Molasses ~ When & Why ?

[hoosierdaddy]

mistress, you are making alot of assumptions, and not much more.
Go ahead and use feed grade molasses, which does not have to tell you if there is a preservative in it or not. I won't argue with you, because you seem to think you have it all wired up. But, IMO, you are missing very important points.
Unless you have stock in a feed grade molasses company, I can't figure out why you would lobby so hard of for folks to use a feed grade molasses that could potentially be a problem for a grower? You obviously feel that there are the same controls on feed grade stocks that food grade stocks have...which is wrong. (I won't bold and underline the word wrong as you would have)

You are also wrong about the acids used for preservatives, which will kill mold AND bacterium. Many feed grade suppliers preserve using high sulpher. Be nice to be feeding your plants high lots of sulpher, yes? Thing is, you may or may not be told that sulpher products exist in the mixture, as there are no controls in place that mandate this. Unless of course you know something that others don't?

Put aside the fact that the author of the piece I pasted was not talking about feeding mj plants, his info on sugar types and other things are spot on part of our discussion.
And his article may help to make it clear why using earlier cuts of molasses (such as the one you used in a comparison) are not as good to use as a full on unsulphered blackstrap.
There are dozens of other articles and threads available that also seem to go against the logic of using other than blackstrap, and they are specifically talking about feeding pot.
Perhaps do a search and become enlightened. (shrug) Or maybe venture out into the internet....the answers are there.

OK, since I am laying it out...you want an example of crap...
Here you are giving out advise as if...and I even saw a person state that they were looking for the "Best" and mentioned you and what you considered "best". Then you post up a thread comparing a lesser grade of molasses to some organic stuff. Are you trying to confuse folks into thinking that full flavored molasses is what we should be comparing with? Or did you also feel that full flavor is the standard to compare to?

 

[prop215]

iunno.. maybe I was using the wring kind.. Grandmas Unsulphured or w/e its called.

but yea it DID raise the PH of my water about 3 points. Maybe ill give blackstrap a try one day

 

[*mistress*]

mistress, you are making alot of assumptions, and not much more.
Go ahead and use feed grade molasses, which does not have to tell you if there is a preservative in it or not. I won't argue with you, because you seem to think you have it all wired up. But, IMO, you are missing very important points.

they do have to tell you what is contained in the products. whether that be preservatives, sulpher, or other compounds. where do you get the info that animal feed mfg dont have to list/disclose this? please refer to that ag/food/livestock law/regulation...

Unless you have stock in a feed grade molasses company, I can't figure out why you would lobby so hard of for folks to use a feed grade molasses that could potentially be a problem for a grower? You obviously feel that there are the same controls on feed grade stocks that food grade stocks have...which is wrong. (I won't bold and underline the word wrong as you would have)

not lobbying for feed grade, just presenting options that have been used for long time, successfully...

there are no harms in using feed grade molasses. already done it - several seasons over... only problem is in your imagination...

not about 'feel'ing there are no controls. all you have to do is realize that farms are highly regulated by a number of local/state/nat'l agencies & the food that is produced is also highly regulated...

posted links to a couple of the bodies that both test & monitor feed grade products... again, good to look into any product before purchasing; whether food, hydro shop nutes, or alternative products...

they could trace cows that were sick back to the very stall they were in... & you suggest there is no regulation of what the cow consumes?

dont want to get into geography, but may want to just visit closest farms & feed stores to actually ask q's & get real-life answers...
there are controls. you are simply unaware of them... go visit a closest farm & feed store ask them what 'controls' they have over what they feed their animals... same as would as new grower in hydro store...

here may be several agencies that they have to report to; not to mention the numerous shots, vitamins, & veteranian visits farmers must deal w/...

You are also wrong about the acids used for preservatives, which will kill mold AND bacterium. Many feed grade suppliers preserve using high sulpher. Be nice to be feeding your plants high lots of sulpher, yes? Thing is, you may or may not be told that sulpher products exist in the mixture, as there are no controls in place that mandate this. Unless of course you know something that others don't?

it is far harder to kill bacteria than you think. there are many species of bacteria too. please refer to the scientific document that says preservatives kill all bacteria... & even if they were killed, would the preservative prevent re-colonization of the media w/ bacteria? no...

