MOLASSES & SOIL MICROBES. DOES THIS GARDEN HACK WORK? | Gardening in Canada

Molasses and feeding soil microbes. Does the idea of feed soil microbes work? Molasses do have sugars which fungi and bacteria in the soil do like. Blackstrap molasses is high in calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. It also contains sulfur and a host of micronutrients. The rate for molasses to water is 3 tablespoons per gallon. The sugars will feed microbes. But microbes are opportunistic meaning the population increases and decreases based on conditions. Multiple 2x every 20 mins.
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[@beachedwalrusau]

In potting soil i have found it to be very effective. I don't use it in my garden beds as i put all of my homemade compost in them, but some of the experiments i have done making compost tea with molasses has double or tripled production compared to the control. I planted 3 tomato bushes, all had the same soil, the same additives, same pot size, same variety of tomato and basically the same sun position. One was fed organic fertiliser every two weeks, one was fed compost tea twice weekly (Molasses + compost, then aerated for a day or two) and the other was fed nothing. Results were compost tea 15kg of tomatoes. Organic fertilizer 7kg of tomatoes, control 5kgs of tomatoes in the same time period (5 months). Control had noticeable nutrient deficiencies 4 months in. Died at 5 months due to russet mites. Organic fertilised bushes died off at 5 months due to russet mites Molasses fertilised bush died off after 7 months from russet mites but produced over 20kg of tomatoes total (The biggest battle was keeping the tomato bush from falling over.). It seemed to be able to out grow the mites for a while.

[@4everGrowin]

Beautiful

[@jenli142]

But it seems you fed your plants compost tea nearly 4 times more often than you did the organic fertilizer. If you wanted a fair comparison, then you’d have to use the compost tea every 2 weeks like you did the organic fertilizer. If you used compost tea 2 times a week, of course it would do better… it had more feedings!

[@adambarlow81]

Late to the party here. I have actually used molasses in/on my lawn. What I have noticed is it really breaks down dead grass or even the mulched grass clippings much faster. The other benefit I have found is that if I time it before a heat wave, my lawn will tolerate the heat stress much better. Again, not to much research out there, but for how cheap molasses is and how it is helping, I'm all in. I pretty much mix 2-3 oz per 1000sqft in a hose end sprayer and repeat maybe ever 2-3 weeks or again time it with hotter weather. In the garden, I think it is a good jump starter or beneficial for breaking down compost faster. Great info!

[@daryl8687]

I use blackstrap molasses for sugars and carbs in my cannabis plants to feed the microbes so they in turn feed my plants I've always been told to use blackstrap molasses and do not use fancy molasses because of the sulfur but I also like to use raw organic unpasteurized liquid honey

[@wj7495]

Isn't honey severely anti bacteria? I thought it produces H2O2 among other defenses to never spoil.

[@George.........]

Im using a mixture of EM1, Blackstrap Molasses and organic seaweed to foliar feed / soil drench my fruit and veges this year. So far so good. Also playing Beethoven to my tomato plants which they apparently like 😅

[@TheOnlyKontrol]

I’ve been using some coconut water, seaweed, and aloe powder(full plant). I’d really recommend getting a bag of Aloe powder if you get a chance…lot of benefits and I use like 1tsp per 4L

[@cjkordas3447]

My plants love John Denver and are you making your own EM1 ?

[@normantaffefiny8227]

my weed plants hate beethoven

[@paulacheson12]

I always thought the idea of adding molasses was to bloom the microbes and let them die off. The dead microbes add plant available nutrients. I found the best time to use was about two weeks before harvest. Works great on tomatoes, peppers, corn. I found it didnt really help with leafy greens. And it will have better results with crappy soil. With a good, healthy, living soil, it will barely show anything. I also found it works good using molasses in your compost. It will help feed the microbes in your compost. And this is mainly for soil health. You feed your soil, your soil feeds your plants, your plants feed you. It's a balancing act.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea absolutely

[@steverobertson6748]

Nailed it ,,use it every season

[@anth115]

​@@GardeningInCanada you claim doing things like this "never works" in gardening as a general rule. Not true many use this successfully also when golf courses use high iron in their grass to get an overnight greening effect "works" fine. So ofcourse there is a time and place for things like this. I wouldn't say "never" here

[@flatsville9343]

Live Microbes produce/excrete H+ ions which aid in CEC. They consume plant/root exudates. A dead Microbes doesn't poop. Do you think live Microbes eat dead Microbes? Why? Is this somewhere in the scientific lit?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks for watching! This was a special request brought to you by a fellow subscriber. If you have video ideas don’t hesitate to reach out

[@MyDreamyCorner]

I would like a video on plants safe for pets...rabbits... will you make it soon? Please 😀

[@GardeningInCanada]

I’ll try! 🤞

[@TriCombStudio]

@@MyDreamyCorner I keep rabbits and use them as part of my plant routine! I grow a lot for our buns, and feed a lot of what we grow to them.

