To Molasses, or to NOT molasses...chime in please!

[Governmentchz]

Hey all! Happy holidays and all that. I was having a discussion with a friend last night and we were discussing the subject of additives, enhancers etc, and the subject of "molasses" came up. He is a firm believer in adding it during the flush in the last week before harvest. Honestly I was just playing devil's advocate arguing against adding molasses, but I would really like to get some input from the 420Magazine community.

Molasses (unsulfured) - YES NO

 

[David Bowman]

YES. I add it (1Tbsp/gallon) throughout the entire grow rather than just the flush since it is more for the benefit of the soil's microbes rather than for the plants' direct benefit. When I contacted D&S regarding using their Growology system along with molasses, here was their reply - "I wouldn't expect molasses to interfere with a Growology regimen. In fact, at one point we were considering offering a dextrose product as a carbohydrate supplement - molasses should be fine.".

 

[GeorgeFoster]

YES,

I am currently using it with every water and nute feed during flower at 1tsp per gal.

I'm in soil....I bump it up to 1TBL per gal during flush and I flush usually for 2/3 weeks.

 

[canabinerd]

I just started using molasses in the last 2 weeks at 1 tsp/gal and have been pleased so far.

 

[yuyo]

i use unsulfured blackstrap molasses,once around 3-4 weeks of veg and then one around 3 weeks flower. then i flush with it the last 2 waterings until the very last 4-5 days i give nothing to drink, i use 1 tbs per gallon and soil is my medium
i notice this is in the hydroponics section and i did not know it was ok for that,it doesn't cause problems gumming stuff up?
take care and good luck

 

[SnaFu]

Yeahhhh, this is the hydro section, and im gonna go ahead and say NO. In soil it's fine, it'll wake up a diverse population of microbes and bacteria right in the rhizosphere, to help the breakdown of nutes and the uptake of water and blah blah blah. But if your question is for hydro, i would advise against it. Ive heard of people doing this but it seems to me (a dwc guy) this is exactly what you dont want to do. Introducing sugar into the rez would feed all the bad bugs in there and they'd explode and take over. And with such little benefit to the roots, i really dont see the risk being worth it.

 

[Governmentchz]

That's good to know regarding hydro-vs-soil. I've never used it (molasses). Granted it's been a couple decades since I've grown, but a strong, healthy pant isn't dependent upon it. Of that I'm certain. I also happen to like the smell and flavor of good cannabis flowers so, many of the additives I see and hear people putting on their plants strikes me as similar to adding brown sugar to a well-prepared spaghetti sauce...why?

 

[SnaFu]

Yeah i dont get it either, a lot of people swear by it in soil for the taste i guess? I never tasted a side by side comparison so i cant really say. But what i have learned after buying numerous (and i mean a closet full of) additives and hormones and vitamins etc it's that less IS more. All you need for some dank bud is a super healthy plant, and good genetics. I attain that with my three part baseline nutes. Silica for veg, -->1<-- bloom enhancer. That's it. And some liquid light for foliar now and then.

Everytime i switch up this recipe i cause problems for myself and adverse effects for the plants! In this respect, soil and hydro must be similar. Just give the plant what it needs! Dont think it's getting any unsulphured molasses in the wild right??