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Using Molasses With Hydro


Meangreen222

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My plants are down due to the introduction of spider mites. I would have let them build some mass, and get a bit more couch-lock with trich ripening, but it's history now. Introducing molasses made the buds stand alone. I'd guess that the plant without molasses will have more weight. There is no question that introducing molasses made a difference in the bud development. These results are in bubble buckets, and I'm not sure what to make of the results. Did I provide them with an easily accessible sugar? Was my timing off a bit? I know that in soil or soil-less mix, the sugar can feed beneficial bacteria which will effect the plant. But in a DWC? I'll keep playing around. Smokability is a few days away yet. I'm really familiar with this strain, so I'm thinking that I'll detect a difference. Right now they are very much the same. Fruity aroma. You could stuff one of these buds in each nostril and be haaaaaaaapy! The scissors hash put my lights out! If adding a readily available sugar will benefit my DWC grow, I want to figure it out. Let me know what you guys learn.

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That's some crazy historic stuff! All my knowledge is from reading, trying, testing, and trying again. I grow in dirt, so anything else I would be guessing and that's just not good. I used the blackstrap molasses in my grows, with mixed results. I now use homemade maple syrup, if you make it yourself, you can use straight sap water while it's running, to water your plants, they love it! My meds do taste better with the syrup in the soil rather than molasses, why or what or how, I have no idea. It could be that my girls are flushing better with one, than the other, idk lol

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We humans, along with a long long list of other life forms, convert most of what we eat into sugar. Sugar molecules are almost all carbon and hydrogen and oxygen. They take the form of glucose and sucrose and dextrose and lactose, and a whole lot of other oses. Plants are entirely different, and very much the same. Plants have chloroplasts, which we don't have. Plants take energy from the light, and nutrients from the soil (or reservoir), and convert it to sugar molecules. They use the sugar to build stucture and flowers. By providing them with a readily available sugar, it is possible that the plant will not have to expend as much energy to build structure and flowers. Although I haven't figured out the when and how of it yet, I'm convinced that there's a method. I know that there's gotta be some brilliant horticultural minds that have already worked out much of the process. But it's still fun to experiment, and share what we learn. If you try something, and it works or doesn;t work, share your results. It's all good!

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Totally agree with ToadinCan. Experiment and see what happens. I wouldn't test something out on a large RDWC system, but if you have a separate bucket then what the heck? I also do agree with several posters here that molasses in a RDWC is slime food so I personally would not do it. Any kind of bud sweetener or organic nute is not recommended in RDWC as it can lead to root rot. I use horticultural molasses to feed microbes in my compost tea, but within two days they will have eaten most of it, then I add it to the res.

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Honey would do the same thing as anything else like syrup, raw sugar, or other complex carbohydrates and sugars; not much beyond overfeeding a possibly present microherd. At least molasses has some N, Ca, and S.

 

Pot plants aren't magic, they are just plants. Plants can't take in substances that they are not designed to take in. You can throw a bunch of things at them, and some will seem to stick. Maybe it was that thing you added, or maybe you just have another grow under your belt and the plants are going to look better anyways. Anyone who adds something this time of year will have amazing results. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that its fall and temps are going to be dropping.... So in reality you would have been better off saving that money up for better A/C or ventilation because that will actually make a real difference.

 

Although I haven't figured out the when and how of it yet, I'm convinced that there's a method. I know that there's gotta be some brilliant horticultural minds that have already worked out much of the process.

 

I just don't get this logic. That would be like me saying the Earth is flat, I'm convinced of it! Ya, I know all evidence says the Earth is round, but I am still convinced that somewhere someone someday will prove its flat and prove me right. I am going to go on thinking the earth is flat until someone proves that it is flat.

Edited by Petyr
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Cervantes mentions this in his " Grow Bible " but without much information . The key is it is used as a micro nutrient . I have seen higher recommendations then one tablespoon per gallon and people that followed them had bad results . Growers from Cali I have talked to in the past stated this is generally bad news for equipment and it can clog up the roots blocking some nutrients uptake .I think it really should be utilized during the flush period but again as a micro nutrient . I used about a third what you did and thought it was ok but only during the period where I no longer add nutrients for 10 days then do flush not before . I liked it .

