Canna Boost V Molasses - side by side comparison.

[nomaad]

so, again, what products would be considered similar to boost, to compare?

Have we ascertained that Triacontinol is the ingredient in Boost that increases photosynthesis? if so, Massive and finisher from Green Planet are allegorical products.

ie: comparing Molasses to something like Sweet or maybe to a P/K booster since molasses is a carb product and contains P. I just don't see in what aspects Molasses and boost are similar to where you can compare the products.

I think that this is the essential misunderstanding here... this experiment is not comparing two products. It is comparing what happens to a group of plants when different products are used to feed them. It will provide some data toward answering the following questions: Does using Boost give me a better yield then NOT using it? Does Molasses? Etc.

A simple comparison of the products could be accomplished through a detailed analysis of their component parts... its a simple matter of comparing one list to another. And that experiment would show (according to what i have read in this thread)that the two are not the same kind of product.

So what we have is a test of one kind of product against another kind of product (both intended to do the same thing, increase yield and quality like 85% of the other products on the market).

 

[daihashi]

I think that this is the essential misunderstanding here... this experiment is not comparing two products. It is comparing what happens to a group of plants when different products are used to feed them. It will provide some data toward answering the following questions: Does using Boost give me a better yield then NOT using it? Does Molasses? Etc.


So what we have is a test of one kind of product against another kind of product (both intended to do the same thing, increase yield and quality like 85% of the other products on the market).

I understand; but if you wanted to make a test like that you are missing a key element.

The control.

I am not knocking it and I am watching it merely from the standpoint to see if Boost lives up to the claims. However without a real control... something not getting either boost nor molasses makes it hard to compare the results of each product respectively. Also since neither products are similar in function it begins to get difficult to compare things like Yields and resin productions. You need a plant that does nothing at all in order to say with certainty that Product A is better for Yield than Product B.

With that said I hope no one has the impression that I am trying to pick a part this experiment; I enjoy seeing experiments of all sorts regardless if I agree with their intended purposes or not.

 

[daihashi]

so, in your opinion, what product on the market is, or can be, comparable to boosts'? or, @ least the claims of boost to increase photosynthesis?

or, better yet, can the ingredients in boost be readily obtained thru primary or secondary sources - by-passing the exorbitant cost of the finished/packaged product?


this is why posted info on brix & brix meters. theoretically, if photosynthesis is increasing (in rate, etc) the total sugar production & content (& other solids) should increase... markedly...

I am not sure what you're arguing. But there are a number of products that increase the rate of photosynthesis.

Triacontinol, Liquid light, CO2, stronger ballasts/bulbs, etc etc.. obviously I don't know all the products but there are things out there that increase the rate of photosynthesis.. a claim Canna makes themselves about Boost.

and how is an increase in photosynthesis supposed to be measured by the gardener? only in terms of the result of using the product?

There are forumulas to measure photosynthesis. But the easiest way to measure this for the average grower would be to have a plant that does not receive the additive being tested. Ie have one plant receive nutes without boost and another plant receive plants with boost.. Preferably clones coming from the same mother, cut at the same length, containing the same amount of nodes starting out.

A control is absolutely necessary in almost any test unless you are doing a direct comparison of products; even then a control is desired.

they 'guarantee' more 'yield' & 'exceptional taste'. if greater sugar content is the key to beeter tasting fruit, why not just add sugar (carbohydrates; i.e.g., molasses)? the yield part is a little trickier...

More Yield and exceptional taste tell you nothing about how the product works does it? But canna does say that it increases the rate of photosynthesis.. which does give insight into how the product works.

I would rather base my assumptions on clues that canna left on what their product does rather than making assumptions based off the results canna says their product will give you. I can vaguely say anything increases yield and taste but this tells you nothing about how the product works and makes it hard to conduct an experiment around it.

the below link describes photosynthesis relatively in depth... the study guide presents a list of learning objectives.

#1 on the list of learning objectives is:
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPS.html
photosynthesis

Thank you for the link but I have a firm understanding of Photosynthesis. You asked before how can you measure it... Well I can through math but thank you for a refresher on something I learned in middle school. This was meant to sound the way it did. I get the impression that I'm being singled out.

if purchasing a 100 coins-a-bottle product, the company should be able to provide @ least a cursory chemical-reaction flow chart describing how their product influences the standard photosynthesis formula & process... especially if the product is 'guaranteed'... you have already paid for the research by purchasing the product; full disclosure of chem reactions should accompany, if you ask them...

