# Sugar in Soil



## Titania (Feb 2, 2008)

Has any1 used sugar on their soil? It creates a bacteria population explosion which you can see on the top soil as a 'fur'. It's useful for a number of reasons: Firstly, if you have to much nitrogen in your soil (fert burn), the bacteria consume it at a much faster rate if you give them sugar. Secondly, the network of fine 'fur' that spreads throughout the soil works in harmony with the roots helping them absorb nutrients. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.


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## GrowItGreen (Feb 2, 2008)

I read some where that sugar in soil blocks water absorption....I'll see if I can find the source...but I never tried it.


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## GrowItGreen (Feb 2, 2008)

Well I couldn't find where I read that all I found was this https://www.rollitup.org/harvesting-curing/31578-spray-sugar-water-my-buds-2.html a bunch of people who said water with sugar water the last two weeks of flowering.


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## frostythesnowthug (Feb 2, 2008)

Yeah sugar water will work to a point,but in the same thread the topic of spraying sugar onto bud was discussed as a method sometimes used by unscrupulous ppl to pass off shit weed as good..And to illegitematly increase bud weight..
If you wanna provide your plant with vital, usable sugars, feed the micro-herd and help increase bud size, with out creating 'fur' or as i call it MOLD...
use MOLASSES....
DONT BE A CHEAP ASS...unsulphured molasses is cheap as hell, does the job properly, and doesnt promote stuff like bud rot..

Also i am V stoned,but if i remember correctly, Molasses doesnt actually contain a whole lot of sugar, but is useable by plants as it contains essential carbohydrates that are easily broken down for use by the plants..also can be a good source of K(potassium)

just my .2


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## Titania (Feb 2, 2008)

frostythesnowthug said:


> Yeah sugar water will work to a point,but in the same thread the topic of spraying sugar onto bud was discussed as a method sometimes used by unscrupulous ppl to pass off shit weed as good..And to illegitematly increase bud weight..
> If you wanna provide your plant with vital, usable sugars, feed the micro-herd and help increase bud size, with out creating 'fur' or as i call it MOLD...
> use MOLASSES....
> DONT BE A CHEAP ASS...unsulphured molasses is cheap as hell, does the job properly, and doesnt promote stuff like bud rot..
> ...


Yeah thanks for the reply, My mom used to put this on her plants (NOT marijuana!) and they grew ferociously. I've done my research on using molasses, your right I shouldn't be a cheap ass, I'll invest in some. The 'fur' I was referring to is a large bacterial/fungal colony, you may not see it but it is under the soil, much like that which is found in the wild. It is generally lacking in indoor grows because of the lack of carbs for the bacteria/fungus to use, which in the wild they would get from rotting leaves ect. These micro-organism's are by no means dangerous they are friendly bacteria and work with the plant. I have to say though Frosty if you had payed attention in biology you would know that plants can't take up carbohydrate eg. glucose, because the molecule is to large to pass through the root membrane. Thanks anyway!


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## Titania (Feb 2, 2008)

GrowItGreen said:


> Well I couldn't find where I read that all I found was this https://www.rollitup.org/harvesting-curing/31578-spray-sugar-water-my-buds-2.html a bunch of people who said water with sugar water the last two weeks of flowering.


Cheers for the link Growitgreen, appreciate it


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## frostythesnowthug (Feb 2, 2008)

hence why i said, "but is useable by plants as it contains essential carbohydrates that are easily broken down for use by the plants"


Go steady n have a fun wkend


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## Titania (Feb 3, 2008)

frostythesnowthug said:


> hence why i said, "but is useable by plants as it contains essential carbohydrates that are easily broken down for use by the plants"
> 
> 
> Go steady n have a fun wkend


You can't break down glucose any further it is the simplest form of carbohydrate,  Sorry if I've misunderstood.