 

.Lately I have been in dirt where you control what you put in your watering can because leaving hydroponics alone for a week or two at a time is not safe and I cannot count on being able to care for my grow constantly . I have lost my genetics already due to emergencies that pop up like hospitlzation or severe illness of a loved one . In dirt the worst that can happen is the plants die if heat from lighting is respected and accounted for . In a emergency that takes me away from home I just over water and use a veg fluorescent light to keep things dormant like Mother Nature created a few cloudy weeks after a bad storm . I use a system similar to keeping a Mother Plant .

 

For smost patients experimenting like this isn't' advisable as loosing genetics creates a need for more transfer interactions which under the current political environment could result in arrest of one or more participants leading to premature death and or suffering . The most frequent causes for growing errors resulting in failure are over watering and fertilizing . With the small plant counts allowed under the law it can be devestating to loose a plant as it takes 4-6 weeks to even sex them in most cases . Obviously proper genetics can make a huge difference but they are not easily available to those who desire to remain anonymous , are new to all of this , worry about a transferer's risk of arrest under PTP or have difficulty getting out and about .

 

BTW you want UNSULFERED Mollassas and in the midwest Grandma's is a often sold brand it says Gold Standard , All Natural on the label .

Edited by Croppled1
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Guest OxXGarfieldXxO

I guess it all depends on you....Really.

 

Molasses works great in soil, but in aero/hydro I'm not real fond of cleaning the sugars out of the pumps totes and basins....For me using things like "botnicare's "sweet" in dif flavors worked well. Some like the advanced nutes finishers..

 

If you like it and don't mind the elevated maintenance(as well as ware: the pumps we use arent designed to pump syrup in most caeses and fail faster) then grow on. Like a Bob Ross painting man "It's your happy lil world"....

 

Best

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  • 1 year later...

beneficals dont come from molassis as an earlier poster said-????

your bud wont taste any sweeter-trust me i tried-it just funked up my water and i will never do it again. everyone is reading wayyyy to much into elixers,potions and magic spells. let me explain.

1.keep the roots big and healthy-use beneficals and use them properly. this is what cleans your roots to help them absorb.

2.keep it simple and clean,rinse-flush,h202 then the next day(when the h202 loses its oxygen molecule and turns to h20) beneficals-molassis goes into your benefical tea brew to feed the beneficals for a day or two-add a SMALL amount to your tea-two days later add your nutes.

3.take all your extra money and time and buy lights-big bad ones-not flouro's-not parking lot lights but big 1000 watters and give them hell. you wont regret it and it will smell and taste AWESOME

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oh-and i have one more thing to say-bud is not your morning coffee-adding sugar or molassis to the water is just plain dumb. (in my opinion) it does not work that way. I actually found that the taste truely does come from the drying AND curing process-thats where you pay attention-not clogging up your chemistry with sweet n low. hahaha holy smokes.do you think the nute manufacturers made a product with only half of what you need? I only say this because i been there done that-trust me learn how to keep it clean-feed them- and dry and cure them it is that simple. if you believe in all that mumbo jumbo then you had better move your stereo into the flower room and put on some fleetwood mac. for the plants of course. you know- it makes them happier and they grow better.

:thumbsd:

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  • 9 months later...

You want answers or love?

Don't put that in there, just the regular nutes, no other mumbo-jumbo.

I've heard molasses is supposed to make the weed taste better if used in the last weeks of flowering, I would think sugar would dissolve better and still give the same result. If it does effect the taste at all.

Decent genetics, not to much stretching and plenty of light, give firm nugs, the last being the most important.

You have no idea what your talking about. Using unsulphered molasses is great for plants. They need the extra carbohydrates it adds that the plants need for photosynthesis. They just needs to be the right amount and right time. Next time do a little research before giving bad advice.

Edited by tankanddeamon
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