[@tallcedars2310]

Sugar has glyphosate in it. It's an herbicide that is sprayed on leaves to kill plants that ultimately ends up in our foods. Being an organic farmer this is not what I use. I go to the forest and collect old wood with white threads etc and bring those to the garden to help with micrboes. And adding leaves helps feed microbes as well, thank you.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Interesting

[@wayneessar7489]

How does the glyphosate get into the sugar?

[@HeatherWalters]

90% of sugar Beets, roughly 50% of the material the US grows for sugar, is Glyphosate Resistant Sugar Beet (other half comes from sugar cane). It is genetically modified for this to resist being killed off when fields are sprayed for weeds. Has been that way since 2008. Glyphosate has been shown in multiple studies to dissipate, even in soil where it most likes to hang out, to 50% of its initially applied levels, within a few days to a few weeks. It dissipates from plant tissue even more quickly. Aside from that, it has been shown in *most* studies as Not Likely To Be Carcinogenic. The levels of glyphosate a person might ingest from consuming sugar, or let's be honest, MOST crops mass produced today, is modest. Those Roundup lawsuits have much more to do with people sickened by YEARS of handling it (like farmers, field hands and factory workers who are exposed to EXTREME levels of the substance). But agreed.....using native mycorrhizae threads found under your forest/leaf mulch is going to do you a LOT more favors for healthy soil, as opposed to molasses or sugar. Plus all it costs you is your time....

[@tallcedars2310]

@@HeatherWalters Just curious if you have read any articles about GMO and glyphosate causing cancer, I believe they do. Plants absorb synthetic fertilizer toxins that our bodies then absob, and GMO plants are altered and do not provice protection that natural plants used to. Organs then are unable to deal with all this and cancer cells begin to grow. I have noiced the further we get from natural produce etc, the more disease grows. This is over 65 years of watching how industry has changed our foods and seeing disease becoming commonplace. It's difficult to eat and drink healthy today when chemicals are used in all our foods.

[@HeatherWalters]

@@tallcedars2310 *spoiler... long post* I am familiar with the debate around GMO foods and glyphosate and cancer, yes. GMO foods are developed for many reasons: fighting off invasive pests, being resistant to herbicides, providing massive crop returns, etc. If a plant is going to uptake a toxic chemical that won't kill the plant but will cause cancer in a human, it doesn't matter if it's genetically modified or not. The issue with chemical fertilizers is that the practice of making these fertilizers is destructive to the environment. It's not a "this plant is now toxic and will give me cancer if I eat it". Yes, with GMO foods, we just don't know the long term effects of what ingesting these plants could do to our bodies. I get the hesitance around consuming them. Please keep in mind that 1)a plant can only uptake *so much* of a toxic substance, and you'd have to eat a whole heckuva lot of THAT ONE THING over and over again for years for cancer to develop. Now, glyphosate is a substance that most certainly CAN cause cancer....in large amounts. You're not going to get it by eating a cucumber at the grocery store a few times a year. But the guy that grows those cucumbers, who gets the Roundup spray all over him day in, day out for a decade....yeah....he might have some issues one day. 2)GMO foods *may* be harmful to our health, in large quantities year in year out. Could be perfectly fine tho! With everything in life, moderation is key. Garden if you can: build healthy soil, attract pollinators, practice polyculture. Make good food choices at the stores: buy less cheap, obviously monocropped sale produce, minimize your sugar intake, avoid processed and fast food, and eat less meat. Stay active as much as you can, and stay social. Eat right, stay active, surround yourself with loved ones....this is the best defense against cancer there is, rather than worrying so much about sugar beets made by Monsanto and a little weed killer sprayed near the tomatoes you bought last week. But as you say, yes, destructive monocropping has wreaked havoc on many ecosystems. It's like the Great Dustbowl taught us nothing sometimes. Luckily there is a big trend towards smaller scale polyculture farming. Just look at YT or Instagram any day of the week and you will see all sorts of smart young city types who have moved to the country to start their own farm to table lives. The world will be ok , I promise :)

[@christinamarie5141]

Omg! You made a video about this! Yay!!!! Thank you! 💚

[@GardeningInCanada]

Girl! I keep my promises.

[@Visionrev]

I can see it being beneficial to a new garden, like a raised bed, to get the microbial activity jump started. I have used molasses to make a tea with mature compost and/or manure, I also added aeration using an aquarium air pump.

[@KGwideangle]

cool. thanks for the info.

[@Opal.Workshop]

This video is really good and clear thankyou

[@GardeningInCanada]

I’m really glad you found value in it. Feel free to share it wherever you think it maybe helpful

[@cardstockcollector]

Thank You!

[@johnjude2685]

Testing 1 teaspoon baking soda in quart of water to help my cucumbers from fungus problems. Also space 36 inches for cucumbers to help fungus and trimming lower or any leaves with decaying. I'm about to get a second harvest to support the claim . But several fixes don't know which is working. Thanks Ashley love you informative videos

[@brianseybert2189]

Had an interesting thought in using molasses in my worm bin. The worms depend on the bacteria to break down their food so they can consume it. Why not introduce some molasses when feeding your worms?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Oh ! That’s so interesting never thought about that

[@sqeekable]

Worms procreate after molasses meal!

