# "Molasses manual"



## lukey boii (Jan 5, 2011)

Hey guys Ive been really interested in experimenting with molasses lately so i decided to write up a little manual on what it is and how it can be used for growing MJ. I hope it helps, and you might want to pull up a chair this could take some time haha.

So fertilizers labelled carbohydrate boosters are no new thing. These so called carbohydrate boosters claim to be a full carbohydrate source for plants with a variety of supposed benefits to be unlocked by there use. On the surface it sounds real good, and while these kinds of products almost always base their claims in enough science to sound good, reality doesnt always live up to the hype. 

So imagine going off to the local hydroponics store, purchasing a bottle of the wonder product - Super Plant Carb! (not its real name) - and then dragging it back home. With a sense of expectation you open the lid, hoping to take a peek and a whiff of this new (and expensive) goodie for your wonderful plants. Your greeted with a familiar sweet smell that takes a moment to place. Then the realization hits you. . . 

Molasses! The Super Plant Carb! smells just like Blackstrap Molasses. The thought that youve just paid something like $18 for a litre of runny molasses is almost enough to make you wanna throw it at the wall (causing a pretty sticky mess). So you think to yourself surely there must be more to this product than just molasses. So you dip a finger into this wonder juice and bring it up to have a taste. 

So youve now discovered the essence of this product. It was indeed nothing more than Blackstrap Molasses, a quick taste had conformed that you had wasted your time and money.

So heres the sweet truth about molasses. 

Molasses is a syrupy, thick juice created by the processing of either sugar beets or the sugar cane plant. The grade and type of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or beet and the method of extraction. The different molasses have names like: first molasses, second molasses, unsulphured molasses, sulphured molasses, and blackstrap molasses. For gardeners the sweet syrup can work as a carbohydrate source to feed and stimulate micro-organisms. And, because molasses (average NPK 1-0-5) contains potash, sulfur, and many trace minerals, it can serve as a nutritious soil amendment.

Several grades and types of molasses are produced by sugar cane processing. First the plants are harvested and stripped of their leaves, and then the sugar cane is usually crushed or mashed to extract its sugary juice. Sugar manufacturing begins by boiling cane juice until it reaches the proper consistency, it is then processed to extract sugar. This first boiling and processing produces what is called first molasses, this has the highest sugar content of the molasses because relatively little sugar has been extracted from the juice. Green (unripe) sugar cane that has been treated with sulphur fumes during sugar extraction produces sulphured molasses. The juice of sun-ripened cane which has been clarified and concentrated produces un-sulphured molasses. Another boiling and sugar extraction produces second molasses which has a slight bitter tinge to its taste. 

Further rounds of processing and boiling yield dark colored blackstrap molasses, which is the most nutritionally valuable of the various types of molasses. It is commonly used as a sweetner in the manufacture of cattle and other animal feeds, and is even sold as a human health supplement. Any kind of molasses will work to provide benefit for soil and growing plants, but blackstrap molasses is the best choice because it contains the greatest concentration of sulfur, iron and micronutrients from the original cane material.

So now that we know what it is and its different types, its time to understand why we might want to use it for growing marijuana?

The reason nutrient manufacturers have discovered molasses is the simple fact that its a great source of carbohydrates to stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms. Carbohydrate is really just a fancy word for sugar, and molasses is the best sugar for horticultural use.

Molasses is a good, quick source of energy for the various forms of microbes and soil life in a compost pile or good living soil. As we said earlier, molasses is a carbon source that feeds the beneficial microbes that create greater natural soil fertility. But, if giving a sugar boost was the only goal, there would be lots of alternatives. We could even go with the old Milly Blunt story of using Coke on plants as a child, after all Coke would be a great source of sugar to feed microbes and it also contains phosphoric acid to provide phosphorus for strengthening roots and encouraging blooming. In my eyes though, the primary thing that makes molasses the best sugar for agricultural use is its trace minerals. 

In addition to sugars, molasses contains significant amounts of potash, sulphur, and a variety of micronutrients. Because molasses is derived from plants, and because the manufacturing processes that create it remove mostly sugars, the majority of the mineral nutrients that were contained in the original sugar cane or sugar beet are still present in molasses. This is a critical factor because a balanced supply of mineral nutrients is essential for those beneficial beasties to survive and thrive. This is especially important for the soil micro-herd of critters who depend on tiny amounts of those trace minerals as catalysts to make the enzymes that create biochemical transformations. That last sentence was my fancy way of saying - its actually the critters in live soil that break down organic fertilizers and feed it to our plants.

