a flush, the plants hits senesense it's dying so why boost soil biology?

Suby

 

[Magi101]

Could you sub Honey for mollasses?

 

[Guest]

Suby - Clearex is just refined sugar water,,, I was thinking why spend the extra cash on Clearex when I have molasses? It failed miserably. LOL

Magi101 - honey has a lot of antibacterial properties and is a lot more expensive, but another grower here has good luck with it.

 

[gratefuldawg]

I was at the grocery store today, thank god for the new organic lanes at the grocery store. I found some organic blackstrap molasic that is 10%calcium and 8%magnesium. This is much higher then the grandmas version that I saw, there's also a post above that used grandmas brand. It doesn't even look like it lists magnesium which is why I want it mainly, and the calcium is way lower. Can I still feed the same amt..1 tbsp every 2-3 waterings, or is mine to rich? I'll feed along with pureblend bloom soil.

 

[Guest]

I wish I could find that in my area.. I can only find Grandma's.

What is the general consensus with molasses and the end of flowering? I have approx a week more to go and am using ro water, 3-5 ml calmag+, and approx a tbsp of molasses the last two waterings. Soil is FFOF. This is my first run so I'd appreciate hearing opinions!

 

[gratefuldawg]

Suby said earlier that there's no point of feeding when the plants think they are dying. I'd get rid of the calmag too, it has nitrogen. No nitrogen the last couple of feeds for sure. Last 2-4 weeks IMO. I'm not sure how fast a plant will go bunk w/out the calcium and magnesium though?? Someone more experienced could explain better.

Could anyone figure out the PPM's I'm adding to a gallon of water using a tbsp of Blackstrap? I can't do this shit, I'm sorry. When they showed me the periodic table in highschool..I passed the f--k out!

Heres what it is
Serving size 1 tbsp (22g)
servings per container: 32

Potassium 730mg / 20%
Calcium 115mg / 10%
sugars 10g
iron 15%
Magnesium 8%
Vitamin B6 10%


16fl OZ liq. (472ml)

I'd love if anyone could figure this out for me..I'm lookin for PPM mainly of Potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Would be gr8ly appreciated. And also how often should I feed this along with my Pureblend pro bloom soil? I'd be using tap water with a ppm around 100. I need good meds, I seriously broke my back last snowboard season and it hurts like a son..bitch.

Thanks all-

gr8ful

 

[judas cohen]

Pls correct me if I'm wrong. Doesn't the percentages on molasses label refer to % of Adult Minimum Daily Requirement of calcium, potassium, iron, etc. I don't think my Plantation Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses is comprised of 20% vitamin A, 20% calcium, 20% iron, and 10% potassium. That would equal 70% of the bottle is those 4 items.
Label says 21gram serving (one Tbl) contains 297 milligrams of Potassium or 10% of MDR. 297 mg is NOT 10% of 21 grams. 2.1 grams is 10% of 21 grams. 297 mg is ~0.3 grams.
0.3g/21g=about 0.143 or 1.43%. If my logic/math is correct the K in molasses is just under 1.5%- not 10%! (It's still a good source of K.)
My label doesn't give the Minimum Daily Requirement in milligrams for Fe and Ca- just percentages. (If MDR is known, math would be similar.)
I'm not arguing, just pointing out the difference between 10% and ~1.4%. N-P-K of molasses is ~ 0-0-1.4; not 0-0-10.
I enjoy organics and this forum, but I don't understand why no one has mentioned this before. Percentage of Adult Minimum Daily Requirement on the label as required by the FDA is not the percentage of the ingredients in the product.

Gratefuldawg: The molasses I have is different than your brand. Mine doesn't list Mg and gives different values for Ca, K, Fe, etc. I've used other brands that were different values too.

 

[Suby]

JC you are right one must not mix up daily recomended amount and the actual content % of elements.

GD do not sweat the individual ppm's of 1TBS of molasses, it won't have a significant effect of NPK, what molasses really does is feed the bacteria in your soil and boost their numbers which in turn will boost the plant.

During flowering go easier on molasses, too much molasses can lead to bacteria outcompeting the fungi in your soil.

PBPro soil bloom is probably the best bloom fert I've ever used, use it at 1/2 the recommended dosage, with a starting 100ppm's try for ~600ppm's, fed every 2nd or 3rd watering depoending on how close you are to finishing.

Sry I've been slow on answering ?'s, keep them coming.

S

 

[Guest]

does sucanat supply the same micro nutes as the molasses?

 

[Greens420]

totaly wright about this thread. I've been useing the sticky for about a year now.
only in the last month of flowering maybe once in veg if the ladies need a kick in the pants. pretty sticky stuff but it's great..

 

[stoneshaper]

its true
ive used it on my 40 nycd that are in the bc bush, high up on a mountain. they seem to take up the nutrients better now, the growth is more vigorous and faster!
great little soil microbial culture booster for sure!
thanx

`give love for peace, and give until it hurts`
much respect

 

[kovenant]

im growing hydro and wanted to try molasses. anyone experienced with using it in hydro? seems the majority of the use is in soil. i figure it will work well for supplying the micros and as a sweetener.

let me know your thoughts please... the birdies seem to have alot of helpful knowledge on many subjects thanks guys & gals!


-edit-

by the way, this is what i picked up from the local organic grocer... it's
Plantation Organic Blackstrap Molasses - Unsulphured








seems that in hydro i could sub or use in conjunction with for Cal Mg, a Carbo load, and a Sweetener. /shrugs

 

[DirtDoctor]

sweetness!

sweetness!