[@David-oe1xj]

Former golf course supt. Miss the soil science world. Gr8 content and keep posting. Thks David

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks so much! & that would be an awesome job.

[@LifeIsMessyImLearningAsIGrow]

🌼🌻🐝☀️🌺👨‍🌾 I love your garden!! Such a great inspiration to me as I am just also a gardener and KZbin creator. You put a lot of work and love into growing your garden! All the hard work is worth it to me to get to see the new growth everyday it brings me so much joy! I still have so much to learn and I appreciate your tips, tricks! Please Keep sharing! I would love to learn more about gardening from each other.

[@GardeningInCanada]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@4everGrowin]

I’m about to start using this ASAP

[@GardeningInCanada]

Nice!

[@donhepler379]

Some at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have advocated using molasses to get the soil microbes goin in the spring. Those of us who live in short-season places can see the possible benefits of this, plus you get some fertilizer value with molasses.

[@GardeningInCanada]

that is a very interesting idea! send me the study if you find it!

[@wonderfulherennow]

I assume it is probably the people who, like me, prefer and reach out for organic food, that refer to the unsulphured molasses. Unsulphured molasses is the form that has not gone through a process that involves the addition of sulphur (for some reason), which makes it inorganic, hence makes unsulphured molasses safer in the opinion of an organic consumer. So perhaps, unsulphured molasses is, subconsciously, the predisposed choice for many a people. May be it's just this, or may be not.😊

[@GardeningInCanada]

Absolutely

[@theister]

what if it's a different kind of mechanism? For example: what if a weak molasses solution increases soil clumping and the size of air pockets around the roots. In particular, this effect might be welcome near the end of the plants flowering as it is often then that the accumatlive impact of so many waterings and root growth tends to correlate to a certain amount of soil compaction.

[@slamdunk58]

How about dry molasses? Wouldn't that be more of a slow release? Thanks.

[@robertodesoto2731]

It's best to use in the flowering stage on fruits and herbs for more terpentine production.

[@ebradley2306]

I sometimes add diluted molasses to a cold compost pile to give it a jump start. I have heard about it being sprayed on plants to kill of a disease or two.

[@brianseybert192]

I get a kick out of the people who advocate putting molasses into an aerated tea at the beginning and bubble for a couple days. if they would look at their finished product under a microscope, they would be amazed the lack of biology they are trying to create. Personally, I do add molasses, but only about an hour before i am finishing a brew and I use it all up immediately. I do add fish hydrolysate and liquid kelp if I have it for fungal food at the beginning. Really enjoy looking at different teas under the microscope. Stay Well!!!

[@BigMacOrange]

I like your style.

[@JJ-vf1ix]

Are you able to add your microbes such as tribus and fish!t with fish hydrolysate in the same gallon?

[@cjkordas3447]

👍Thanks for this video, white sugar plus molasses = brown sugar. Promoting fungal growth in a AACT is why the unsulfured molasses is what I understand. As far as the dying off of microbes, yes it happens and rather quickly ,I use the tea immediately after brewing it to prevent that from happening. Whether or not the molasses is better or worse than other sugars or sucanat I have no idea , but it certainly boost the microbial activity of my workhorse tea. I have doubled my production since I started using the tea - I rely on science I hear and read about / but I also have my own results in controlled grows I have done. Again I cant say if molasses is superior but a sugar will promote the microbial activity even if only temporarily

[@loveishope4406]

I am going to do a controlled study on using my urine in the garden. Please consider a video on this. I love your input.

[@GardeningInCanada]

I get asked this question often!

[@mikeratliff4753]

Quick question I have a seedling that has been doing nothing for about a week now could it be temperature I'm holding around 65 degrees

[@GardeningInCanada]

What kind of seedling? And how many true leaves are you at?

[@scottsmith507]

Great video, this always had me wonder, what's going to happen when so many new mouths to feed? So adding molasses to compost tea is going to do same thing , except you'll be growing microbes before they go into soil. Is this right? Is it better to add to compost? What about more diluted, one tablespoon per gallon? Sounds like a manure based compost is all you should need! Thanks for this video Ashley! So much talk about growing millions of new microbes and add to your soil.

[@GardeningInCanada]

I would think adding it to compost would mean more microbes will survive long term due to more food sources. And then one tablespoon would mean less if a surprise increase and die off theoretically, so same results on a smaller scale. I need to research more about the compost tea everyone talks about. Is it the juice from the compost or is it taking organic material not decomposed and placing it in water?

[@scottsmith507]

@@GardeningInCanada thank you!, very interesting!.

[@miriambartley6622]

I see many organic gardners singing the praises of comfrey. I had it at my last house. It was there when I moved in. It was a nightmare. The smallest piece grew a huge plant. It was everywhere. I dug by hand to avoid spreading it by roto tiller, I layed down plastic and a foot of wood chips. It grew right through the plastic. It grew out of the compost pile. It wouldnt stop. Sometimes I picked it and boiled it in a big pot to kill it and poured the water on my plants. I do use it for injuries. I now live in a different area, and left the comfrey behind. I buy the dried herb from the health food store now. So, how do those organic gardeners manage their beautiful little hedges of comfrey?

