Sweetners - worth it or not ?

  • Thread starter hawkman
  • Start date
  • Tagged users None
H

hawkman

2,210
263
Does anyone have experience with any sweetners ? have use Advanced Nutrients "carbo-load" results ? - have looked at a Canna product called Canna sweetner - are there any othe sweetners out there. all input welcome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks
 
MIGrampaUSA

MIGrampaUSA

3,732
263
It all depends what's in it.

Most sweetners use sulfates for the sweetening. I have had good results using a product called "Candy Man" by Zen Products. It's actually potassium sulfate (.0 - .0 - 4.0) so both the potassium and the sulfate are utilized by the plant. I've seen sweetners that use magnesium sulfate too. I don't buy those. Instead I use epsom salts. Its much cheaper.

Some of the "sweetners" on the market contain pgr's and those are what I would stay away from.
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

26,480
638
It all depends what's in it.

Most sweetners use sulfates for the sweetening. I have had good results using a product called "Candy Man" by Zen Products. It's actually potassium sulfate (.0 - .0 - 4.0) so both the potassium and the sulfate are utilized by the plant. I've seen sweetners that use magnesium sulfate too. I don't buy those. Instead I use epsom salts. Its much cheaper.

Some of the "sweetners" on the market contain pgr's and those are what I would stay away from.
This ^^^ sulfur is important for development of terps and flavonoids. Potassium sulfate is ideal in the fact the last half of flower has the highest demands for both sulfur and potassium
 
N1ghtL1ght

N1ghtL1ght

Staff
Supporter
670
143
Carbo-load sounds like a sugar-product, it's not essential but some sugar molecules are tiny enough to pass into the plant, which will turn it to biomass.
But most of it will be munched by bacterias before the plant gets it haha
 
H

hawkman

2,210
263
Thanks for all your information also don't some use molasses for a sweetner ?
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

26,480
638
Thanks for all your information also don't some use molasses for a sweetner ?
Let me explain a bit on this now i have some time.

Sulphured molasses will likely kill your microbes. Unsulphured has no benefits as a sweetner. Sulfur is whats used in sweeteners

Add to that you get all the other nutrients it provides through other sources and it’s useless.

Add to that it causes a massive bloom and die off in bacteria populations as food increases so do populations as food decreases so do populations. This happens so fast it will make your head spin when you look at the reproduction rates.

Add to that it can gunk up your aoil making watering problems.

Add to that both attract bugs… unsulphered bugs live and love. Sulphured kills the bugs and microbes.

Add to that the boom and bust of the bacteria cause soil PH to plumet.

Add to that the plants release starches, sugars etc. in a constant controlled manner that attract the microbes you dont need to artificially inflate populations for no benefit to the plant and infact negatively.

Add to that …. Need i keep going?

Molasses just say no.
 
Last edited:
Peat_Phreak

Peat_Phreak

540
143
I use raw cane sugar in bloom. Not 100% sure if it does anything. But it could make a small difference. Cheap to use. Doesn't hurt anything.
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

26,480
638
I use raw cane sugar in bloom. Not 100% sure if it does anything. But it could make a small difference. Cheap to use. Doesn't hurt anything.
Personally i would let the plant’s feed the microbes instead if adding sugars
 
Peat_Phreak

Peat_Phreak

540
143
Personally i would let the plant’s feed the microbes instead if adding sugars
There is some evidence of sugar increasing yield in corn.

https://www.agriculture.com/crops/corn/first-year-data-shows-103-bua-advtage_136-ar52420

Sucrose produced the best yield. However, they determined it was not practical to use in a large agricultural setting because it settles out in the highly concentrated nute tanks.

So they studied sugars that would be compatible with high EC nute tanks. Dextrose was the best, but less effective than sucrose. All the sugars they tested increased yield compared to using none.

https://www.beckshybrids.com/pfrese...017-Multi-Location-Corn-Sugar-Study-In-Furrow

It has also been shown that plant roots can uptake sugar which can produce a slightly sweeter end product. A lot of weed people don't want to believe that. But it's true. There is a dispensary near me that sells Ice Cream Cake that is literally like smoking cake frosting because it's so sweet. Not sure how they get it that sweet. My sugar addition appears to add a little sweetness which enhances flavor a bit. But I wouldn't call my weed sweet like that dipos ICC.

Anyway, I will continue to use raw cane sugar in bloom.
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

26,480
638
There is some evidence of sugar increasing yield in corn.

https://www.agriculture.com/crops/corn/first-year-data-shows-103-bua-advtage_136-ar52420

Sucrose produced the best yield. However, they determined it was not practical to use in a large agricultural setting because it settles out in the highly concentrated nute tanks.