One final benefit molasses can provide to your garden is its ability to work as a chelating agent. Thats a scientific way of saying that molasses is one of those magical substances that can convert some chemical nutrients into a form thats easily available for critters and plants. Chelated minerals can be absorbed directly and remain available and stable in the soil. 


-The Hows of Molasses-

This section of the Molasses Manual is for all the peeps reading who are ready, waiting, and wanting to get going with bringing the sticky goodness of molasses into their garden.

Molasses is a fairly versatile product, it can serve as a plant food as well as a an additive to improve a fertilizer mix or tea. Dry molasses can be used as an ingredient in a fertilizer mix, and liquid molasses can be used alone or as a component in both sprays and soil drenches. Your personal preferences and growing style will help to decide how to best use this natural sweetener for its greatest effect in your garden.

I will try and address the use of dry molasses first. Folks may remember from my earlier description of the various kinds of molasses that dry molasses is actually a ground grain waste carrier which has been coated with molasses. This gives dry molasses a semi-granular texture that can be mixed into a feed mix for a soil mix for our favourite herbs.
The best use i can envision for dry molasses in the herb garden is to include it in some sort of modified super-soil recipe. I believe that moderate use should help stimulate micro-organisms and also help in chelating micronutrients and holding them available for our herbs. I plan on experimenting with this to try get some more info on it, the plan so far is to begin testing with one cup of dried molasses added per 10 gallons of soil mix and see how it goes from there, using observation as my guide to whether i think its working or not.


Another option for molasses use in the garden is its use alone as a fertilizer. 
Directions- Water plants thoroughly with a solution of 1.5 teaspoons per gallon once every 7-14 days in spring and summer, every 14-30 days in fall and winter.

Its also possible to use molasses as a foliar feed alone. Its primary use would be to treat plants that are deficient in Potassium, although molasses also provides significant boosts in other essential minerals such as Sulphur, Iron and Magnesium. For growing a fast growing annual plant like cannabis, id suggest a recipe of 1 teaspoon molasses per gallon of water.


-Molasses For Organic Pest Control-


One final benefit of molasses is its ability to be used in the control of a couple of common pests encountered in gardening. The most commonly known use of molasses is its ability to help control Fire Ants, but ive also found an internet reference to the ability of molasses to control white cabbage moths in the UK, so molasses could be an effective pest deterrent in more ways that we are aware. 

Well folks, there you have it, the Molasses Manual. If your Mothers or Grandmothers didnt tell you about the sticky goodness of molasses, youve heard all about it now. 
You can find molasses on the shelf of your local grocery store, and molasses based fertilizers can be found in most gardening sections in stores. For people living in an urban area this may very well be the best and most economical choice for molasses procurement. But if the peeps reading this live anywhere near a rural area, then the best and cheapest source of all will be a farm supply or old fashioned animal feed shop. Your plants dont care if your molasses comes out of a bottle designed for the kitchen cupboard, or a big plastic jug designed for the feedlot, but your pocketbook will feel the difference. Remember blackstrap molasses for farm animals is the best overall value for your garden.

So there it is guys i hope it helped and let me no what u think (good or bad), and dont be shy to rep it up haha.
happy harvests peeps, peace owt


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## Green Dave (Jan 5, 2011)

Nice Read nothing new but all put in one place and in normal word well most of it LOL
Thanks for taking the time 
You might want to include the fact that it can boost your yeild by up to 10%


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## Micromaster (Jan 5, 2011)

Ye this is pretty much an article thats already floating around with a few words changed around


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## IXOYE (Jan 8, 2011)

fire ants don't like it? I wanted to try some molasses out but was worried that it would attract ants!


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## Green Dave (Jan 8, 2011)

Na the molasses is so watered down you should be good


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## lukey boii (Jan 8, 2011)

Micromaster said:


> Ye this is pretty much an article thats already floating around with a few words changed around


All the info came from google, i make no claims of it being my own


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## anonymuss (Jan 8, 2011)

does this stuff have carbs? pretty sure its made from molasses


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## lukey boii (Jan 8, 2011)

anonymuss said:


> does this stuff have carbs? pretty sure its made from molasses


for some reason theres two white lines covering half the pic, but from wat i can see it just looks like an organic fertilizer, if it says it made from molasses than it will for sure have carbs but from wat i see it says it has a N.P.K of 8.2.6 so id say it doesnt contain any carbs from molasses. You would no if it did contain molasses cus it would be highlighted in the ingredients. Maybe you could also check out the manufactorers website or look up a review on it, i would still use this but use in conjuction with a good blackstrap molasses.