[@GardeningInCanada]

I’ve never tried growing comfry

[@flatsville1]

Bocking 14 hybid variety will not spead like native heirloom types. That being said, I think it's use is over-rated. Handy for chop & drop before the leaves come down & to compete in a weedy area.

[@sislertx]

Good thing i cant.get it grow..i fight bermuda...the nastiest plant on earth in garden beds...wonderful lawn...but since the aggies told me it easily roots across a two car driveway i understand why it never dies...and u can never get rid of it...in fact chop up the roots and it sprouts in two days..in a drought and 110 degrees if it gets any moisture from the air...and it will..im starting a raised bed..and since im pushing 80 i sprayed the dreaded roundup...waited and it looks like i fertilized it...i cant bring myself to dig it up...and to solarize and kill it literally takes all summer at 100 plus in a sealed plastic cover..its only a 6 by 3 bed... I also am starting another bed..with turkcap and that transendia plant...both are viscous INVASIVE with roots u cant kill ever..round up does not phase them either..it fertilizes them it seems.

[@79PoisonBreaker]

I plan to use some molasses in a compost tea. Just found your channel and like the info so far .

[@GardeningInCanada]

Oh yea in compost tea that would be awesome

[@GardeningInCanada]

Also glad you’re enjoying it! Let me know if you want anything specific

[@David-oe1xj]

Ur explanation or the rooting habits of succulents has helped broaden my knowledge base. Thks David

[@GardeningInCanada]

Awesome! That’s what I like to hear

[@michaelirwin5583]

Great video, excellent information. One quick question, What about using it in a compost tea?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea I’d say you would expect the exact same results

[@Miikhiel]

Generally, I use Blackburn molasses (unsulphured) with some apple cider vinegar (unfiltered). I probably use a tablespoon or two of the former and latter and mix it inside of a two gallon gardener spout/watering can. This mix has been helpful for things like blackberries and blueberries- particularly those which have been planted newly and might have some slight fungal issues (although sulphur might actually do better here). They’ve really made a difference for those plants which love a more acidic pH. I suppose though, all things considered, it should be done in moderation- much like anything which amends pH or nutrients in a soil.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Sounds like you really know your stuff

[@Miikhiel]

@@GardeningInCanada I wish I had a microscope to really qualitatively test and provide data for you to review. However, I have no idea how to go about doing this.

[@GardeningInCanada]

I wish I had one too that would be amazing

[@jt70SEVEN]

You mean blackstrap molasses right? I been using plantation organic blackstrap molasess for years and it works great results. Unsulphered is a must..Best to use in my opinion. I use it with fish-it and it makes the microbes extremely happy

[@ZE308AC]

Will i be able to use black strap molasses to increase soil life or as a fertilizer?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Soil lofe

[@Not_So_Weird_in_Austin]

Thanks molasses looks like a peak and valley issue. Is it sustainable??? vs slow release of other food to get ongoing activity compared to rapid rise and fall in the microbe population

[@stevencuthbert5286]

Use unsulphur molasses because Sulphur dioxide kills microbes. You should also use rainwater as chlorine in tap water does the same.

[@GardeningInCanada]

That makes sense sulphur does kill fungi it’s in a lot of fungicides

[@orionx79]

Chlorine in tap is not a big deal as long as you dont use it right away, I normally put tap in a bucket for a day before using it. The air contact will allow the chlorine to evaporate and ph to balance out a bit. Unless you got heavy water.

[@Ajvb219]

I know you’re comment is a year old but they’ve actually debunked that chlorine or chloramine from tap water harm plants. The amount water companies put into the water is just enough to disinfect plumbed water under pressure, once it leaves the pipes the disinfectant characteristic goes away. Soil has the natural ability to neutralize it anyway and good microbes have biofilms that protect them from Chlorine.

[@martvincentadtoon4180]

This is very helpful for me. I have been so curious of molases recently and i have added it to my new cultivated banana. I have almost a hectare of new banana plants. I was hoping my money is all worth it.

[@martvincentadtoon4180]

Moreover, since banana is a nitrogen sucker plant, and I am more into synthetic fertilizer, will boosting the microbes back to the soil help my plants? I am planning to apply them every week. 1 liter per drum.

[@martvincentadtoon4180]

But also I am applying a monthly application of fertilizers to my bananas such Urea and 16-20-0 with foliar

[@GardeningInCanada]

Nice! let me know how it works out

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea absolutely they can. most microbes bounce back after 48 hrs from fertilizing

[@davidbryden7904]

I use organic UNsulfured blackstrap molasses to brew ariated compost teas because sulfur inhibits the growth of microbes.