& btw, have you checked to see if brer rabbit & grandmas have preservatives? have you asked the comapny? or simply assumed that it does not have preservatives?

is it also true that every time a human eats cookies, chips, etc & drinks soda, they will immediately kill all the bacteria in their bodies? how does this killing of all bacteria work?

again, gardeners can do their own further research into pet & animal feed regulations... tons of them @ fd admin sites... & dpt of ag sites...

yes, know something other dont, apparently. how to ask about ingredients & acquiring entire nutrient/ingredient profile - before getting... same w/ regular nutes, or anything else for that matter...

btw, sulfur is a macronutrient & needed while high sulfer levels can cause lock-out of molybdenum, it is not just present some feed grade molasses...

sulfer is present in many ferts as a carrying element; i.e.g., 'sulfates'... & is a common pollutant...

nothing @ all harmful in this profile... only elements & compounds that plants need:
Nutrient Name|Actual Dry Matter|Units
1 Weight......................1. 0000 1.0000 Lbs
2 Dry Matter...............70.0000 70.0000 %
3 Crude Protein............. 2.8610 4.0872 %
7 Ash % ....................10.4905 14.9864 %
8 Total Sugar Invert ....46.7302 66.7575 %
9 Moisture .................30.0000 42.8571 %
10 Calcium ....................0.5150 0.7357 %
11 Phosphorus ...............0.0477 0.0681 %
12 Salt .........................0.343 3 0.4905 %
13 Sodium .....................0.1431 0.2044 %
14 Chloride ....................2.2888 3.2698 %
15 Magnesium ................0.1907 0.2725 %
16 Potassium .................3.4332 4.9046 %
17 Sulfur .......................0.2956 0.4223 %
18 Cobalt ......................2.9645 4.2350 ppm
19 Copper ...................19.0736 27.2480 ppm
20 Iron ....................121.1029 173.0041 ppm
22 Manganese ..............28.5938 40.8482 ppm
24 Zinc ..........................4.91 13 7.0162 ppm
54 Cobalt ........................1.3447 1.9210 mg/lb
55 Copper .......................8.6517 12.3596 mg/lb
56 Iron .........................54.93 19 78.4741 mg/lb
58 Manganese ...............12.9701 18.5286 mg/lb
60 Zinc ...........................2.2 278 3.1825 mg/lb
71 NFE ..........................56.6 485 80.9264 %
72 TDN ..........................57.9 455 82.7793 %
73 DE ..........................115. 8865 165.5522 Mcal/cwt
74 ME ...........................95. 0270 135.7528 Mcal/cwt
75 NE (Lact).................. 60.5858 86.5511 Mcal/cwt
76 NE (Maint) ................64.2443 91.7776 Mcal/cwt
77 NE (Gain) .................43.3861 61.9801 Mcal/cwt
114 Organic Matter % .....59.5095 85.0136 %
117 NSC/TNC % .............56.6485 80.9264 %
119 Digest Protein % ........0.0163 0.0233 %
134 Molasses Factor % ..95.3678 136.2398 %
135 % Cane .................95.3678 136.2398 %
137 % Front .................11.2727 16.1039 %
153 Tag Protein % ...........2.7752 3.9646 %
156........................... .....0.4292 0.6131 %
157 Tag Phos % ...............0.0458 0.0654 %
158 Tag Moisture % .........30.9000 44.1429 %
159 Tag Sugars % ............44.8610 64.0872 %
160 Added Minerals % ........6.6757 9.5368 %
166 Sucrose % ...............35.4909 50.7013 %
176 NE (lac) Mcal/kg .....1.3357 1.9081 mcal/kg
177 NE (Main) Mcal/kg ....1.4163 2.0233 mcal/kg
178 NE (Gain) Mcal/kg .....0.9565 1.3664 mcal/kg
179 ME Dry Mcal/kg .........2.8516 4.0737 Mcal/kg
180 TDN Dry Basis% .............78.9448 112.7783 %
193 Brix 75.8174 .......................108.310 6 Brix
194 OM Factor ........................0.1127 0.1610
195 Anion mEq/100g ..............82.9516 118.5022
196 Cation mEq/100g .............94.2515 134.6450
197 CAB mEq .........................11.29 99 16.1428
199 Est Product RI .................69.4850 99.2643
201 Density .........................0.386 0 0.5514 lbs/gal
202 Water Activity ................0.0463 0.0662 units

to find nitrogen content, divide crude protein by 6.25... thus, we have,

4.0872/6.25

=0.6532352 nitrogen...

