Ok, what's the deal with molasses in Coco?

[Terpeneluv]

Not a very productive day at work so I have spent a whole hell of a lot of time reading about molasses, molasses with flushing molasses and everything else. Of course, there are so many contradictions and it has been posted to death but not recently, or at least not recently in this forum. I value the information I get here, so I wonder what you guys think.

Do you use molasses and coco, and if so, how?

 

[Burned Haze]

Molasses = It’s meant for feeding the beneficial bacteria/fungi


Answer/solution = What I would do is lower your last feed of bennies and fungi feed to last 1-3rd week ( right before flush ) and then just do molasses and enzymes the last 1-3 weeks depending your style .

if your not even doing bennies, than no reason for this step and the main thing for flush is if your trying to re-reuse your medium it’s not going to have too much salt or the flower based fert’s And a unbalance for a starter plant . I reuse my coco over and over till there’s nothing left, I even bought screens for my pots to capture the coco that fall out the holes, point is besides when it wears out you can get 90% back even when you make it 75-90+% root mass always, just have to beat the roots out of it, the money side for me is worth it ( just make sure to use enzymes to break down the old roots , pond zymes are 10x than hydro store versions !)

 

[Seraphine]

IMO I wouldn’t add molasses in coco. You treat or should treat coco like you would a hydroponic set up. But just my opinion.

 

[cemchris]

epsom instead of molasses ftw unless you are running full organic

 

[az2000]

Not a very productive day... Do you use molasses and coco, and if so, how?

I tried molasses my first couple grows. After that, I add a pinch of sugar to each gallon I feed. I should try Molasses again (in flower) and see if I notice a difference. I don't understand how there could be. Ultimately, isn't it just sugar and minerals? What you feed should have enough minerals (more economically, too). And then, ordinary granulated (kitchen) sugar to feed the microbes?

But, if you're growing in coco, you wouldn't expect robust microbial life (like soil)? (Not that it has to be either/or. If coco has any microbial life, I'm sure sugar would benefit it. I'm just taking that to its logical conclusion: if a robust microbial life is desired, why be in coco?).

 

[Jimster]

Coco is like Promix or plain vermiculite and doesn't have a thriving biosystem living in it, which is what the molasses is for. It is designed to feed the bacteria which break down components, providing the nutrients needed by the plant. Without the bacteria to use the molasses, you aren't doing much to help the plant as sugars aren't taken up by the roots.

 

[Seraphine]

I use all raw minerals in coco. I prefer elemental sulfur as a terpene enhancer once per week.

 

[cemchris]

it's the Mg in molasses that gives you the boost for flowering

 

[Terpeneluv]

See I was thinking the same as Jimster. Plus when you water with at least 25% runoff, wouldn't that just wash a good chunk of microbial life if there was any?

Some people say it enhances flavor, but that doesn't seem to fit with what I've been reading. I could have read bad info, but to my understanding, it doesn't work that way.

Being my first grow in decades, and the first time using coco, maybe I'll experiment on the next run. I think being new, I want to do things that will enhance any success I'm already enjoying, but I'm pretty content with the way things are going now. Actually, blown away.

I have, and do, use it with teas on my pepper plants, but there's only about 30% coco and the rest being compost, worm castings with perlite. I can say this is my best season growing peppers in containers.

 

[cemchris]

Coco is like Promix or plain vermiculite and doesn't have a thriving biosystem living in it, which is what the molasses is for. It is designed to feed the bacteria which break down components, providing the nutrients needed by the plant. Without the bacteria to use the molasses, you aren't doing much to help the plant as sugars aren't taken up by the roots.

That is most likely where you are seeing all the benefit from adding molasses. It's basically a bloom booster.