[@jacobclark89]

Ive had good and bad results , with tea , I think it can go wrong a bunch of ways , Ive burnt some plants with it . If you are going to try it I suggest writing down every thing like temp , ph , ect . And I would have a control group without tea to compair .The temp may be a huge factor , I have had better results with much shorter brew times times than most people use but it might be because the hot climate and/or the amount of o2

[@supplies4reptiles228]

if you have say a 20 gallon bucket starter compost and you add molasses to increase microbes and feed the microbes ,but like said in the video if the feeding is not maintained periodically they will die off ,but say you start this small startup and you fed it every 20 to 30 minutes of a molasses feed and after couple hours say 8 you take that bucket and mix it into a ibc bin where they can go to work on a larger scale of material to breakdown ,will they still die-off or keep growing ..if this makes sense ,because confusing to me is that if microbes grow that rapidly and they overgrow what they have to breakdown doesn't that also reach a point where they will also die off due to less feed?

[@jeil5676]

From what I gather, the consensus on using non sulfured is yes because in theory its not conducive to microbial life and fungi in particular but I'm not aware of anyone actually doing some kind of count or experiment to see how it actually affects microbes when used. I think Dr. Ingham is not a big proponent of molasses use because she's more interested in fungal culture and doesnt see a need to feed bacteria as much, for various reasons. I've been told molasses will affect pH of compost teas.

[@Animegypsy]

Do you know of a brand of molasses that still has sulphur in it?

[@MeZahid]

Could you kindly create a video discussing the presence of pot worms, specifically addressing their impact on the health of potted plants and compost bins?

[@erwinz5926]

???? .cmon. its not that god created the world, but worms shit it. and thou dough well. and spread.

[@pofthek]

Aside from increased microbial action, would the high iron and other components (selenium, copper, calcium) of molasses have a beneficial effect for plants?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea absolutely! I’m just not sure % wise how much you would need to add. When I was running some numbers you’d have to add so much and run into potential sugar issues.

[@miriambartley6622]

Do plants ever get diabetes? Lol

[@TheFirstRealChewy]

@@miriambartley6622 I don't think so. However, sugar attracts ants, so if you see ants showing up, there is likely enough sugar available.

[@juniorshillingford4473]

Such a great vedio it was also very short and educational .. Would u ever start a Cannabis Grow ?

[@roncatlin7271]

i use diluted mlases in my garden but not for fertilizer. when i start my new crop i spray the area where i'm going to plant with my diluted molasses solution along with distributing some kind of worm chow a couple of days before actual planting to attract worms. i also use the diluted molasses solution when my compost bins need mositure to keep the microbes & worms fat & happy. i also use it to feed microbes with i am innoculating biochar.

[@ZE308AC]

If you ever get bored can you do urea as a fertilizer?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yes! Absolutely

[@mrittenb]

Got it…ratio is important…over sugar water, molasses has other micro nutrients. Careful not to be excessive in application. Worth trying.

[@Tehstool]

Would you be able to use molasses to help stretch out mycorrhizae populations for inoculants?

[@MushroomMagpie]

I'm thinking it's more likely you'd give them a kickstart if applied together.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea it’s really hard too say

[@GardeningInCanada]

It’s so hard to know if they like that specific sugar or not. I didn’t go into it in this video but plants produce exudates specific to what they are needing at the time. Adding other sugar sources tends to mess that up.

[@BillWard420]

Great video. There are other scientist that concur with your thoughts. Does sugar feed microbes? Sure... Is it needed or beneficial for plant growth? Not so much. Some suggest that the mass increase can potentially have some negative impacts.

[@bradleyblankenship7612]

You are exactly right beautiful

[@jiujitsu_and_Trucking]

Is fermented plant juice a good source of microbes?

[@GardeningInCanada]

It will contain some absolutely

[@Yotaciv]

Worm castings, oat meat moistened with a drizzle of molasses. Let it “fermente” for a week then toss around the garden. It will blacken and give life to your soil to compost of plant residue 2-5x faster.

[@tobruz]

Ashley perplexed! Get off that fence! New Ag information shows increased microbial activity increases the leaf Brix index to aid plant health and prevent chewing and sucking insects and increase in flavour and nutrients. I will try and test this coming season. Best price for unsulphered molasses in Canada is from Peavy Mart “Buck Slop” $18.49 for a big jug sold as a deer attractant for hunting 100% molasses!

[@blackmber]

I would be very interested in your take on urine for soil and compost. I'm tempted to try it on the compost because it's high in nitrogen. Free fertilizer is worth looking into, right?

[@GardeningInCanada]

I get this request often!

[@davidlee2052]

Yes pls!

[@jambonejim1249]

@@GardeningInCanada A very interesting article about urine as fertilizer in the New York Times, Meet The Peecyclers.

[@chuckwaardenburg496]

Evidently this is an ancient practice of fertilization done by I think the Koreans.

[@PhillipJermakian]

I remember reading that something in urine protects plants from cold weather. But i would assume if you are using much more then what plants would get from wildlife wandering by you can burn your plant.

[@jackrigsby6017]

If you are adding new strains of beneficial bacteria to your soil, this would be a good way to jumpstart the population of those specific strains.