fwiw, so gardeners can know that those abbreviated terms dont stand for some hidden chem additive:

Tnc=total non-structural carbohydrate
Nsc=non-structural carbohydrate
Nfe=nitrogen free extract
Tdn=total digestable nutrients
De=digestable energy
Me=metabolizable energy
Ne (lac)=Net energy lactation
Ne (main)=net energy maintenance
Ne (gain)=net energy gain

feed grade molasses that could potentially be a problem for a grower?

no problems here... only elements & compunds plants need & thrive on...

no preservatives. no hidden ingredients... just blacksptrap molasses derived from sugar cane...

Put aside the fact that the author of the piece I pasted was not talking about feeding mj plants, his info on sugar types and other things are spot on part of our discussion.
And his article may help to make it clear why using earlier cuts of molasses (such as the one you used in a comparison) are not as good to use as a full on unsulphered blackstrap.

the author of the article was no mistress brewer... was still looking for right type of sugar for their partiucular batch... lots of different ways to make alcohol, as evidenced by the # of brands in any package/liquor store... ea tastes a little different.

However, on the positive side, I have purchased cheap bulk feed-grade molasses (the way this works is that you bring your own bucket and lid) from my local feed and grain store (Southern States Cooperative), and it has smelled and tasted fine. I then spent the time to find out the name and contact information for the bulk supplier (Westlas), and then called them and asked some questions about their bulk molasses. I also was able to procure copies of all the actual shipping records and the guaranteed analysis for the most recent batch of bulk blackstrap molasses which my local feed store had purchased, which helped me considerably. The molasses I purchased has a Brix (SG) reading of 79.5. According to the local vendor and the distributor, there is no sulphur added, nor any other preservatives or anti-mold agents added; it is simply just pure cheap bulk molasses for animal feed. In this case, as best as I can tell, this molasses seems to be of rather high quality, and I often use it in preparing EM products for my animals (poultry) or for waste or utility use. And, as noted above.... I have neighbors who even brew up large batches of AEM for human consumption using this cheap feed-grade molasses, although I personally believe in using only human-grade blackstrap molasses for making EM brews for human consumption.

here, your own source states that s/he & his/her neighbors use feed grade... after 1st doing homework...
the ironic thing is that have actually been on home brew sites for & have actually read similar threads before; been brewing way longer than internet been around... & have used many, many, many different sugar sources to make alcohol. this author seems to be just getting familiar w/ different sugar sources & is trying them out... ivho...

molasses use is new to some, an ancient staple to others...

the author was by no means a scholar on using molasses; which is generally used to make rum. was only postulating opinions of their own... didnt list any bad results from using feed grade to make alcohol, only that it may affect ph &/or bacteria...

that single authors opinion is no golden rule though... gardeners should research for themselves how vigorous & numerous the bacteria in soil/media are...

There are dozens of other articles and threads available that also seem to go against the logic of using other than blackstrap, and they are specifically talking about feeding pot.
Perhaps do a search and become enlightened. (shrug) Or maybe venture out into the internet....the answers are there.

feed grade molasses is blackstrap molasses. that is the only reason farmers use it... for additional nutrition, not necessary for the sweetness; though animals do love the taste of molasses, it attracts them...

the 3rd burn leaves all the nutrient build up. farmers & gardeners also use condensed brewers solubles, molasses soluables, etc. to feed crops & animals... really not new practices...

yes, we have presented much data for review. will probably not agree on methods or application or materials, but we only have to tend to our gardens...

other gardeners will make their own decisions for their gardens...

lots of 'new' products on market, due to orgainc gardening craze, which include 'molasses' as an ingredient. 'hi-brix' & gh's new 'general orgaincs' line
are just 2... came across the gh line... several products include molasses... highly unlikely that they used 'food grade' molasses in their plant products; simply cost prohibitive... & not necessary. we are feeding plants - not humans. but, can phone/email & ask gh if they used food or feed grade molasses in their new line... dont be shocked when they say it is not food grade...

there is simply a disagreement about the viability of feed grade molasses. cant solve that disagreement... gardeners that read this thread, & hopefully other data sets, will draw own conclusions...