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## frostythesnowthug (Feb 3, 2008)

LOL.. do i gotta go into a science lesson here and its my day off n all too!?! J/K 

In addition to sugars, molasses contains significant amounts of potash, sulfur along with some other micronutrients.
molasses is derived from plants and because the processes that create molasses remove most of the sugars, the majority of the minerals that were in the original sugar beet are still present in molasses. This is a factor because a balanced supply of mineral nutrients is vital for the micro-herds to survive and develop That&#8217;s the secret to really successful organic gardening, the micronutrients found in organic substances like molasses and kelp are all from other plant sources and are quickly and easily available to soil and plants.
This is very important for the soil &#8220;micro-herd&#8221; who depend on tiny amounts of trace minerals to work as catalysts to make the enzymes that create the biochemical transformation we are aiming for.
it&#8217;s the micro-herd that break down organic fertilizers and &#8220;feed&#8221; it to the plants.

Molasses combined with the micro
herd also helps act as a chelating agent...Ie its a substance that can convert naturally occuring chemicals into a source thats easily and readily available to our plants and soil microbes.
Chelated mineral sources are very easy for the plant to absorb and maintain a good level of stability in the soil..Chelates are also known to unlock the potential of Ferts in soil.

there's an old saying &#8220;Feed the soil not the plant.&#8221;

I was just saying that regular sugar would suck in comparison,as it is not as nutritious as molasses, as it lacks a big proportion of the supplemental micronutrients...but it would work..Molasses is V cheap, and vastly superior over plain sugar.

The micro herd are sorta responsible for converting a single nutrient ion held in the center of the larger molecule,thus making it available to the root system..
Or atleast from what i remember...Been outta school for a long long time... 
Hell if i'm wrong, thats cool, i like learning stuff...
Just my .2

Phew, i think i'd better roll me a smoke, that was way too much like doin my homework for school for my liking..
Man i dont envy kids one bit..

Peace. Out. ~~~~[[[__________()


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## Titania (Feb 3, 2008)

frostythesnowthug said:


> LOL.. do i gotta go into a science lesson here and its my day off n all too!?! J/K
> 
> In addition to sugars, molasses contains significant amounts of potash, sulfur along with some other micronutrients.
> molasses is derived from plants and because the processes that create molasses remove most of the sugars, the majority of the minerals that were in the original sugar beet are still present in molasses. This is a factor because a balanced supply of mineral nutrients is vital for the micro-herds to survive and develop Thats the secret to really successful organic gardening, the micronutrients found in organic substances like molasses and kelp are all from other plant sources and are quickly and easily available to soil and plants.
> ...


 
Cheers Frosty! Enjoyed reading that, I like it when people go in-depth on subjects. I read what seemed like a book on just this subject a few weeks ago, so I'm down with all this info. I misread you earlier. I thought you were one of those people who think that plants can absorb glucose. You obviously know what your talking about, my bad. I was just trying to highlight how important the symbiotic relationship between plant and micro-herd is. As I remember correctly, Plants use 2 ways to get nutrients active transport (which requires energy), and diffusion (which works on a concentration gradient). But there is also this 3rd way, in which the micro-organism's 'feed' the plant useful nutrients, and the plant in return gives them energy. This obviously doesn't happen in hydro grows, which work on a concentration gradient, and they grow the fastest. So does any1 know the 'real' benefits of encouraging micro-organism's?  Now I need 1 of these


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## frostythesnowthug (Feb 3, 2008)

just did a google n the subject of the benefits of microbial enriched/activated soil and there's a bunch of good info on the scientific aspect of the biology and physiology of plant and organism cohabitation


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## frostythesnowthug (Feb 3, 2008)

Found this page that whilst it explains in basic terms, is still quite informative
Microbes for Soil Improvement


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## Titania (Feb 3, 2008)

frostythesnowthug said:


> Found this page that whilst it explains in basic terms, is still quite informative
> Microbes for Soil Improvement


Thanks for the link. it confirmed everything I suspected. Benefits from aeration, humus buid up, to ph change, the list is endless. VERRRRRY interesting!