[@whoshotya415]

Far as unsulphured vs sulphured . Your correct the main reason of using molasses is to feed microbials. Not nutrients for your plants they take the sugar and works that synergistically with the plants. Sulffered will kill the bacteria I personaly filter my water i use 1 teaspoon per gallon . So if im doing 5 gallons lets say i put 5 tablespoons but i use like qtr gallon and heat up the water to about 180 break down mollases to mix easier. I noticed during bloom this works even better. I grow regular veggies but i also been using it in cannabis over 20 years . Now if using out doors becareful it brings mammals . Possums, raccoons, deer, turkeys, bears. So if you dont want this around becareful indoors ypu should be good.hope this helped.

[@GardeningInCanada]

thats awesome!

[@rockskipper5353]

So what's better black strap molasses, or sorghum ?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Great question! I would need to look at the brand and such but I’m going to say blackstrap

[@rockskipper5353]

@@GardeningInCanada 100% real Amish made sorghum .. not a blend

[@Hatarue]

Adding compost sounds like the solution to everything.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Haha it is and it isn’t. It’s moreso about returning organic material

[@yoriichi3347]

May i ask if molasses can remove chlorine?

[@GardeningInCanada]

I have never heard of it doing that before

[@hewasdeadwhenigotthere46]

Lowers PH, bubbling water with airstone and or letting it sit for a day can remove chlorine but not chloramine

[@christinareaves5890]

Is this good for feeding vericompost tea?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yup!

[@christinareaves5890]

@@GardeningInCanada thank you!!

[@anthonyromano8565]

Yes its because we dont want to kill microbes we are specifically adding sugar to encourage increasing the population of bacteria. Medicinal plant like dry back period that may or may not kill microbes do to this dry back periods in between watering. Also to encourage flower production . More bacteria more food for the plant more yield. On paper.

[@Technoanima]

A massive sugar spike is actually normal in nature, think of fruiting trees that have uneaten fruit that fall off and rot on the forest floor.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thats on the surface though not directly on the roots

[@donlowery1275]

The sulfur added in it is usually out of balance and a bit too much at one time . So typically things like gypsum or rock phosphate ect has the right amount or correct release rate of sulfur for plants and ia safe on microbial populations. It's hot good amounts of available potassium and of course cal , mag , iron zinc etc. If using it in just water without it being made into a tea I like about 1 teaspoon per gallon. Up to two tablespoons per gallon in a tablespoons on heavy feeders. Typically I typically run 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of mallassas per gallon of water in a tea . Just depends. I have experimented with different types of sugars and carbohydrates to use and they can be alternated to allow a bacterial dominated tea or substrate and more carbon for a more fungal dominated tea . You can definitely over use the mallassas as it's got a good amount of soluble magnesium which can lock up other nutrients if over used of course. I've seen different videos but you and Dr Elaine Ingram are the olny two I've seen actually go into detail about it. I prefer simple sugars like organic cane sugar or for fungi I like oats or high carbon material ( including wood chip compost ) . The thing is kelp , alfalfa , soy or fish protein all have either sugar , carbohydrates and protein or amino acid profiles that these same organisms love to consume with nitrogen and calcium a big part of they're diet . So you don't need to use additional sugars unless you want to just do a simple tea and gets some soluble sugar/carbs into the solution or medium . Great video and I was glad to see you make one on this particular subject and substance as its come up alot in recent debates

[@GardeningInCanada]

That would work!

[@crazysquirrel9425]

Molasses is a ready to eat food source for microbes. It doesn't so much for fungi though. One COULD use plain sugar in a pinch. Adding sulfur to the soil or compost can acidify the soil to a negative degree. ANY natural sugar would work, but results are variable. Molasses should only be used if there is sufficient alternative food sources for the extra microbes being generated. I have use Molasses in a hugel garden. Sure did heat it up significantly. Adding molasses to the soil is like adding kerosene to a fire. Best to use biochar along with the molasses. You would only use it if and when you use fertilizer (sparingly).

[@gilshelley9183]

Another soil scientist here. Sulphur is added to molasses for the same reason it is added to wine - it stops fermentation yeast.

[@tobruz]

Another outstanding vid, thanks Ash! I will save my molasses for my ginger snap cookies! Bruce

[@GardeningInCanada]

Hahah yummy! I’m coming over for dessert

[@JohnBrown-nk4zn]

I bought a small bag(1lb) of beneficial microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) from Amazon. Later on while doing some research I came across people saying that microorganisms that have adapted to certain climatic regions probably won't survive in different environments, so it would be best to know where the organisms came from before buying them. It's best to get microorganisms indigenous to your area. Can you say if this is true.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Are you applying these species indoors or outside?

