SnappyJack
- 185
- 63
From what I understand it feeds the microbes in the soil. They feed off the sugar causing them too shit out nutes for the plant to consume… I think.What does molasses do?
Then what are other/better ways to increase soil life, not including mycorrhizae?The www is filled with articles trumpeting the benefits of adding molasses to plant soil.
In graduate school I took a soil microbiology course. One lab project involved selecting a square meter of grass, turf. We then characterized, enumerated all the soil microbes within that area. Once we did that we then sprinkled a molasses water solution over that area. Others used dextrose, sugar. Once we watered in that high octane fuel we then monitored the microbe populations. Holy cow, the populations went nuts. Everything bloomed. But in a very short tme, maybe a day, the high octane fuel was exhausted and the microbe populations dropped back very quickly to the untreated microbe populations.
Conclusion:
Any high octane carbon source, sugar molasses, agave, corn syrup deposited in the soil will cause a huge pop in soil microbe populations. Don’t forget everything in the soil is starving. Once that sugar has been consumed the bugs die off. Sugar inducing huge transient bursts of microbial populations does absolutely nothing for the plant. They are consuming raw sugar. Others mention the benefits of minerals in the molasses. Spare me, most are micronutrients. The macros mentioned are usually never is short supply.
All that sed…if you think it benefits your crop then use it.
Feeds fungi with dark sugar to make it so the plant doesn't have to create as much of that type of sugar since it's very energy intensive for the plant to do so via photosynthesis, I add it with fungi and a lighter syrup with bacteria. Also potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron available to the plantWhat does molasses do?
It's good when you introduce fungi so they have a food source to grab a foot hold, also bacteria with a corn syrup type sugar. Then the plant picks what it want to continue to produce sugar for. The potassium in it and calcium are just an added plus. I only use it in specific situations howeverThe www is filled with articles trumpeting the benefits of adding molasses to plant soil.
In graduate school I took a soil microbiology course. One lab project involved selecting a square meter of grass, turf. We then characterized, enumerated all the soil microbes within that area. Once we did that we then sprinkled a molasses water solution over that area. Others used dextrose, sugar. Once we watered in that high octane fuel we then monitored the microbe populations. Holy cow, the populations went nuts. Everything bloomed. But in a very short tme, maybe a day, the high octane fuel was exhausted and the microbe populations dropped back very quickly to the untreated microbe populations.
Conclusion:
Any high octane carbon source, sugar molasses, agave, corn syrup deposited in the soil will cause a huge pop in soil microbe populations. Don’t forget everything in the soil is starving. Once that sugar has been consumed the bugs die off. Sugar inducing huge transient bursts of microbial populations does absolutely nothing for the plant. They are consuming raw sugar. Others mention the benefits of minerals in the molasses. Spare me, most are micronutrients. The macros mentioned are usually never is short supply.
All that sed…if you think it benefits your crop then use it.
This climbitclimbit,
The best approach is to maintain a high ratio of mulch, rotting vegetable matter in your soil. sugar explodes the microbe populations but they are only consuming sugar.
Oh yes adding microbes - beneficial fungi and bacteria is a better approach. Thank you, Canna.
Some of the guys talk about mashing their own vegtable fermented liquor and adding that to the soil. That makes sense. Complex soil food stuff, not sugars, will definitely enhance soil microbe populations and hold those populations because the complex food stuff is harder to break down.
Zill.
This is really hard interesting. When they exploded in population were you able to tell if the dead off the soil or off the sugar? If they stop feeding of the soil will the microbes do there symbiotic relation with the plant?.The www is filled with articles trumpeting the benefits of adding molasses to plant soil.
In graduate school I took a soil microbiology course. One lab project involved selecting a square meter of grass, turf. We then characterized, enumerated all the soil microbes within that area. Once we did that we then sprinkled a molasses water solution over that area. Others used dextrose, sugar. Once we watered in that high octane fuel we then monitored the microbe populations. Holy cow, the populations went nuts. Everything bloomed. But in a very short tme, maybe a day, the high octane fuel was exhausted and the microbe populations dropped back very quickly to the untreated microbe populations.
Conclusion:
Any high octane carbon source, sugar molasses, agave, corn syrup deposited in the soil will cause a huge pop in soil microbe populations. Don’t forget everything in the soil is starving. Once that sugar has been consumed the bugs die off. Sugar inducing huge transient bursts of microbial populations does absolutely nothing for the plant. They are consuming raw sugar. Others mention the benefits of minerals in the molasses. Spare me, most are micronutrients. The macros mentioned are usually never is short supply.
All that sed…if you think it benefits your crop then use it.
Now say if the molasses I do add is to sustain the plant/mycorrhizae relationship. And with the regular top dress of worm cast the addition of raw sugar should compliment everything nicely ? SurelyHey Natep,
When a soil microbe population explodes because someone added raw sugar to their environment it remain in high numbers until it runs out of fuel, sugar. Then the over population dies off. The survivors ( not a good word) will continue to subsist on soil organic matter like they were doing before the sugar was added.
The relationship is mutualistic, not symbiotic, and continues uninterrupted. Those microbe clowns catching a buzz on raw sugar will be gone in a few hours.
I only add sugars with my fpj. Sounds like I need to be careful not to use the fpj to often to keep them proper.Hey Natep,
When a soil microbe population explodes because someone added raw sugar to their environment it remain in high numbers until it runs out of fuel, sugar. Then the over population dies off. The survivors ( not a good word) will continue to subsist on soil organic matter like they were doing before the sugar was added.
The relationship is mutualistic, not symbiotic, and continues uninterrupted. Those microbe clowns catching a buzz on raw sugar will be gone in a few hours.
But, what we want to know, is it good for the plant or bad or neither?Hey Natep,
When a soil microbe population explodes because someone added raw sugar to their environment it remain in high numbers until it runs out of fuel, sugar. Then the over population dies off. The survivors ( not a good word) will continue to subsist on soil organic matter like they were doing before the sugar was added.
The relationship is mutualistic, not symbiotic, and continues uninterrupted. Those microbe clowns catching a buzz on raw sugar will be gone in a few hours.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?