OK, since I am laying it out...you want an example of crap...
Here you are giving out advise as if...and I even saw a person state that they were looking for the "Best" and mentioned you and what you considered "best". Then you post up a thread comparing a lesser grade of molasses to some organic stuff. Are you trying to confuse folks into thinking that full flavored molasses is what we should be comparing with? Or did you also feel that full flavor is the standard to compare to?

doesnt matter which food grade molasses you select: plantation, brer rabbit, grandmas, golden barrel, etc...

none of them compare to the nutrient profile of wholesome sweeteners organic blackstrap molasses...

already looked into or acquired all food grade brands readily available.
whether you compare wholesome sweeteners to brer rabbit or grandmas blackstrap, or any other common+readily-available brand - they do not have same high levels of k & b1... btw, plants love b1 & b12, among other vitamins...

if, you can find a food grade molasses that surpasses wholesome sweeteners 730mg potassium & 115 mg calcium & 10% vitamin b1, per tablespoon (22g), please let us all know about it...

the entire profile is in the thread in sig, calculating npk/nutrient profile... already converted the daily values to npk & ppms for gardeners too...

if we are using amount of availble & desired elements are 'best', then yes, wholesome sweeteners is the best. if using another method for determining what is 'best', please present it...

there is enough data here to sift thru & find what you want/need... whether that be the used of strictly grandmas blackstrap, or other products. ultimately up to indv. gardener to make choices...

there may be disagreements on materials/applications, but @ least it is agreed that molasses is a generally inexpensive & beneficial garden amendment/enhancer, etc...

hope this all helps...

enjoy your garden!

 

[Dreamscape]

that settles it for me.

Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Molasses - it is

(on the nutrition panel)
Ingredients : Certified Organic Blackstrap Molasses

 

[StrillaGuy]

I guess maybe it could possibly explode ( well, sorta i guess ). You can always leave the lids cracked just enough for air pressure to ecape so it doesnt build up.. Or maybe refrigerate them to slow down the process if they would in fact produce gas,which TBH I really dont think they would.. Not in 7 days anyway.

Thanks for the answer Im relieved.

 

[Budsack]

actully ants fucking hate it I use t

 

[leaddraft]

bump for Grand Ma's

bump for Grand Ma's

This thread needs a BUMP!

Molasses!

Feed Grand Ma's, (not blackstrap) thoughout flowering...
after starting the feeding, flowers, (buds) gained MUCHO weight!

 

[leaddraft]

Side by side "test' "expermint' currently going on...
Shameless plug..
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=2769009#post2769009

 

[Graham Purwatt]

after reading this thread i flushed my last crop with tree of life molasses,5ml per gallon of ph adjusted water.i've grown this strain for the last year and already 7 different people i've smoked with have asked what i did different this time.it really imparted a fuller flavor to the bud.i will be using it from now on for sure.thanks everyone

 

[CFP65]

I use molasses for horses, easy to get at the local feedstaion, and i costs next to nothing.
15liters = 10dollars
i use 50-100ml pr 10L water the last 2 months of growning
no problem in that
have a look at my album they are all treated this way

 

[relief]

Same here, I use feedstore molasses with propionic acid (preservative). I let my teas boil a day longer to make up for it.

Check out my album, my trees are very happy.

 

[Gold123]

I use molasses for horses, easy to get at the local feedstaion, and i costs next to nothing.
15liters = 10dollars
i use 50-100ml pr 10L water the last 2 months of growning
no problem in that
have a look at my album they are all treated this way

That orange bud looks tasty!

 

[Gold123]

Same here, I use feedstore molasses with propionic acid (preservative). I let my teas boil a day longer to make up for it.

Check out my album, my trees are very happy.

Very impressive.

 

[Ghostwolf]

Kool-aid?

I'm intrigued...