Personally, I think it's a mistake to use Molasses in the last weeks of flowering (during the "flush") - due to those micronutrients that we all know and love - I did a 2 week flush w/just molasses on my last run of Mr.Nice, and was left with a slightly bitter/harsh aftertaste.

In flowering, I use Molasses & Carboload. Carboload from AN isn't molasses derived, it's a blend of Arabinose, Dextrose, Glucose, Maltose, and Xylose. (yes, you could make your own by buying these sugars online).


Advanced Nutrients has an Encyclopedia of information about their products - It doesn't matter if you actually use THEIR products, there's a ton of information there about the workings of various constituents of products that we all use, buy, or make at home.

Here's the Advancedapedia's essay on sugars ( https://www.advancednutrients.com/advancepedia/product.php?productID=13&catID=23 )- just remember, I'm not tellin you to use AN's stuff!!!- just that there's a lot of technical info in their bulletins!

here's a quick excerpt from their discussion of sugars:

Carbo Load also supplies the rhizosphere with a generous input of reduced-carbon. This is a major metabolic zone in your garden that should be teeming with beneficial microbes for optimal plant health.

Plants are trying to “bait” and entice, or feed the beneficial microbes around their new roots all the time. Plants do this by exuding various carbohydrates from their roots such as simple “glucosamine” and more complex “mucopolysaccharides”. These are specialized carbohydrates that also contain nitrogen that often have a “slimy” feel. Plants expend considerable energy making these specialized carbon-nitrogen sugars as food for microbes.

Similarly Advanced Nutrients’ Carbo Load contains sugars that are immediately useable carbon sources for rhizosphere microbes. By augmenting the plants own ability to attract symbiotic microbes, the grower using Carbo Load will maximize rhizosphere growth and microbial activity. Advanced Nutrients is the first to supply growers with the value of these high grade carbohydrates suited specifically for microbes and plants.

Carboload includes an alternate form of glucose called maltose; this sugar has two glucose molecules attached together. Since it requires its own enzyme called maltase to be broken down into single glucose units, this 12 carbon sugar affords a “delayed release” of carbon for microbes and plants. Microbes will have to break the maltose into single glucose sugars before it can be used for carbon or energy.

Scientists have extensively studied the carbohydrate utilization by soil microbes in soils everywhere around the world. Examples such as an article called “Bacterial diversity in soil in response to different plans, phosphate fertilizers and liming” found in the Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, vol.33 (2002), show how diverse sugars in addition to maltose are immediately useable by beneficial soil bacteria. From the discussion of their results the scientists report that:

“… carbohydrate fermentation by the isolates ranged from 7-20% for sorbitol, rhamnose and lactose, 40-56% for galactose, mannitol, mannose, arabinose, starch, glycerol and sucrose, and 60.8-86.1% for maltose, glucose and fructose”

These scientists measured how useable sugars are, by measuring how “fermentable” they are. Carboload provides both glucose and maltose, as they are typically the preferential carbohydrate source for soil microorganisms. Furthermore these scientists say;

“Arabinose was the most utilized pentose (4-76%), the largest percentage corresponding to the treatment pigeon pea-superphosphate-without liming. The hexoses most utilized were D-glucose (66-100%) and D-fructose (56-100%). Maltose (36-90%) was the disaccharide most utilized when compared to sucrose (36-78%), mannitol (14-68%) and lactose (0-46%).”

All life recognizes the ingredients in Carbo Load as a precious resource; reduced carbon is raw fuel for all cells. But again soil microbes preferentially use maltose and glucose, the main “Hexose” carbohydrates in Carbo Load. Even in response to different soil amendments and phosphorus treatments, these scientists found that two hexose sugars were the preferred reduced-carbon source for soil microbes.

The gardener that uses Advanced Nutrients’ Carboload as directed, will spoon-feed the beneficial microbes in their gardens with ideal amounts of supplemental glucose and maltose they need to grow, essentially saturating their need for reduced-carbon. Carboload will enable unlimited microbial growth, while enriching your plant’s need for reduced carbon as well.

Anyways, that's just a small part of their discussion of sugars in that link - I recommend browsing their Advancedapedia - even if you don't use their stuff, GH Canna Home&Garden and everybody else is basically using very similar ingredients....

 

[kovenant]

DirtDoctor -> thanks for the link. and i actually do us AN products. in my current flower solution i am using:

AN Connoisseur A & B
AN F1 Fulvic Acid
AN H2 Humic Acid
AN Barricade
AN Pirahna
AN BigBud

along with

Multi-zyme
Root Excellerator
and Blackstrap Molasses

i have AN Sensi Cal Mg, but stopped using it since i began using the molasses - as i do not want to have double (or too much) of Calcium or Magnesium in the solution. im guessing that the molasses supplies enough of the both (along with extra Potassium, Iron, Carbs, and Vitamin B) for the nutes the amounts to be high enough /shrug

thanks

 

[StonedGrunt55]

great info! i saved it too coz i started reading & it seemed it never finishes so i'll read it tonight all.. Tnkx for this ammount of good work & info.

 

[bong_chat]

I have been reading info here and there about molasses for awhile, but never knew enough about it to give it a try. Well I'm glad to say I took the plunge over the weekend, and I am glad I did. My medium is FFOF, and I'm only about 3 weeks into veg, but something wasn't looking right with the kids. So I figured, why not, what could it hurt. I mixed a very light BS molasses/distilled water tea and fed the girls (hopefully) on Saturday.

Well the kids loved it. As of this morning I had to raise my light, and the kids look green and healthy. I'm sold. Thanks for helping me see the light...

 

[EddieShoestring]

thanks for the CarboLoad info and link, DDr

i've just started using it

eddie