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## mokety (Feb 3, 2008)

so finally how much is ratio of sugar/water or molasses/water


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## frostythesnowthug (Feb 3, 2008)

1 tsp to 1 Litre works for me... some folks do 1 tablespoon to 1 gallon...depends what other nutes you use too.


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## mokety (Feb 3, 2008)

and when do u start use water-sugar on your plant? how often?


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## frostythesnowthug (Feb 3, 2008)

I dont...

I use molasses..


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## mokety (Feb 3, 2008)

oh molasses then how do u use them on your?


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## frostythesnowthug (Feb 3, 2008)

like i said.. 1 tsp of molasses to 1 litre of water...


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## mokety (Feb 3, 2008)

i'm sorry but i what i mean was when do i should start use them and how often?


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## Titania (Feb 4, 2008)

mokety said:


> i'm sorry but i what i mean was when do i should start use them and how often?


Hahah, how much did you smoke before writing that sentence.
I just started using them yestaday, 2 weeks. But you can put it in your soil before you even put the seed in, perfectly safe just don't over do it. I do the same 1tbls per L per week.


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## KiLLaBoNgRiP808 (Feb 14, 2008)

Ok, so according to Jorge Cervantes reasearch (JORGE'S RX All You Need to Grow :: hightimes.com) molasses does work. the recipe is the tricky part, there is another thread on it here somewhere by videoman. I just started using it on my 2nd week of flower 2 tbsp per gal once a week seems to be a "medium" mixture. I have noticed a increase in growth of the buds and the crystals along with a swet aroma in my room. I am using it injunction with my Nutes and a pproduct called "Sweet". from what i have read you can use molasses during the enitre grow for benifits but the plant really needs it during the last 4-5 weeks of flower. I have my plants in 7 gal pots / in 4x8 trays 8 pots to a tray. I have noticed a "skin" or film formed ontop of pooled water left in tray after watering plants. Ontop of this "skin" i have notice flecks of what looks like bread mold or yeast maybe? I am guessing as a reaction to the sugars present in the stagnant water left in tray. Do you guys know if the "bread Mold" that seems to be restricted to the pools of water and the "skin" on surface is harmful to my plants? or could it be a helpful group of micros as you were speaking of earlier.? there doesnt seem to be any growth of the mold near or on pots or plants and it also hasnt spread or grown where water is not pooling in tray. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks


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## KiLLaBoNgRiP808 (Feb 14, 2008)

here the thread from videoman i mentioned as well, sorry about the spelling! 
https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/7636-more-info-molasses.html


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## Titania (Feb 14, 2008)

KiLLaBoNgRiP808 said:


> Ok, so according to Jorge Cervantes reasearch (JORGE'S RX All You Need to Grow :: hightimes.com) molasses does work. the recipe is the tricky part, there is another thread on it here somewhere by videoman. I just started using it on my 2nd week of flower 2 tbsp per gal once a week seems to be a "medium" mixture. I have noticed a increase in growth of the buds and the crystals along with a swet aroma in my room. I am using it injunction with my Nutes and a pproduct called "Sweet". from what i have read you can use molasses during the enitre grow for benifits but the plant really needs it during the last 4-5 weeks of flower. I have my plants in 7 gal pots / in 4x8 trays 8 pots to a tray. I have noticed a "skin" or film formed ontop of pooled water left in tray after watering plants. Ontop of this "skin" i have notice flecks of what looks like bread mold or yeast maybe? I am guessing as a reaction to the sugars present in the stagnant water left in tray. Do you guys know if the "bread Mold" that seems to be restricted to the pools of water and the "skin" on surface is harmful to my plants? or could it be a helpful group of micros as you were speaking of earlier.? there doesnt seem to be any growth of the mold near or on pots or plants and it also hasnt spread or grown where water is not pooling in tray. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks


 
Yeah mate I had exactly the same thing on the tray I have under my plants, and also a fur of mould on the top soil. I over did it with the molasses but now I have found a happy medium. It's not harmful to your plants, they're friendly bacteria that work with the plant in a symbiotic relationship. However, just like the friendly bacteria inside of us, when the numbers get out of control they can be hazardous, I'm not sure in what way this manifests its self in plants, but it's probably not good. What you have doesn't sound dangerous, but I wouldn't leave stagnant water around because it encourages insects and harmful micro-organisms. I'm only in week 4 veg stage and I've noticed results (compared to my last grow where I didn't use them), glad to hear your having good results, happy smoking


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## KiLLaBoNgRiP808 (Feb 15, 2008)

Thanks for your input, i am glad to hear you confirm what i have suspected. I will keep an eye on things and if out of control i will remove tray and pressure wash then return. So far things look ok and i have pumped my dehum's at full power. The areas that have begun to dry out already show signs of the "bacteria" dieing off as it appears to not survive without H20. Will keep you guys posted if anything else changes and thanks for your help. Will put up pixs of my XXX strain asap. Have a great weekend!


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## madtrapper (Feb 15, 2008)

try cooking molasses a good shot in a 22l(5gal.) water reservoir during bud cycle it
works great for me indoor and out spring is nigh


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## faralos (Feb 16, 2008)

well that was good reading! whew, god bless you man, for even thinking that stuff up, much less typing it in! but, now my brain is reeling, just like high school (ok more weed now and minus the cigs!) too much reading, must...roll...joint...(puff, puff,) ah, now um, what was the thread on again?


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## scias (Feb 16, 2008)

dont know if micorhizzae has been mentioned already, but they work especially well in conjunction with molasses/sugary additives. the sugars feed the micorhizzae (which normally feed off the plant) thereby allowing the plant to divert all energy into growth, bud production, etc.


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## Titania (Feb 17, 2008)

scias said:


> dont know if micorhizzae has been mentioned already, but they work especially well in conjunction with molasses/sugary additives. the sugars feed the micorhizzae (which normally feed off the plant) thereby allowing the plant to divert all energy into growth, bud production, etc.


So are the micorhizzae some type of bacteria that feed of it? 

Also I'm thinking of trying liquid glucose, any1 with any experience?


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## natmoon (Feb 17, 2008)

Titania said:


> So are the micorhizzae some type of bacteria that feed of it?
> 
> Also I'm thinking of trying liquid glucose, any1 with any experience?


Mycorihazae fungus grow in the soil and build networks that work in conjunction with your own root system.
They are symbiotic with the plants roots and the plant feeds them and they feed the plants.

Molasses can help to keep them alive and thriving in your soil.
I wouldn't bother with liquid glucose as you yourself said before the plants cant absorb this sized molecule through their root systems.
The molasses also helps to create micro herds that are also beneficial to your soil and root systems.

All though the liquid glucose would help to feed the bacteria it may also feed unwelcome bacteria.
I found with molasses that using 1 dessertspoon in 3 litres of water was plenty and that this created a good balance and didn't encourage shitty soil,mould or a crappy smell from having to much molasses in them


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## Titania (Feb 17, 2008)

natmoon said:


> Mycorihazae fungus grow in the soil and build networks that work in conjunction with your own root system.
> They are symbiotic with the plants roots and the plant feeds them and they feed the plants.
> 
> Molasses can help to keep them alive and thriving in your soil.
> ...


 
Right so by feeding the fungus, the fungus doesn't take as much energy from the plant? Is that the idea? Your right the liquid glucose was a bad idea, I can see how it will help harmful bacteria/fungus to multiply. I was thinking along the lines that they may be able to use it more efficiently, much like a bottle of lucozade to an athlete. I used 1 tbls in 1 litre and the water retaining properties of the soil have gone through the roof due to the build up of humus, which has caused me to over water. Thx for the clearing that up for me.


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## DivideMySky (Feb 19, 2008)

So how late into flowing would you say to keep using the molasses? Should you stop using it while flushing?


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## FilthyFletch (Feb 19, 2008)

stop a week before harvest is plenty


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