No, you paid for the product. You did not pay for the research. Your logic here is skewed. Canna has all rights to not divulge information of their formula. If you really want to find out what is in it then just send it off to get put into a gas chromotagraph to find out what's in it. You'll pay a pretty penny but you'll find out what is in their product for far less money than what canna spent on the research to produce it. Then you could begin making your own at home.

so, again, what products would be considered similar to boost, to compare?

or is boost the only product that claims to increase yield & taste? no... any isle in the garden store will contain a few products that claim this...

enjoy your garden!

Again you miss my argument; and it's not even an argument since I dropped this topic a few pages back.. I made a small comment to someone who had a similar mentality to me and got bombarded by you and hazy lady.

There are a million products that increase yield and taste; however they all work differently. Whether it's through hormones, microbial activity, sugars, chelates or what not... the results are not directly comparable; however they can be comparable with a control.

You can't directly compare the results of a baseball player injecting himself with Testosterone and Trenbolone to a baseball player taking creatine and drinking whey protein. shrug.. my and that's exactly what it is.

Again I'll be watching this thread; but for now I'd like to drop this topic since it's just beating a dead horse and my opinion will not be changed by arguments that do not make sense to me logically.

However I am watching this thread to see the outcome for boost. I am using the molasses as the control and not a direct comparison to the boost.

 

[daihashi]

Just to be clear because I feel people are defending people unnecessarily or jumping to conclusions.

1. I DO think this is a good thread. Whether I agree with their testing methods or not is irrelevant. There is extractable data here that will be useful to all growers and all people who do not think the same.

2. Conducting a test like this takes time and effort. I know because I have done these types of logs. I greatly appreciate your effort put in. I know it's not an easy task. Especially when having to take out plants for pictures to help record the results as the experiment continues ongoing.

3. My opinion is just that.. my opinion. I am not trying to convert anyone to my way of thinking. This is your thread and is the reason why I dropped the topic of how I think this experiment is flawed long ago. I respect that this is your thread and really wasn't looking to get into another debate over this. Like everyone, I have an opinion... I belive it to be the right opinion but that doesn't mean that I believe I have to force it onto others.. hence me dropping it. We're all human and think differently and that is what makes us great.

I hope people reading this thread now understand my mentality a bit more. I was really stoned and I just woke up so I'm fairly clear headed now.

Again I do think this is a good experiment even if I feel the testing method is flawed and I am VERY GLAD you are taking the time to do this. Compared to the amount of growers or active members a forum has... you hardly see people contributing back like this and I think when people do contribute back that this is a very wonderful thing.

Now please.. let's give this thread back to Hazy Lady

 

[Hazy Lady]

♪ Oh! Sugar Sugar ♪♪

♪ Oh! Sugar Sugar ♪♪

i use this for ph-down

the brand is Organik. i like this product a lot.....

Thanks B' I will have to check it out, the sugar product you use!, I was looking for similar/same product and came across this stuff :-

You see below how it's processed, They sell it in my local grocery, I tasted a bit, not the worst thing I had in my mouth, ahem!, i am thinking of coir water of course

It is a little sweeter than the Blackstrap but you can taste all the treacle so it seems to be full of goodness, it would certainly be a an easier product to use it dissolves very easily in cold water, maybe I'll have to run this against the Blackstrap?, be a bit less confusion with that comparison, Thank's B

 

[*mistress*]

You can't directly compare the results of a baseball player injecting himself with Testosterone and Trenbolone to a baseball player taking creatine and drinking whey protein. shrug.. my and that's exactly what it is.

sure you can... the results in such an comparison would be the amount of homers, stolen bases, etc... if, they didnt get caught 'doping'...

fans want team to win, regardless how it is done. whether an offensive or defensive team, doesnt matter. if final score of superbowl is 6-3, winning team doesnt care if they didnt score 45 points...

dennis rodman didnt score points, was a distraction, etc... but his impact on the game when he played was immense. maybe wouldnt show up in stats, but all those little hustle plays & defensive plays, & rebounds made teams win...

if can win using products that are unconventional, or conventional, or expensive or... just win baby!...

concerning photosynthesis, was postulating that canna should be able to (or growers here), exactly how whatever ingredient appears in & reacts w/ the standard photosynthesis formula...

either way, yes, excellent experiment & discussion... centers on what gardeners really want...

