Adding sugar during flowering?

Cervantes' Growing Bible indicates that adding sugar during the last 6 weeks of flowering can increase yield up to 20%. But he doesn't say how much to use.

Anyone have advice on this? I'm using a DWC hyrdo setup with 4 gallons of water/nute mix in a 5 gallon bucket.

Mollasses, not sugar, add a tbs or 2 per gallon to sweeten the flavor of buds

diet103 said:

Mollasses, not sugar, add a tbs or 2 per gallon to sweeten the flavor of buds

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where can one buy molasses?

Basically any grocery store, look for grandma's blackstrap molasses or something like that

diet103 said:

Mollasses, not sugar, add a tbs or 2 per gallon to sweeten the flavor of buds

Click to expand...

I would not just add straight Mollasses. This can mess with ph levels. I would get something like bud candy, something specially designed to enhance bud smell taste crystal. For all nutrients..mico doses are key. Use less then half what they tell you and use a variety of things. Micro dose plants by watering once or twice and micro dose once or twice.

I use cooking molasses I pour "some"(approx 1/6th of the carton in my reservoir of 80 litres) but corn sugar or cane sugar work also I don't notice that the buds are sweeter just bigger and the plants seem happier when "sugared" during the bud cycle molasses has vitamin B as well as magnesium and other trace elements I doubt that measurement is critical and cost shouldn't be a concern cause molasses is quite inexpensive good luck

grandmas blackstrap molasses works pretty well..

u need to make sure tho, that if u are going to use it at all, that it MUST be a blackstrap molasses

hayzeheven said:

grandmas blackstrap molasses works pretty well..

u need to make sure tho, that if u are going to use it at all, that it MUST be a blackstrap molasses

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So you think its bad to use unsulphered molasses? Its better quality and have read its good to use.

What is used in Bud Candy? To make it sweet?

I've read a few different places that blackstrap molasses is the way to go for soil grows,but that it might clog hydro systems up or make them froth.If you're using a hydro I would use something called Sweet,it comes in a citrus and a berry flavor,that I know of at your local grow store.

I used molasses in my grow with the momma in my pic and she was very sweet tasting,and she had already been harvested in october by her previous owner.I took her home and re-vegged her and that pic is after I trimmed the small air bud branches from the bottom.

diet103 said:

Mollasses, not sugar, add a tbs or 2 per gallon to sweeten the flavor of buds

Click to expand...

yep, that's the way....about 4 weeks before harvest...every other watering...

Thanks for the info. Has one had it work to increase the size of the harvest - with either sugar or molasses?

Has there been any peer reviewed research done regarding molasses applications and fruiting plants? Is there any proof that adding molasses during flowering works?

Color me stubborn (or loyal to Cervantes' book) but I ended up adding 1 TBS of sugar per gallon to my hydro mix on my last nute change (which also included 2 TBS per gallon - full dose) of Pure Blend Pro Bloom. The plants are starting their 3rd week of flowering.

Here's the problem:
- The smallest of my plants' leaves starting drooping significantly (see pic). I assume from over nuting, so tonight I changed its reservoir out with straight water
- All of the plants have significant amounts of frothing (see pic) in their reservoir and the water smells earthy, like carrots... which makes sense given that carrots are a root that is high in sugar... but I'm still nervous.

Any advice? Too much sugar? Even though the other plants appear healthy should I replace their water with sugar-free stuff?

Thanks in advance!

phaedrus13 said:

Color me stubborn (or loyal to Cervantes' book) but I ended up adding 1 TBS of sugar per gallon to my hydro mix on my last nute change (which also included 2 TBS per gallon - full dose) of Pure Blend Pro Bloom. The plants are starting their 3rd week of flowering.

Here's the problem:
- The smallest of my plants' leaves starting drooping significantly (see pic). I assume from over nuting, so tonight I changed its reservoir out with straight water
- All of the plants have significant amounts of frothing (see pic) in their reservoir and the water smells earthy, like carrots... which makes sense given that carrots are a root that is high in sugar... but I'm still nervous.

Any advice? Too much sugar? Even though the other plants appear healthy should I replace their water with sugar-free stuff?

Thanks in advance!

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Did you use actual white, granulated sugar? Like sugar you find in the kitchen and put in your coffee? I don't think you're supposed to do that.

Single White Pistol said:

Did you use actual white, granulated sugar? Like sugar you find in the kitchen and put in your coffee? I don't think you're supposed to do that.

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Yep, plain old white granulated sugar. What kind are you supposed to use?

Thankfully so far the other plants seem fine. I'm guessing that it was just too much nutes for the plant pictured (which was the smallest).

phaedrus13 said:

Cervantes' Growing Bible indicates that adding sugar during the last 6 weeks of flowering can increase yield up to 20%. But he doesn't say how much to use.

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That's because he pulled it out of his hiney ho. Jorge (a penpal friend of mine) is flat wrong, and I discussed it with him via email. Keep in mind that alot of prose in that book was taken directly from OG members (me included) and can be inaccurate. It's my understanding that the sugar molecule is too large to cross the root epidermal gradient, and even if it could, presents no nutritional value to a plant. It's leaves that produce bud, not sugar, not molasses, not amino acids, or vitamins......

If sugar was worth anything it would be sold as fertilizer, it is not.

Keep this thought in mind as you read cannabis forums - if it's a standard in the commercial nursery trade, IOW used by bonafide horticulturalists, then it can be trusted. If it is hyped by the cannabis trade either in a forum or a vendor website, it can NOT be trusted.

UB

Thanks UB. Question and a comment:

- Will the sugar hurt the plant? Should I change the water (DWC hydro setup) immediately?
- Agree 100% on your thought when reading forums... I've been advised to (by non stoners and used sugar as plant food for cut roses when the store doesn't give you the little packet of plant food (which I heard contains lots of sugar anyways). Thats part of the reason why the advice in the book made sense to me.

phaedrus13 said:

Thanks UB. Question and a comment:

- Will the sugar hurt the plant? Should I change the water (DWC hydro setup) immediately?
- Agree 100% on your thought when reading forums... I've been advised to (by non stoners and used sugar as plant food for cut roses when the store doesn't give you the little packet of plant food (which I heard contains lots of sugar anyways). Thats part of the reason why the advice in the book made sense to me.

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I can't tell you if the sugar will hurt the plant, wait and see.

The Rose packets contain salts, not sugar, and a cut stem is not the same as a root.

UB

so dont use molasses? what about bud candy but its been hyped so no?
almost everything is hyped for sale even the nutrients i use n work fine