AN Carboload Vs Molasses in Hydro

Carboload is more readily available for your plants roots whereas molasses ins't readily available, your plants root system has to break down the molasses before it can accept it. There is more sugars in carboload than molasses. Look on the back of carboload, you'll see a bunch of "ose's" like (glucose) or (sugars).

Plain and simple it has more sugars than molasses and is more readily available.
Keep in mind your going to have to pay more for Carboload than molasses. !!

Originally Posted by jpill

Carboload is more readily available for your plants roots whereas molasses ins't readily available, your plants root system has to break down the molasses before it can accept it. There is more sugars in carboload than molasses. Look on the back of carboload, you'll see a bunch of "ose's" like (glucose) or (sugars).

Plain and simple it has more sugars than molasses and is more readily available.
Keep in mind your going to have to pay more for Carboload than molasses. !!

I was thinking that until I read this - http://www.cocoponics.co/hydroponics...ents-carboload

Which basically is saying that carboload is possibly just corn syrup based - heres a quote "A little common sense detective work by our rooster and hen research team leads us to believe that AN is very likely using some sort of corn syrup as a base for their carboload product, since the sugars present in carboload also are inherent in corn. We don’t believe that corn syrup derived sources of carbohydrates have any advantages over molasses based sweeteners, in fact quite the opposite."

So I'm not sure that it is more readily available than molasses. Maybe carb products just cant be used in a non-organic based hydro setups? Because it has no benifical microbes to feed and breakdown sugars? Is there any formulated carb additive that is sugars already broken down by microbes or something else not simple sugar based? Anyone experience using both molasses and carboload in a non-organic hydro setup?

three little birds still up to it?

Don't use molasses in hydro. IMHO you shouldn't be using any sugar supplements in hydro, and it's not even a solubility issue.. It's that sugar invites microbes, both the good and the bad. Then you introduce a whole new variable where you gotta start brewing tea or buying beneficial bacteria supplements to try and outcompete the pythium. I don't like slimy water.


It's a lot easier just to run a sterile res. Look into bleach or h202.

Just my .02

I run h2o2, thats why im looking for a carb suppliment that doesnt require microbes to break down, one that roots can intake straightaway, if it exists.

Originally Posted by eDude

three little birds still up to it?

Ive never read any of their stuff before, just found it through google, who are they?

idk, i've never heard of that . It seems almost all products (typically human food) have some type of corn syrup in them these days .. AN likes to do the research and stand by their product. If they find a better product on the shelf, they will acknowledge that there is a better product and AN will try to beat that product out. I don't see why they (AN) would use corn syrup in their carboload (which from your article is not good for plants) and then stand by it ..Now a days you just never know and AN keeps there reciepes so close that you won't ever know..

I've been using molasses for vegg and first 4 weeks of flower (and compost tea!), then switching to an OMRI sweetner for the last 4-5 weeks of flower. Its called "sugaree" by Cutting edge nutrients..I would try something besides molasses since your in hydro for the first 3-4 weeks then switch to something like sweet or sugaree toward the middle or end of your flower cycle.

Originally Posted by jpill

idk, i've never heard of that . It seems almost all products (typically human food) have some type of corn syrup in them these days .. AN likes to do the research and stand by their product. If they find a better product on the shelf, they will acknowledge that there is a better product and AN will try to beat that product out. I don't see why they (AN) would use corn syrup in their carboload (which from your article is not good for plants) and then stand by it ..Now a days you just never know and AN keeps there reciepes so close that you won't ever know..

I've been using molasses for vegg and first 4 weeks of flower (and compost tea!), then switching to an OMRI sweetner for the last 4-5 weeks of flower. Its called "sugaree" by Cutting edge nutrients..I would try something besides molasses since your in hydro for the first 3-4 weeks then switch to something like sweet or sugaree toward the middle or end of your flower cycle.

i got some carboload and put it in about 1/2 strength, no negative effects yet and its been 2 days, i'll know if it improves anything in 1-2 weeks i suppose.