So they studied sugars that would be compatible with high EC nute tanks. Dextrose was the best, but less effective than sucrose. All the sugars they tested increased yield compared to using none.

https://www.beckshybrids.com/pfrese...017-Multi-Location-Corn-Sugar-Study-In-Furrow

It has also been shown that plant roots can uptake sugar which can produce a slightly sweeter end product. A lot of weed people don't want to believe that. But it's true. There is a dispensary near me that sells Ice Cream Cake that is literally like smoking cake frosting because it's so sweet. Not sure how they get it that sweet. My sugar addition appears to add a little sweetness which enhances flavor a bit. But I wouldn't call my weed sweet like that dipos ICC.

Anyway, I will continue to use raw cane sugar in bloom.
Smoking and eating are different… ever burn sugar? Not so sweet and infact very harsh. This is part of the drying and curing where you want to slow it down to facilitate the breakdown of sugars and starrcges and you end up with a smoother product.

In not trying to pick on you as i realize your just bringing information to the discussion and not claims. But this is a classic misinterpretation and its very easy to see how and why there is a lot if it in this industry.

We naturally associate sugars with sweet. You can however bring out the flavor of anything you like with high end baking flavourings… i know sounds ridiculous right? But its true.

Im not endorsing doing so as i dont know the effects of the compounds chemical changes from combustion
 
Last edited:
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

26,480
638
So yeah little trick there for those who have a say a grape strain they want to taste extreme grape flavour from and have their friends shit thier pants lol.

Always an explanation… just because we dont know or understand it doesn’t mean that there is not a scientific explanation even if it eludes us… thats again why discussions and not arguments benefit everyone in the community
 
JKash

JKash

Can you out GRAV The Gravmaster???
Supporter
3,513
263
Does anyone have experience with any sweetners ? have use Advanced Nutrients "carbo-load" results ? - have looked at a Canna product called Canna sweetner - are there any othe sweetners out there. all input welcome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks
Old skool trick I learned is to take a teaspoon or 2 of molasses to a gallon of water! Sweeten them right up!
 
JKash

JKash

Can you out GRAV The Gravmaster???
Supporter
3,513
263
I would start out with molasses... if you don't like the outcome I will let you know how the fox farm Bembe works out! I never tried it before and it came in the dirty dozen... I'm gonna start venturing away from Fox Farm at some point... I just needed to get something up and going and don't have $$$ to waste
 
MIGrampaUSA

MIGrampaUSA

3,732
263
@JKash If you want to venture from Fox Farm without breaking the bank and you're interested in growing organically, try Roots Organic Terp Teas. They are dry so they last a very long time. They are priced for the cannabis market so they aren't exactly cheap ... but they aren't expensive either. If you want a simple 2 part nutrient salt, stay with Fox Farm and try Cultivation Nation Grow and Bloom. They are also dry. Why do I keep saying "dry?" Because pretty much no matter what nutrient line you choose, dry will always go further and its usually a better buy compared to liquids because it costs close to the same in many cases but lasts much much longer.

Oh yeah, we already discussed molasses ... Yes, we know that people use it. It's really not recommended for a number of reasons. #1 on my list of reasons is it can attract pests. #2 It's biodegradeable which means it breaks down ... it rots and not all the by-products are healthy and some can even be harmful. All this is posted earlier in the thread.

Sulfates are the key to turn on the metabolic pathways that drive terpene production. If you can afford nothing else and you want a "sweetner," epsom salts is magnesium sulfate and will provide you with sulfates on the cheap.
 
JKash

JKash

Can you out GRAV The Gravmaster???
Supporter
3,513
263
@JKash If you want to venture from Fox Farm without breaking the bank and you're interested in growing organically, try Roots Organic Terp Teas. They are dry so they last a very long time. They are priced for the cannabis market so they aren't exactly cheap ... but they aren't expensive either. If you want a simple 2 part nutrient salt, stay with Fox Farm and try Cultivation Nation Grow and Bloom. They are also dry. Why do I keep saying "dry?" Because pretty much no matter what nutrient line you choose, dry will always go further and its usually a better buy compared to liquids because it costs close to the same in many cases but lasts much much longer.

Oh yeah, we already discussed molasses ... Yes, we know that people use it. It's really not recommended for a number of reasons. #1 on my list of reasons is it can attract pests. #2 It's biodegradeable which means it breaks down ... it rots and not all the by-products are healthy and some can even be harmful. All this is posted earlier in the thread.

Sulfates are the key to turn on the metabolic pathways that drive terpene production. If you can afford nothing else and you want a "sweetner," epsom salts is magnesium sulfate and will provide you with sulfates on the cheap.
Ya I experimented with molasses about 14 years ago... for that one time it did sweeten the nuts but I only tried it once... I figured it would attract pests as it's strait sugar basically... but it is "organic" but also was stressing "old skool" technique
 
Top Bottom