1. taste
2. yield

yield is really no variable here, so purchasing product to affect that variable is not option.

if want more yield, just veg longer...

good post, btw...

enjoy your garden...

 

[daihashi]

sure you can... the results in such an comparison would be the amount of homers, stolen bases, etc... if, they didnt get caught 'doping'...

That's not exactly what I was talking about. I meant more a long the lines of muscle gain. Since we're talking about plants and yield I thought it would be an obvious correlation to talk about People and muscle mass gain. Very similar analogy. Maybe I should've substituted body builders with baseball players

Either way, We agree to disagree

 

[Hazy Lady]

Great links me thinks

Great links me thinks

this may be helpful:
&

http://www.tandjenterprises.com/brix_equals_quality.htm
USING A REFRACTOMETER TO TEST THE QUALITY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES,
(excerpt, in part):
hope this helps. enjoy your garden!

Hey *m*, great stuff as always, thank-you so much.
I popped over to the Canna site and asked for the terms of their "guaranteed higher yields and better taste", they usually answer within a couple of days so we will know soon? better get your Legalese - English, English - Legalese dictionary ready, I would imagine they heard this Q more than once :
and have some stock answer?, we shall see.

 

[daihashi]

Hey *m*, great stuff as always, thank-you so much.
I popped over to the Canna site and asked for the terms of their "guaranteed higher yields and better taste", they usually answer within a couple of days so we will know soon? better get your Legalese - English, English - Legalese dictionary ready, I would imagine they heard this Q more than once :
and have some stock answer?, we shall see.

Let's hope they give you an answer. This is info I'm sure everyone is drooling for but I suspect they're going to keep it under lock and key. Let's cross our fingers

 

[Hazy Lady]

Just to be clear because I feel people are defending people unnecessarily or jumping to conclusions.

1. I DO think this is a good thread. Whether I agree with their testing methods or not is irrelevant. There is extractable data here that will be useful to all growers and all people who do not think the same.

2. Conducting a test like this takes time and effort. I know because I have done these types of logs. I greatly appreciate your effort put in. I know it's not an easy task. Especially when having to take out plants for pictures to help record the results as the experiment continues ongoing.

3. My opinion is just that.. my opinion. I am not trying to convert anyone to my way of thinking. This is your thread and is the reason why I dropped the topic of how I think this experiment is flawed long ago. I respect that this is your thread and really wasn't looking to get into another debate over this. Like everyone, I have an opinion... I belive it to be the right opinion but that doesn't mean that I believe I have to force it onto others.. hence me dropping it. We're all human and think differently and that is what makes us great.

I hope people reading this thread now understand my mentality a bit more. I was really stoned and I just woke up so I'm fairly clear headed now.

Again I do think this is a good experiment even if I feel the testing method is flawed and I am VERY GLAD you are taking the time to do this. Compared to the amount of growers or active members a forum has... you hardly see people contributing back like this and I think when people do contribute back that this is a very wonderful thing.

Now please.. let's give this thread back to Hazy Lady

Thank-you brother d', That was very nice to read, I have to say though, I have learnt so much because of the differences of opinion on this thread than I think I would have otherwise, as long as we are all civil I welcome the debate, half the great links I have from *mistress* are from these exchanges,
as long as its constructive I am happy, thanks again my friend

 

[habeeb]

No problem habeeb.
I understand you, I believe Molasses is a super additive for EM colonies, which of course we are not as concerned with in coco, although there is a beneficial fungus in coir that could benefit from Molasses? something else to look at. I, and I guess a lot of others, use Molasses more for the carb/sugar and nutrient side, I reason if the plant has a supply of sugars it doesn't need to produce itself it can get on with the actual business of growing more?, I am by no means an expert on Molasses but am in no doubt it has a use in our grows in or out and whichever medium is used. *mistress* may be better able to answer specific q's regarding Molasses?.
Why Boost V Molasses, well again I and many others were using Molasses, actually it was my husband started it not me, using it as a cheap 'sweetener' and he claimed it affected/ improved taste, yes it did, but more, he and many others swore it increased yields, potency, all sorts of claims, still do!. It seemed to do what expensive bud-boosters of the day did for a fraction of the cost, then Canna brought Boost out a year or two back and lots of Molasses users tried Boost and stuck with it, claimed it was a better booster than Molasses, some said Molasses was just as good for less bread and it was sort of stuck like that, rightly or wrongly it became a 'known' fact, Molasses was a cheap Boost-, again, certainly to me and others I read or know of. But was it? When I took over my garden I just used both of them, out of habit really, I have wondered for a while what my plants really need & not what I think they need, so came this 1st test.
I hope this helps answer you habeeb? good to see you back here.