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## IXOYE (Jan 8, 2011)

I was thinking about buying "Sweet" but on top of my Foxfarm nutes I was thinking it might be overkill?
Does anyone have experience with Sweet or with Sweet vs. molasses for both taste and vigor? Thanks:



_Sweet Carbo Grape Gardeners can boost fruit flavor and aroma while they increase yields with Botanicare Sweet Carbo Berry! When used during the vegetative stage, its combination of carbohydrates, organic acids, vitamins aid plants in making an easy transition to the flowering stage. When its use is continued through the fruiting stage, plants will keep the correct balance between photosynthesis and respiration, leading to sturdy stem growth to support a multitude of flowers and fruit.

Plant Physiologists have determined that a high phosphorous:nitrogen (P/N) ratio favors flowering and fruit development, whereas, a low P/N ratio favors vegetative growth. For this reason, it is common practice to cut down on nitrogen levels at the onset of flowering.

Unfortunately, this sudden deprivation of nitrogen results in a metabolic imbalance caused by limited nitrogen availability.Crucial nitrogen-containing compounds such as amino acids, proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, vitamins and hormones cannot be synthesized fast enough to keep up with the metabolic demands of the plant. Furthermore, the undesirable effects of nitrogen deprivation are amplified under enriched carbon dioxide atmospheres and high light intensities.
Sweet&#8482; is scientifically formulated with carbohydrates for flavor and aroma enhancement. The unique chemical composition of Sweet&#8482; makes it beneficial during all phases of plant growth.
During the vegetative phase, application of Sweet&#8482; prevents plants from becoming leggy and soft-stemmed in the presence of high nitrogen concentrations.
At the onset of flowering application of Sweet&#8482; ensures a seamless and stress-free transition from the vegetative to the flowering stage even though nitrogen levels are artificially kept low. The key ingredients present in Sweet&#8482; are rapidly taken up by plants and utilized for the biosynthesis of crucial compounds to maintain optimal metabolism.

The continued application of Sweet&#8482; during the flowering and fruiting stages helps maintain a proper balance between photosynthesis and respiration. This is significant because, during flowering, many growers use high carbon dioxide concentrations, high temperatures and light with longer wavelengths. Under such conditions, respiration can outstrip photosynthesis causing excessive ethylene production which results in senescence, yellowing of leaves and leggy growth. Sweet&#8482; protects plants from this metabolic imbalance and helps produce sturdy stems with short internodes and an abundance of buds, flowers and fruits.

Sweet&#8482; contains a unique combination of all natural compounds and essential elements that are directly involved in plant photosynthesis and respiration:
A. Carbohydrates are the end products of photosynthesis. Carbohydrates are broken down during respiration to release large amounts of chemical energy which is utilized by plants for biosynthetic reactions. Sweet&#8482; contains optimal concentrations of glucose, fructose and sucrose.
B. Essential secondary elements are included in the formulation because they are obligatory co-factors for some of the enzymes involved in photosynthesis and respiration.
_


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## GutterGravy (Jan 9, 2011)

Grandma's blackstrap molasses is the bomb..its like 3 bucks at the grocery store for enough molassas for like 4 grows


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## GutterGravy (Jan 9, 2011)

i do 1 teaspoon with my bone meal tea every other watering


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## BudNoobie (Aug 5, 2011)

tag. old thread but great read.


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## cannawizard (Aug 5, 2011)

* oldie but goodie, good info.

--cheers


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## lukey boii (Aug 28, 2011)

Thanx gents! Totally forgot about this


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## cricketkush (Mar 9, 2017)

lukey boii said:


> Hey guys Ive been really interested in experimenting with molasses lately so i decided to write up a little manual on what it is and how it can be used for growing MJ. I hope it helps, and you might want to pull up a chair this could take some time haha.
> 
> So fertilizers labelled carbohydrate boosters are no new thing. These so called carbohydrate boosters claim to be a full carbohydrate source for plants with a variety of supposed benefits to be unlocked by there use. On the surface it sounds real good, and while these kinds of products almost always base their claims in enough science to sound good, reality doesnt always live up to the hype.
> 
> ...




can i use grape molasses its made in lebanon from grapes instead of cane sugar


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## chemphlegm (Mar 9, 2017)

o started experimenting with molasses too. I put some drips in my pot roast and its really good. I've used it in sauces and marinades too, and bbq sauce. i keep in it the kitchen where i think it belongs. I dont use it and grow the best mj in the state ! (lol)


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