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thinkning molasses but what about...

so i picked up some organic molasses last night for my fully amended organic soil... walking down the isle to find the molasses, my buddy stops a says, "man what about blue agave nectar?" which got me thinking, there is no reason it wouldnt work the same right? plus it seems less thick, and comes in a large bottle with a squeeze spout, every convenient. thoughts?

but at any rate, i bought the molasses because i know that works, so 1tsp per g? or what?
 
S

SeaMaiden

No reason why you can't and shouldn't experiment with other simple sugars. I've done it with several, but not agave due to the cost, and I find they all can offer benefits if used properly (i.e. less is more).

I would go with no more than 1tsp/gal, but that's also because I don't know what percent sugar the agave is. I use it here at home, have some on my counter, but have a trip to get ready for and doing math takes me some time. IIRC molasses is something like 52% sugar.
 

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
Molasses has a high concentration of vitamins/minerals which better aid in the construction of healthy cellular material in the micro-organism. In other words they get more out if it than other sugars...
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
What Cheese said. You did not say what you are using the molasses for. e.g. applied to soil? used in ACT?
 
oh sorry. i use the molasses with liquid karma bubbled overnight to water my fully amended soil.

my soil: LC's soil mix #2
6parts promix bx
2parts perlite
2parts EWC
powdered dolomite lime at 1 cup per cubic foot.

amendments: mix is per gal of soil
1/3 cup high N guano peruvian seabird
1/2 cup high P quano indo bat
1tbs kelp meal
1tbs jersey green sand

i am running 11 plants in 5 gal smart pots
girls are white widow x2, pineapple express x2, acapolco gold, blue widow, bubble berry, pineapple train wreck, blue cheese, tangerine dream and a mystery bagseed (16 seeds, 3 germ, 1 fem).
 
however next round i think i will just use the promix+pearlite+lime and kelp meal. and then use the guanos in an ACT brew with the rest.
 

OSUB

New member
not exactly sure what else is in liquid karma, but here is it's "guaranteed analysis"

Guaranteed Analysis:

Total Nitrogen (N): 0.1%, 0.1% Water Soluble Nitrogen
Available Phosphate (P2O5): 0.1%
Soluble Potash (K20): 0.5%

ALSO CONTAINS NON-PLAND FOOD INGREDIENT:

0.5% Humic Acid derived from Leonardite
0.01% Yucca extract

Derived from: Kelp seaweed extract.



if it is working for you, than you can continue to use it.


i however would prefer to make my own nutritional supplement by doing it differently. for nutrients, i add 1 cup of a dry botanical herb per 1 gallon of water, let it sit in a 5 gallon bucket on a seedling heat mat, and stir it every time i walk by with a stick. after about 2-3 weeks of stirring, the nasty smelling stuff is a great fertilizer. to increase microbes in my soil, i make an AACT by adding a handful of fresh EWCs from my bin and two tablespoons of blue agave nectar/molasses to about 2.5 gallons of water....i bubble the hell out of it with an aquarium bubbler. after about 24-36 hours, it is ready to use. you know it is ready when you see a thick layer of foam on the top. microbeman will be more informative on the subject of AACTs and ACTs than I.





-OSUB
 
the humic acid in the liquid karma is what i use it for, but if i was shown why i dont need it, id be more than happy to never buy another bottle haha.
 

OSUB

New member
the "humic acid" in the liquid karma is derived from leonardite - which is extracted with potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. im not exactly sure how you want your grow to be, but i wouldnt want to use anything that has been extracted with harmful chemicals.

also, your liquid karma has exactly what it says it has - only humic acid. you also want to incorporate fulvic acid, which is left behind in the sodium/potassium hydroxide mixture when they extract the humic compounds. fulvic acid diffuses easier than humic acid, due to the oxygen fulvic compounds carry.

by adding a handful of quality EWCs instead of liquid karma, you will receive both fulvic & humic acids.

not to mention the plethora of microbes.

guanos are fine to add in an AACT, as long as they have been properly composted first & it isnt solely used by itself. by adding only guano, you are making a pretty "hot" tea.





-OSUB
 

DRorganic

Active member
Veteran
I use liquid karma,fresh earth worm castings and bat guano .on allot of things even on my garden ,and berry bushes. and the plants love it and every thing comes out realy sweet and tasty especially my bud.
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
oh sorry. i use the molasses with liquid karma bubbled overnight to water my fully amended soil.

my soil: LC's soil mix #2
6parts promix bx
2parts perlite
2parts EWC
powdered dolomite lime at 1 cup per cubic foot.

amendments: mix is per gal of soil
1/3 cup high N guano peruvian seabird
1/2 cup high P quano indo bat
1tbs kelp meal
1tbs jersey green sand

i am running 11 plants in 5 gal smart pots
girls are white widow x2, pineapple express x2, acapolco gold, blue widow, bubble berry, pineapple train wreck, blue cheese, tangerine dream and a mystery bagseed (16 seeds, 3 germ, 1 fem).

Okay, I just thought you were using it in ACT. There is probably no need to bubble it.
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
the humic acid in the liquid karma is what i use it for, but if i was shown why i dont need it, id be more than happy to never buy another bottle haha.

If you are trying to multiply bacteria, archaea and/or grow fungi in a liquid, testing I have done indicates that in this environ that humic acid is a suppressive. Applied directly (diluted) to soil is a different story.
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
as long as they have been properly composted first

exactly...

There is nothing wrong with using guanos, just not in ACT (too much). It is called 'compost' tea for a reason.

I never found the need nor desire to use guanos, finding that homegrown vermicompost and composted horse manure provides everything I need.
 
ahhhh. you know that "click moment" you get when things settle in? check =]

but just to be sure (since im baked and that click moment may just be that =p)

what i got out of that was: that i can drop the liquid karma, and instead bubble up a tea with EWC which will give me the humic and fulvic acids, as well as all the other nice things in EWC...

now more question... if EWC is in my soil, do i need the tea the whole time, every few feedings, or just when the soil starts to deplete?

anyway, i need to dig into that link to enlightenment from headyblunts.
thanks all, my girls are looking lovely, ill post up a new pic for ya'll when i check back.
 

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
EWC is the source of the microbial life you are basically breeding by making ACT....molasses is the food for them to reproduce,they don't need much more than that. Just follow MM's directions and you'll have the best ACT.
 
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