Here is the Kool-aid ingredient list: CITRIC ACID, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF NATURAL FLAVOR, LEMON JUICE SOLIDS, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), ARTIFICIAL COLOR, YELLOW 5 LAKE, YELLOW 5, BHA.

... and you add the sugar (sweetener) yourself. I've heard of people feeding their plants sugar water. What's the benefit of Kool-aid? Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide, so I want to hear some kool theories!

This Kool Aid thing sounds very interesting, I would know more about it.

 

[Ghostwolf]

they do have to tell you what is contained in the products. whether that be preservatives, sulpher, or other compounds. where do you get the info that animal feed mfg dont have to list/disclose this? please refer to that ag/food/livestock law/regulation...
not lobbying for feed grade, just presenting options that have been used for long time, successfully...

there are no harms in using feed grade molasses. already done it - several seasons over... only problem is in your imagination...

not about 'feel'ing there are no controls. all you have to do is realize that farms are highly regulated by a number of local/state/nat'l agencies & the food that is produced is also highly regulated...

posted links to a couple of the bodies that both test & monitor feed grade products... again, good to look into any product before purchasing; whether food, hydro shop nutes, or alternative products...

they could trace cows that were sick back to the very stall they were in... & you suggest there is no regulation of what the cow consumes?

dont want to get into geography, but may want to just visit closest farms & feed stores to actually ask q's & get real-life answers...
there are controls. you are simply unaware of them... go visit a closest farm & feed store ask them what 'controls' they have over what they feed their animals... same as would as new grower in hydro store...

here may be several agencies that they have to report to; not to mention the numerous shots, vitamins, & veteranian visits farmers must deal w/...

it is far harder to kill bacteria than you think. there are many species of bacteria too. please refer to the scientific document that says preservatives kill all bacteria... & even if they were killed, would the preservative prevent re-colonization of the media w/ bacteria? no...

& btw, have you checked to see if brer rabbit & grandmas have preservatives? have you asked the comapny? or simply assumed that it does not have preservatives?

is it also true that every time a human eats cookies, chips, etc & drinks soda, they will immediately kill all the bacteria in their bodies? how does this killing of all bacteria work?

again, gardeners can do their own further research into pet & animal feed regulations... tons of them @ fd admin sites... & dpt of ag sites...

yes, know something other dont, apparently. how to ask about ingredients & acquiring entire nutrient/ingredient profile - before getting... same w/ regular nutes, or anything else for that matter...

btw, sulfur is a macronutrient & needed while high sulfer levels can cause lock-out of molybdenum, it is not just present some feed grade molasses...

sulfer is present in many ferts as a carrying element; i.e.g., 'sulfates'... & is a common pollutant...