Edit, missed a bit, it IS water soluble habeeb, especially warm water

thanks for this. I'm glad you didn't see my post as an attack, I was more wondering as I always do..

it would be helpful to see what's in boost.. I do understand as molasses has become the biggest nutrient to show up lately in bottled products, and in home users using buying blackstrap..

I am more of a questioner, and want to know what's in boost more then anything as we know what's in molasses. I'm sure boost works, to what degree Im not sure, but everythng is tested at canna as they have testing greenhouses, and being where they are, I'm sure alot of growers tested it for them on other plants... I guess the bigger question to people, is, is it worth the money. I read on this thread someone said canna said, it takes 6 months to make boost. some like a fermenting process of chemical change to me, which sounds like it cannot be easily replicated for a home user. my thoughts anyways.

I will get on to testing it some time hopefully. I just wonder testing it if it will give us all the answers we want?

grow on, as I'm sure alot are wanting to know a report on boost and molasses and vs. each other. thanks once again

EDIT: on your edit, I was meaning if molasses is water soluable as in, roots uptake the molasses or does it need to be broken down first..

 

[Hazy Lady]

Let's hope they give you an answer. This is info I'm sure everyone is drooling for but I suspect they're going to keep it under lock and key. Let's cross our fingers

I knew we could agree on something d' , I suspect they won't be as forthright as we would like, I don't believe they can guarantee any product, it would be a legal nightmare claim-wise - wouldn't it?

 

[*mistress*]

there is also:

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/dry-molasses.html
&

http://natures-guide.vpnsys.com/index.php?page_id=119

enjoy your garden!

 

[daihashi]

I knew we could agree on something d' , I suspect they won't be as forthright as we would like, I don't believe they can guarantee any product, it would be a legal nightmare claim-wise - wouldn't it?

Maybe; I think they count on most people not testing the products claims; even then I think canna probably has research across thousands of plants instead of a few. I guess what I mean by that is that Canna could argue that they saw their 'claims' over thousands of plants and could argue that your selection is so small that it's hard to measure whether boost worked (amazing how those legal guys work ).

Either way I hope you're able to extract some kind of info from them.. time for some social hacking

 

[Hazy Lady]

thanks for this. I'm glad you didn't see my post as an attack, I was more wondering as I always do..

it would be helpful to see what's in boost.. I do understand as molasses has become the biggest nutrient to show up lately in bottled products, and in home users using buying blackstrap..

I am more of a questioner, and want to know what's in boost more then anything as we know what's in molasses. I'm sure boost works, to what degree Im not sure, but everythng is tested at canna as they have testing greenhouses, and being where they are, I'm sure alot of growers tested it for them on other plants... I guess the bigger question to people, is, is it worth the money. I read on this thread someone said canna said, it takes 6 months to make boost. some like a fermenting process of chemical change to me, which sounds like it cannot be easily replicated for a home user. my thoughts anyways.

I will get on to testing it some time hopefully. I just wonder testing it if it will give us all the answers we want?

grow on, as I'm sure alot are wanting to know a report on boost and molasses and vs. each other. thanks once again

Hiya Habeeb

Thank-you, I have heard some ridiculous claims about Boost, how it is gathered at least, I heard Canna tapped - as in rubber, maple syrup collection - a bunch of trees in some jungle in Borneo or The Congo, some remote place anyhow, and they have the locals empty these tappings into a huge vat in the village, (I told you it was ridiculous) and Canna come and empty them, you guessed it! every 6 months, the 6 months seems to be a recurring theme in this urban myth, I guess 6 months is the magic amount we think is worth £20. I suspect Nomad is nearer the truth and it is just the addition of a chemical like Triacontinol as he says. Canna will be gutted if this IS the case and we can buy the stuff for pennies.

 

[Hazy Lady]

@ *mistress* you are so quick girl. Good grief I am glad I have no ant's, that 1st one is playing on another myth - use molasses attract ants - it is simply not true, I believe it actually repels them. would you check your links *m*, I seem to get the same 1st one? Ta

 

[Hazy Lady]

Tri this and triacontinol

Tri this and triacontinol

Have we ascertained that Triacontinol is the ingredient in Boost that increases photosynthesis? if so, Massive and finisher from Green Planet are allegorical products.