[@anthonypacheco3098]

Need advice for a one acre plot

[@dewinovianty8107]

Molases and other things we add to soil is what we call biostimulant. We Mimicking the roots exudates cocktail , low dose and just to boost the microbiology. And in case they died after the biostimulant is rapidly used, well... The microbial necromass is building soil organic matter too... 😀

[@miriambartley6622]

I once gave my geraniums some tea made from the herb false unicorn. I had made it for a period of time to help my daughter balance her hormones. The geraniums that got the tea, grew like crazy. Have you ever fed your plants, teas high in plant hormones?

[@GardeningInCanada]

I haven’t no but that’s very interesting

[@MuffinsATTACK69]

That is basically the tenet of Fermented Plant Juice, which is an input used in Korean Natural Farming.

[@TriCombStudio]

Depending on your soil it maybe too high in potassium. I had K toxicity present after a few weeks trying unsulfured molasses. The unsulfured seems to be preferable because it presumably interfers with the endo-fungis and can also increase the pH even further that molasses already does.

[@GardeningInCanada]

How often were you applying it?

[@TriCombStudio]

@@GardeningInCanada 1 tbsp per gallon of water, every other watering

[@GardeningInCanada]

Oh wow that’s crazy how fast it build up

[@TriCombStudio]

@@GardeningInCanada I do have a lot of high potassium components already in my soil so I think it didn't take much to start pushing the balance. I keep learning to just trust my soil and let mother nature take the wheel.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Hahah always the best!

[@justinphillips1761]

There are particular microbes that benefit certain plants if you add sources of those microbes you will benefit and molasses is just like you said a food source for microbes plus some other beneficials, you can buy something called recharge it's beneficial microbes for plants you can also buy stuff called fish s*** it is organic soil conditioner which has molasses in it to feed the microbes so yes beneficial and it's not that expensive

[@MrLfcsuarez7]

Nice mars hydro tent in left hahh

[@GardeningInCanada]

The best

[@miriambartley6622]

Im thinking about watering my seedlings with maple sap water. We are maple syrup producers. The sap will be running soon, and I have seedlings.

[@GardeningInCanada]

they would go wild!

[@johac7637]

Molasses comes from sugar cane, you are correct, tissue samples on Sugar cane has high sulpher, it's a grass and also a high N feeder, it's deep rooted, so uptakes micros. Sulpher is very important in the breakdown of organics, so it isn't needed to use unsulphered, unless already low PH. Some of the best worm activity is in slightly acidic environments. Sugars are just present if healthy photsientice is happening, it sugar that move nutrients up and down the plant structure..

[@GardeningInCanada]

What are your thoughts on sulphur being used as fungicide in alot of applications and how sulphur in molasses may effect that

[@johac7637]

@@GardeningInCanada I have a farm in Osoyoos BC, and snowbird in Arizona, both locations have 8+ Soil PH. So we use lots of sulpher, both TigerSol, and powdered, her in AZ, lots of calcium carbonate in soil, also high sulpher contents, 1% organic in parent soils, so we need to add organics, anything, everything, till it in, add lots of greens re C/N ratio, I added sand, TigerSol, gypsum, and have lots of earthworms now. Just waiting on some soil samples, leaf tissue in the area I want to garden, I have lots of mushrooms, fungus etc in the soil Brenda that are breaking down. Lived in Hawaii Big Island where it all lava, wet side is more soil, lost of organics needed on dry side, the VOG areas from active volcanoes, lots of sulpher in air, some people can't live there, the plant growth in those area is just nuts, good, so it doesn't kill bio's acid rain is sulpher, thus the rains and acidic soils. I met a gat there doing coffee farm consulting, Elizabeth Murphy, she has a great book, makes it simple, Building Soil, a down to earth approach. Look for it on Thrift Books, or Abe's Books, used books sellers. It will help you, you state you are a soil scientist, enlarge you knowledge base. My research is now on Boron toxicity in my soil, leaching here is almost non existent, as am on a Aluvian Fan, lots and only very fine clay, dig a hole and 10-12 hrs it's drained. So I'm building on top. I have a source for alfalfa waste from a pellet plant, and wood tree trimmings, so am seeing the tree roots like the top layer. Re molasses, I got a jug from the pellet plant, did some foliar, seemed to green up, as it's high in Iron, Zinc,. now need Mag, and Mang. Did a foliar of Moly this AM at just daybreak, used fresh aloa as a sticker, got clorosis, did leaf tissue samples, can't guess on the Micros. Enjoy the Soil book.

[@johac7637]

@@GardeningInCanada what province are you in, if I had your email I'd send you my samples, and see the changes of adding organics, it has changed lots.

[@efrenlaboy8789]

I use molasses but is one ounce per 5000 gallon off balance harmonic clean water . people say that im crazy but the weed that i smoke is perfect and they love my weed because is potent. THC is more than the same weed on the market. My is organic because i collect the fall from few park and mixed with the soil for one year before

[@JJK713]

I think the type of molasses we use is for pH reasons

[@jthepickle7]

Unsulfered, because it's better for people! - but then, sulfur is sold as a soil amendment. Hmmm. I've added molasses after the season, when I put the garden to bed for winter. I figure if plants provide exudates, I will provide some while the garden has no plants in it.