nothing @ all harmful in this profile... only elements & compounds that plants need:
Nutrient Name|Actual Dry Matter|Units
1 Weight......................1. 0000 1.0000 Lbs
2 Dry Matter...............70.0000 70.0000 %
3 Crude Protein............. 2.8610 4.0872 %
7 Ash % ....................10.4905 14.9864 %
8 Total Sugar Invert ....46.7302 66.7575 %
9 Moisture .................30.0000 42.8571 %
10 Calcium ....................0.5150 0.7357 %
11 Phosphorus ...............0.0477 0.0681 %
12 Salt .........................0.343 3 0.4905 %
13 Sodium .....................0.1431 0.2044 %
14 Chloride ....................2.2888 3.2698 %
15 Magnesium ................0.1907 0.2725 %
16 Potassium .................3.4332 4.9046 %
17 Sulfur .......................0.2956 0.4223 %
18 Cobalt ......................2.9645 4.2350 ppm
19 Copper ...................19.0736 27.2480 ppm
20 Iron ....................121.1029 173.0041 ppm
22 Manganese ..............28.5938 40.8482 ppm
24 Zinc ..........................4.91 13 7.0162 ppm
54 Cobalt ........................1.3447 1.9210 mg/lb
55 Copper .......................8.6517 12.3596 mg/lb
56 Iron .........................54.93 19 78.4741 mg/lb
58 Manganese ...............12.9701 18.5286 mg/lb
60 Zinc ...........................2.2 278 3.1825 mg/lb
71 NFE ..........................56.6 485 80.9264 %
72 TDN ..........................57.9 455 82.7793 %
73 DE ..........................115. 8865 165.5522 Mcal/cwt
74 ME ...........................95. 0270 135.7528 Mcal/cwt
75 NE (Lact).................. 60.5858 86.5511 Mcal/cwt
76 NE (Maint) ................64.2443 91.7776 Mcal/cwt
77 NE (Gain) .................43.3861 61.9801 Mcal/cwt
114 Organic Matter % .....59.5095 85.0136 %
117 NSC/TNC % .............56.6485 80.9264 %
119 Digest Protein % ........0.0163 0.0233 %
134 Molasses Factor % ..95.3678 136.2398 %
135 % Cane .................95.3678 136.2398 %
137 % Front .................11.2727 16.1039 %
153 Tag Protein % ...........2.7752 3.9646 %
156........................... .....0.4292 0.6131 %
157 Tag Phos % ...............0.0458 0.0654 %
158 Tag Moisture % .........30.9000 44.1429 %
159 Tag Sugars % ............44.8610 64.0872 %
160 Added Minerals % ........6.6757 9.5368 %
166 Sucrose % ...............35.4909 50.7013 %
176 NE (lac) Mcal/kg .....1.3357 1.9081 mcal/kg
177 NE (Main) Mcal/kg ....1.4163 2.0233 mcal/kg
178 NE (Gain) Mcal/kg .....0.9565 1.3664 mcal/kg
179 ME Dry Mcal/kg .........2.8516 4.0737 Mcal/kg
180 TDN Dry Basis% .............78.9448 112.7783 %
193 Brix 75.8174 .......................108.310 6 Brix
194 OM Factor ........................0.1127 0.1610
195 Anion mEq/100g ..............82.9516 118.5022
196 Cation mEq/100g .............94.2515 134.6450
197 CAB mEq .........................11.29 99 16.1428
199 Est Product RI .................69.4850 99.2643
201 Density .........................0.386 0 0.5514 lbs/gal
202 Water Activity ................0.0463 0.0662 units

to find nitrogen content, divide crude protein by 6.25... thus, we have,

4.0872/6.25

=0.6532352 nitrogen...

fwiw, so gardeners can know that those abbreviated terms dont stand for some hidden chem additive:

Tnc=total non-structural carbohydrate
Nsc=non-structural carbohydrate
Nfe=nitrogen free extract
Tdn=total digestable nutrients
De=digestable energy
Me=metabolizable energy
Ne (lac)=Net energy lactation
Ne (main)=net energy maintenance
Ne (gain)=net energy gain
no problems here... only elements & compunds plants need & thrive on...

no preservatives. no hidden ingredients... just blacksptrap molasses derived from sugar cane...

the author of the article was no mistress brewer... was still looking for right type of sugar for their partiucular batch... lots of different ways to make alcohol, as evidenced by the # of brands in any package/liquor store... ea tastes a little different.

here, your own source states that s/he & his/her neighbors use feed grade... after 1st doing homework...
the ironic thing is that have actually been on home brew sites for & have actually read similar threads before; been brewing way longer than internet been around... & have used many, many, many different sugar sources to make alcohol. this author seems to be just getting familiar w/ different sugar sources & is trying them out... ivho...

molasses use is new to some, an ancient staple to others...

the author was by no means a scholar on using molasses; which is generally used to make rum. was only postulating opinions of their own... didnt list any bad results from using feed grade to make alcohol, only that it may affect ph &/or bacteria...

that single authors opinion is no golden rule though... gardeners should research for themselves how vigorous & numerous the bacteria in soil/media are...
feed grade molasses is blackstrap molasses. that is the only reason farmers use it... for additional nutrition, not necessary for the sweetness; though animals do love the taste of molasses, it attracts them...

the 3rd burn leaves all the nutrient build up. farmers & gardeners also use condensed brewers solubles, molasses soluables, etc. to feed crops & animals... really not new practices...

yes, we have presented much data for review. will probably not agree on methods or application or materials, but we only have to tend to our gardens...

other gardeners will make their own decisions for their gardens...