I think that this is the essential misunderstanding here... this experiment is not comparing two products. It is comparing what happens to a group of plants when different products are used to feed them. It will provide some data toward answering the following questions: Does using Boost give me a better yield then NOT using it? Does Molasses? Etc.

A simple comparison of the products could be accomplished through a detailed analysis of their component parts... its a simple matter of comparing one list to another. And that experiment would show (according to what i have read in this thread)that the two are not the same kind of product.

So what we have is a test of one kind of product against another kind of product (both intended to do the same thing, increase yield and quality like 85% of the other products on the market).

Thank-you Nomad, excellent post, I wonder if you know?, did the green planet guys find a supply of Triacontinol ?
I found it in 2 product but haven't searched much yet, it is in these Lucerne meal - Power Pellets http://www.powerpellets.com.au/body_qanda.html
this a Q&A about them if anyone is interested?
The other one has a bit of info :-
UltraBoostTM
Lots of our customers have found that UltraBoost(TM), a methanol based growth stimulant for home garden use, speeds the process of photosynthesis, speeds fertilizer intake and uptake, and makes plants grow stronger and healthier, with a new vitality. New growth is often visible overnight! Now containing the plant growth stimulant, triacontinol, in addition to the other plant nutrients and stimulants, Ultraboost is safe for use on all plants. Increases plant metabolism, promotes strong root growth, increases basal stem growth, and promotes strong branching. Spray daily on new growth in sunlight or strong artificial light. Effects last all season. Complete instructions included.
It costs $20 for a quart spray bottle/ $50 a gallon no spray, if Triacontinol is the magic ingredient there are cheaper versions than Boost, I like the idea of spraying too!, more control imo.

 

[*mistress*]

if Triacontinol is the magic ingredient there are cheaper versions than Boost

Have we ascertained that Triacontinol is the ingredient in Boost that increases photosynthesis? if so, Massive and finisher from Green Planet are allegorical products.

& alfalfa & beeswax... see below...

if the product does increase yield, another comparison would be using the same coins to extend veg time, and/or increase light levels...

if, yield, is the primary goal of purchasing product...

will increasing light regime from 18/6 to 20/4, or 24/0, or increasing veg time from, say 2 weeks to 4 weeks, develop same yield as compared to boost?

http://www.californiacoastalrose.com/articles/article/2795657/46500.htm:

The Background:

The source of the special effect of alfalfa is a substance called triacontanol. As reported in "Organic Gardening" in the early 1980s Dr. Stanley K. Ries, a horticulturist at Michigan State University began experimenting in the early 1970s with nitrogen-rich foragers as fertilizer substitutes. The results of his 1975 field trials were puzzling in that some of the alfalfa-treated plots greatly outyielded chemically fertilized plots. In the lab they isolated the active agent --triacontanol, a fatty acid alcohol which occurs naturally in the waxy surfaces of the plant's leaves. Additional testing revealed triacontanol was not a fertilizer, but a growth-stimulating substance. The less triacontanol you use, the better the results.

http://www.gardenscure.com/420/non-fertilizer-additives/27632-triacontanol-cellular-division.html:

BeesWax is also high in triaconnatol too my further reding has shown me, another cheap source and one Ive used bfore in my hydro grows

http://scvrs.homestead.com/MixmastersOrganicProducts.html:

Again what they said reminded me of what I had heard on the farm. When I heard that alfalfa had some special growth stimulant (triacontinol), it sounded like just what I needed to grow exhibition roses. So I decided to try the "organic method" of growing roses.

http://www.biology-online.org/biology-forum/about11168.html

Triacontanol:
To dissolve this fatty acid (it's not grandular) super-grow suggests:
(Polysorbate 20 is food grade)

polysorbate 20 availble @ candlemaking-type stores... relatively cheapo...

&

http://www.treatingyourself.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php?t-3152.html:

For alfalfa tea, add 10 to 12 cups of alfalfa pellets to a 32 gallon garbage can, add water, stir and steep for 2 or 3 hours to a couple of days. You can add 4 to 6 cups of Epsom salts and 8 ounces of fish fertilizer as a "fortifier", if you wish. Apply a gallon per bush, 1/3 gallon per miniature. Stir often to keep it mixed. You can pour the slurry on the bottom of the garbage can onto some of the roses, or add it to your vegetable garden.

