My thoughts on Molasses

[evol]

I am an organic grower and I have used molasses faithfully for a long time. I have recently been reading up on the subject and have come to the conclusion that the only thing molasses does is feeds the microbes and not actually the plant itself.
molasses carbon is actually huge. the long complex chain of sugars would actually suffocate microbes if used to consistently. the carbon is also too big to be absorbed by a plant.

a more logical solution may be an occasional molasses feeding while also using a sucrose and glucose formula that has been warmed in water with an airstone run through it allowing for the sucrose and glucose to partially break down and be more readily available to be absorbed by the plant since it's a much smaller carbon molecule... thus producing sweet tasty nugs!

Soo... what's everyone's opinion? please don't be too harsh.

 

[Trapper]

I've heard this before...offering minerals to the soil and carbs/sugars for the micro herd...but no real uptake
to the plant itself. Hadn't heard that too much of it can overwhelm the microbes.

I wonder if Agave Nectar is a simpler sugar....

Interesting.

 

[namvet25]

Your right about molasses feeding the microbes plus it contains cal/mag and iron.

 

[evol]

yeah I guess I shouldn't be using molasses with every water in bloom.. It takes the microbes a while to break down the chain of sugars in the molasses so adding too much would just be like dumping tar on them..

I'm thinking with the right balance of molasses and a broken down sucrose and glucose formula you may be able to diminish the need for Teas..

 

[namvet25]

I use 1 tbl per gal but only about every third watering.

 

[namvet25]

I've heard this before...offering minerals to the soil and carbs/sugars for the micro herd...but no real uptake
to the plant itself. Hadn't heard that too much of it can overwhelm the microbes.

I wonder if Agave Nectar is a simpler sugar....

Interesting.

What are you going to do water it with tequila?

 

[MikeyB420]

What are you going to do water it with tequila?

"kudos"

 

[Wait what?]

Feed the soil and let the soil feed the plant. I wish I understood it better, but I'm getting it. I always thought the molasses fed the microbes. No idea what they do, but they seem to do their job for me

 

[LongbottomLeaf]

I have been using both agave nectar and molasses once a week throughout the grow.

 

[Waira]

Hey Evol, howzit brudda?
...yeah, as far as the sugars go, nutritional benefits are indirect... I'm not 100% positive about this, but I think root's only take up nutrients in ionic form; sugars are not charged molecules... size really isn't the issue, it's the very specific trans-membrane transport system that governs what goes in, what goes out... many carrier proteins are quite specific about what they carry-- they are forming a temporary bond with the ions (molecular and elemental), and the geometry of a given molecule --it's 3-D shape, is also much like a lock and key mechanism,... if it don't fit, it goes nowhere! Most (all?) of these operate as ion exchange mechanisms, designed to keep balance in the accumulation of charges inside and outside the cells.... Evol, your research showed that the sugars are in a chain configuration (polysaccharides)? **gaahh** -my organic chemistry is sooo dusty anymore!...Water alone can't break the simple sugar-to-sugar bonding, down into a individual molecule state (monosaccharides-- glucose and fructose), specific enzymes are needed for that (edit: ..or heat?)....sugars made in the plant are usually moved around in disaccharide form... carbohydrates, like starch, are in fact consolidated forms of sugars linked in complex chains, and are rendered insoluble in this state... Molasses has a blend of sucrose (a disaccharide made of glucose and fructose), glucose and fructose sugars in it,.... I'm wondering if after all the boiling and processing, any of them are still in a linked state... regardless, I don't think sugar isn't absorbed directly by the roots, even as individual molecules... Now, going in through the stomata might be different... I bet JM knows for sure on both accounts!
..Trap'... I think agave is glucose and fructose sugar,... darker grades still have mineral nute's and enzymes in it, imparting flavor,...
...Nammy, don't forget molasses has a decent amount of K in it too!
..... Quiz Monday! :roflcry: :slaps: ...I know, I know-- "Swivel"