lots of 'new' products on market, due to orgainc gardening craze, which include 'molasses' as an ingredient. 'hi-brix' & gh's new 'general orgaincs' line
are just 2... came across the gh line... several products include molasses... highly unlikely that they used 'food grade' molasses in their plant products; simply cost prohibitive... & not necessary. we are feeding plants - not humans. but, can phone/email & ask gh if they used food or feed grade molasses in their new line... dont be shocked when they say it is not food grade...

there is simply a disagreement about the viability of feed grade molasses. cant solve that disagreement... gardeners that read this thread, & hopefully other data sets, will draw own conclusions...
doesnt matter which food grade molasses you select: plantation, brer rabbit, grandmas, golden barrel, etc...

none of them compareto the nutrient profile of wholesome sweeteners organic blackstrap molasses...

already looked into or acquired all food grade brands readily available.
whether you compare wholesome sweeteners to brer rabbit or grandmas blackstrap, or any other common+readily-available brand - they do not have same high levels of k & b1... btw, plants love b1 & b12, among other vitamins...

if, you can find a food grade molasses that surpasses wholesome sweeteners 730mg potassium & 115 mg calcium & 10% vitamin b1, per tablespoon (22g), please let us all know about it...

the entire profile is in the thread in sig, calculating npk/nutrient profile... already converted the daily values to npk & ppms for gardeners too...

if we are using amount of availble & desired elements are 'best', then yes, wholesome sweeteners is the best. if using another method for determining what is 'best', please present it...

there is enough data here to sift thru & find what you want/need... whether that be the used of strictly grandmas blackstrap, or other products. ultimately up to indv. gardener to make choices...

there may be disagreements on materials/applications, but @ least it is agreed that molasses is a generally inexpensive & beneficial garden amendment/enhancer, etc...

hope this all helps...

enjoy your garden!

This is very cool, thanks for the info

 

[Ghostwolf]

Happy Thanksgiving all of you grower's and toker's out there.

 

[tomsawyer]

A bit off topic, but if you buy a bunch of molasses and don't like it for some reason.. Make this with it.

Flo's Special Hot Dog Relish
http://www.recipezaar.com/218607

I made some last night and put it on a cheddarwurst dog. It was easily the best hot dog I've ever tasted, and maybe the best flavor I've ever tasted in my entire life. It's practically orgasmic.

Just want to comment on this.

I went out and got the stuff to make this, based on recommendations online about how great it was.

Dont waste your time, it tastes like crap.

 

[Dislexus]

Well I tried giving one of my plants a molasses OD, and the only thing I noticed was when I harvested I checked out the roots.. The bottom third of the soil had become a slightly muddy/clayey consistency, no bad smell or poor plant health or thrown PH or anything, but the roots barely bothered to penetrate it.

Dosage was a double-dollop of blackstrap (like 4-5 tblspns) to a half-gallon water every watering.

So its possible to overdo it like anything, but it won't really hurt 'em.

 

[Gold123]

Well I tried giving one of my plants a molasses OD, and the only thing I noticed was when I harvested I checked out the roots.. The bottom third of the soil had become a slightly muddy/clayey consistency, no bad smell or poor plant health or thrown PH or anything, but the roots barely bothered to penetrate it.

Dosage was a double-dollop of blackstrap (like 4-5 tblspns) to a half-gallon water every watering.

So its possible to overdo it like anything, but it won't really hurt 'em.

How did that plant compare to your others?

 

[Dislexus]

Well of the crop going this round, 4 were Big Bud, three were dosed 1 tblspn/gal every watering, one was fed the same until the last few weeks when I gave it ~8-10 tblspns/gal blackstrap per watering. I should've had one of zero molasses to compare, oh wells.

The other Big Buds took up the entire 10" pot with a thick rootmass. I had thrown all my strains straight from transplant into flower to guage my veg timing on the strains' rootmass development... Anyway my other strains rootmass touched bottom but not to the extent of Big Bud's sturdy network catching every bit of soil.

Whereas the subject Big Bud's size was stunted because the root mass wasn't all that interested in penetrating the lower third of the soil, but otherwise I found no other difference... no discolored leaves, unhealthiness, malformation, & buds only seem a little bit harsh not nearly what I expected.

BTW maybe I just got a good pheno but Big Bud is a nice smoke! I only see people posting about it in the commercial context but never the connoisseur context.. shame.