Triacontanol does work. But only in small amounts. Large amounts seem to negate the effectivness it has on increasing yields. It can be obtained in alfalfa hay, pellets, rabbit feed, or droppings from rabbits fed alfalfa meal.

lots more info in link...

http://www.organic-herb.com/Product/OHI-000196.html:

Alphaticalcohols
Food sources

Triaontanol:
sugar cane wax 10-15%
rice bran wax 26%
beeswax 26%

this may also be helpful:
http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/reprint/68/6/1279.pdf

seems the rose gardeners were some of 1st to use this compound in container gardening.

'discovered' by

horticulturalist began experimenting in the early 1970s with nitrogen-rich foragers as fertilizer substitutes.

see: http://www.californiacoastalrose.com/articles/article/2795657/46500.htm

btw, several studies have remarked that the less triacontanol used/applied, the better...

http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/the...irements-for-a-successful-organic-garden.html

Alfalfa: The Best Source of Nitrogen (Plus Growth Stimulation)

In 1975, Dr. Stanley K. Ries, a horticulturist at Michigan State University, found that alfalfa treated plots produced increases far above what the nitrogen in the alfalfa could account for.

In the laboratory, they isolated the active agent—triacontanol, a fatty acid alcohol which occurs naturally in the plant's leaves. Triacontanol is not a fertilizer, but a growth stimulating substance.

The Rodale Organic Gardening Research Center tested the use of "greenchop" alfalfa in extremely small counts. Both Ries and the Rodale Center reported (The Best Gardening Ideas for the '80s) that the less alfalfa they applied, the better the yield—but, with no alfalfa, they got the lowest yield. The amount used which provided the best yield works out to about one cup of fresh chopped alfalfa for 100 square feet of garden. Simply spread it over the plot, work it in, and plant your vegetable seeds. Use mulch as usual.

The Rodale book says that the methods and rates of application are still in the experimental stage.

does canna advise to use less of their boost? do they even advise that miimum amounts of tri are effective?

@ hazy lady: link fixed...

hope this helps. enjoy your garden!

 

[*mistress*]

fwiw, found this:

1 gallon=45.99
@ ace hardware store, of all places...
https://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(0z02ob45uvbrk0uqgpwkgu55)/ProductDetails.aspx?SKU=7208473

Triffid greatly increases plant productivity and yield by building a stronger root system. Triffid is a powerful microbial synergist and an all natural growth stimulant for soil organisms and plants with the miracle active ingredient Triacontanol. Triacontanol is found naturally in beeswax and plant cuticle waxes. Triffid can be used on indoor and outdoor plants.

How Triffid Works:
Triffid contains Triacontanol which is a powerful but natural growth stimulant found in beeswax and plant cuticle waxes. Research suggests that Triacontanol directly activates the genes that control photosynthesis and this is why Triacontanol increases plant productivity and yield. The combination of growth stimulants, microbial synergists and Triacontanol within Triffid ensures a balanced approach to growth in an organic and sustainable way.

a comparable product to boost is cheapo alfalfa meal... @ 14 for 20#'s...
http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com/whitney-farms-alfalfa-meal-20-lb-p-89631.html?ref=42

or the ^ triffid @ hardware store...

canna boost 33 for 250 ml... 1 liter 100 coins...
http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/itemMatrix.asp?GroupCode=NLCBST&eq=&MatrixType=1

enjoy your garden!

 

[*mistress*]

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=2764022

Alfalfa Tea, the natural flower booster by Trevor Inkpen

Dry alfalfa is a good slow-release source of nitrogen, but since you will be "digesting" it by letting it ferment in water, the resulting tea is a soluable, fast-acting nitrogen source.

Also, by making alfalfa (or manure) tea, you don't have to worry about weed seeds sprouting from the fertilizer.

Orchid and rose growers use alfalfa tea as a foliar spray. If you grow delphiniums and irises, they also love alfalfa tea. Some iris growers mulch their beds with alfalfa meal. And an additional benefit for delphiniums is that the Epsom salts in the tea help to ward off slugs and snails. In addition to nitrogen, alfalfa supplies enzymes and trace elements that are not present in chemical nitrogen fertilizers.