[@stephanieserblowski2092]

I started to add sugar to my water keep my kefir alive if I threw it in water. I was thinking then the microbes would then go live of things in your soil? Like...leaves? Not sure. I always like keeping my microbes alive :)

[@GardeningInCanada]

They would but once the food source goes back to “normal levels” the microbes will just die off too meet that. If that makes sense

[@orionx79]

i'll do mollases twice a season, If im gonna clone i do it a twice for two days in row, the sugar helps i think maybe im wrong, give the plants extra stored sugars to help with new root growth, and one last time as i'm fruiting. I only dissolve one heaping tablespoon per gallon. (in a cup of hot water then added to a gallon of cold). Molasses is essentually concentrated plant food(sap) for sugar cane, Like maple syrup is concentrated sap. So all the nutrients in it should be readily available. I'd love a soil scientist view of this. (I have been growing for awhile and i see a burst of growth when i do this within a short period of time, however i've never done a study were the only variation, would be the molasses.)

[@GardeningInCanada]

Sounds really good

[@that_garden_gnome]

explosions in the garden 💥🦠🌱🦠

[@justinphillips1761]

A little garden hack if you want to try some of these new microbes or mycorrhiza go to your garden store or hydroponic store and ask for samples some of the sample packs will last you for awhile 👍

[@GardeningInCanada]

Nice tip!

[@JdeeRat]

It might work good in biochar I going to try it

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea forsure

[@JdeeRat]

Maybe use a vacuum chamber with it then leave it in some compost.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea experiments are awesome

[@JdeeRat]

@@GardeningInCanada Molasses Biochar vacuumed a large chunk makes its own little universe in the bottom of a pot lol if it works I will post back in well a long time from now i guess

[@americansoil8260]

Could you do a video on indigenous micro organism?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Good idea! Sure can

[@anthonypacheco3098]

What quantity to use for one acre thru drop

[@lo-fihi-ki5699]

Molasses 1:1 with nutrient dense material.. ferment for 2 days.. strain.. tbs per gallon water

[@GardeningInCanada]

Does this work well for you?

[@ZE308AC]

Will you attrack ants if you drench your backyard with molasses water?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yes most likely

[@LatinGhost916]

Aphids love it too lol

[@anthonyromano8565]

You are also probably creating an environment that selects a certain species of microbes over another. Perhaps the plant is making sugars for microbes the plant wants, then you add sugars that grows a different species. Its usually done in the flowering stage of cannabis when it consuming large volumes of water and food. Every single cannabis grow shows on Utube has a video about adding molasses during flower. some do it once or twice, most put it in worm casting tea.

[@jeanponce2017]

Farmers used to urinate around their fruit trees for adding urea nitrogen

[@francismeowgannou5322]

In my opinion the Micro Organisms that we desire in our compost and in our garden soil are the ones that will break down the organic material that are readily available to them. There is no ample supply of simple sugars that are always present in our soil so why are we trying to bring in organisms that digest it? It's like saying we need calories to survive and consuming food is good for you. So you eat scoops of coconut oil and drink maple syrup; instead of eating whole foods. We need to stop trying to take shortcuts for everything. And as for benefits from trace minerals, I think the FREE seaweed I can pick up from the beach is more than good enough.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea great points.

[@francismeowgannou5322]

@@GardeningInCanada Thanks for the reply! Could you do a video about concerns of spreading invasive worms from vermicompost? I have two worm bins one are canadian and one is European night crawler. I caught the CNC for fishing and the ENC I caught from the local woodchip pile. Are the European night crawlers invasive and do they cause concern for our forests? If so I will keep the ENC casting for container gardening and indoor plants.

[@apextroll]

@@francismeowgannou5322 Scishow video on earthworms: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qamXhKahba6jl6c

[@GardeningInCanada]

Haha I can but the answer is going to upset everyone 😂 I’ll try to get that out this week!

[@julicaru4812]

Lol I just love it when you upset everyone! Bring on the science!

[@chantallachance4905]

Elaine Ingman put molasses in the brewer compost tea I put sugar for 4th years in my garden and grass no more weeds and A LOT OF VEGETABLES

[@GardeningInCanada]

That’s awesome

[@jimmybridges5464]

Molasses is used to help break down tubluers from nutsedge

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

All I know is if putting these sugars into the soil as a sacrifice to bacteria means that as a human you're eating less sugar, then it's a win win~

[@GardeningInCanada]

Hahaha your waistline appreciates it

[@hewasdeadwhenigotthere46]

Cancer feeds on sugar

[@crischalmers1277]

Because it's being used to feed the microbes.

[@kikilicious99]

Sulfur makes the soil acidic

[@pooppoop9471]

Is that a Mexican candy bush in the thumbnail?

[@GardeningInCanada]

It maybe! I’m not sure I just use free domain photos from unsplash but they don’t describe the photo at all

[@garysimmons5520]

You say 3 tablespoons per gl of water. Hippie fertilizer (josh) says 8-16 oz per gl. That's a huge difference in ratio. So now I'm really confused.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Sorry I don’t know who that is