Alfalfa ingredients:
Triacontanol (growth stimulant)
Vitamin A (high concentration)
Thiamine
Riboflavin
Pantothenic Acid
Niacin
Pyridoxine
Choline
Bentaine
Folic Acid
co-enzymes
Crude proteins (16 - 25% in dry alfalfa)

Amino acids (% in alfalfa meal).
Tryptophan, 0.3 %
Aspartic Acid, 2.3%
Threonine, 1.0 %
Serine, 1.0%
Glutamic Acid, 2.7%
Proline, 1.2%
Glycine, 1.1%
Alanine, 1.1%
Cystine, 0.2%
Valine, 1.0%
Methionine, 0.3%
Isoleucine, 0.8%
Leucine, 1.6%
Tyrosine, 0.5%
Phenylalanine, 1.0%
Histidine, 0.4%
Lysine, Total, 1.1%
Arginine, 1.1%

Minerals (contained in dry alfalfa)
Nitrogen 3.75-5.5 %
Potassium .75 - 3.5 %
Phosphorus .3 - .7%
Calcium 1 - 2 %
Magnesium .30 - 1 %
Sulphur .2 - .5 %
Manganese 30-200 ppm
Iron 20-250 ppm
Boron 20-80 ppm
Copper 5-20 ppm
Zinc 20-70 ppm

The Mix:
Choose a garbage bin or barrel with no leaks and a tight fitting lid. Position it in an out of the way place - you don't want to have to move it once it's full. For a full size garbage bin (20 gallons) add 16 cups of alfalfa pellets or alfalfa meal (4 cups to every 5 gallons or 22 litres of water)

Add 1 - 2 cups of Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate crystals) (or one quarter to half a cup to 5 gallons) Optionally, add two tablespoons of Iron Chelate
Fill with water, put on a tight lid to prevent mosquitos from breeding in your "swamp"
Let stand for one week until it bubbles with fermentation. Your nose will tell you that it's ready.

Using it:

Apply alfalfa tea once per month in the spring and summer, especially after the first flush of flowers, to encourage repeat blooming. You can reduce or eliminate the Epsom salts in later batches.

Stop applying it in the fall, when you want the plants to start hardening off for the winter, and don't want to encourage soft new growth.

Put on some old clothes - you're going to get splashed, and you don't want to be socializing with anyone while wearing the alfalfa tea!

Scoop off the liquid with a bucket and apply.

Pour a gallon of tea per rose around the base of the plant; more for large climbers, less for potted roses and minis.

Soak small potted roses in a bucket of tea for 15 minutes each.

When you have scooped off most of the liquid, you will be left with a thick goop of alfalfa in the garbage bin. There are two ways to treat this:

Method A: You can add another quarter-cup of epsom salts, fill the garbage can one third of the way up again, and stir the mix briskly so that the alfalfa is suspended in the water. This slurry can be applied to your roses immediately. Choose the roses in the back of your beds for this tea, where the greenish brown puddle of alfalfa slurry won't be too visible.

Method B: Add the full dose of Epsom salts, refill to the top with water and let sit for another week. Use the liquid, and then bury the alfalfa dregs into your compost pile (by this time they will be pretty smelly)

Another Recipe:

May I share with you and your many gardening friends my recipe for "Alfalfa Tea". I use it to fertilize everything in my garden. I have wonderful results. I can water a plant with it and the next day the blooms are more intense in their color and the foliage is more healthy. The only drawback is the "barnyard odor".

ALFALFA TEA

32 GALLON TRASH CAN
10 CUPS ALFALFA PELLETS (obtained from feed stores)
1 CUP EPSOM SALTS
1 CUP FISH EMULSION

Add the pellets to the trash can. Fill trash can with water. Stir. Cover trash can tightly with lid. For the next three days stir "tea" several times a day in order to dissolve the pellets. Keep covered. On the third day add epsom salts and fish emulsion. It is ready to use on any vegetable, plant, tree or bush. I guarantee success.You will never want to use a commercially prepared fertilizer again. At times I have been out of epsom salts and the fish emulsion and I have omitted those products and the results have been good but not as spectacular. I store the "tea" in gallon plastic containers and hide these around my garden so that I don't have to always take the "tea" from the trash can.

When all the "tea" is used, there will be enough pellet residue in the bottom of the trash can that you again fill the trash can with water and make more "tea".

@ hazy lady...

dont mean tothread...

@ bonecarver_OG...
riboflavin in alfalfa meal...

enjoy your garden!...