How much Blackstrap Molasses to use?
- Thread starter Chronito
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Heady; In this case the 'sugars' or various carbon molecular structures are put out by the plants, as I read it.
yes, that's what i was trying to say. sorry if it was confusing.
one thing i'm still unclear on is if the carbohydrates in molasses attract the same bacteria that root exudates do. and if so, do the carbohydrates in molasses directly benefit (or at least expand) the bacteria/archaea population when watered in? and does that benefit the soil food web or throw it out of balance?
V
vonforne
Ok gang, this is the second time I had to edit this thread. I am still debating on editing more but some is kind of funny in an irritating way.
Next time....no PM´s and no warnings.
Keep the thread opn track and cut the smartass game playing.
You know who you are.
Thanks in advance.
V
Next time....no PM´s and no warnings.
Keep the thread opn track and cut the smartass game playing.
You know who you are.
Thanks in advance.
V
Ya, I was just sort of double clarifying incase; no worries
You pose a very good question. I believe Spurr or 2nd try initiated a thread related to this previously that you might locate (if lucky).
To answer part of this IMO, I anticipate we will have more information someday which will show that the molecular structures (bonding employed) created by plants is highly refined and selective to the microorganism being fed (e.g. type of bacteria/archaea or fungi). Not only this but there are the protein (variant) structures utilized for active transport of certain ions across apoplactic entries into the plant cells. Some nutrients are accepted while others are denied.
[My apologies to researchers who may have already established this unbeknowsnt to me
] I'd love to have an electron microscope.
prince kali
Member
tx to heady blunt for post #159
teaming with microbes... hmm.. looks like a highly interesting read
also some good inputs from microbeman
in my opinion 1 tbsp per gallon is a good dosage..
in my experience its good to keep an eye on the ph when using it in such amounts.. seems that it makes the soil more acidic over time..
dont know exactly why..
greets
pk
teaming with microbes... hmm.. looks like a highly interesting read
also some good inputs from microbeman
in my opinion 1 tbsp per gallon is a good dosage..
in my experience its good to keep an eye on the ph when using it in such amounts.. seems that it makes the soil more acidic over time..
dont know exactly why..
greets
pk
I think if one searches here they will find it being said or eluded to quite a bit.
It is conventional wisdom that I am talking about, not what actually happens under the microscope. I mean, how many here would know one beneficial from another...you and a half dozen others? To most here a micro-herd is a micro-herd.
True blackstrap contains a considerable amount of cyclic hydroxamic acids which is got from the plants it was derived from. I think you will find that the substance is indeed a chelating agent.
A quick look netted this...
http://ttkde4.sci.u-szeged.hu/ABS/2002/Acta HPb/s5/01-pet1.pdf
well, let's fix that if it's the case. I don't think it is here though. I think lots of people have read the now standard primer "Teaming With Microbes", for instance. Most of the book concerns itself with teaching us just that.
but just in case, I referred to it so anyone can go read it.
I went out to do some informal consulting on a garden once, and the culture I made looked dead until it became a forest of spores. It was my first time seeing fungal compost. Yes, it was just molasses feeding them. Presumably though, none of them were mycorrhizae, or if so, they were doomed for having missed the host.
Anyway, I told her I knew why her veggies were doing so poorly.
"what is it?" she asks
"well, it's your microherd", I said.
"what about it"
"it's very fungal"
"a microherd is a microherd", she insisted
..."ask the broccoli then".
I'm trying to dispense with that malady by telling people about the main operaters in the soil microbial nutrient loop being bacteria and protozoa (& or bacterial feeding nematodes). Sure fungi are included too but they are branchy growing things rather than something one refers to as a 'herd'. But true enough molasses feeds bacteria & fungi.
It is such a simple thing 'with a microscope' to see which organisms are in your soil. Recently when I was at the Seattle Garden show a member of ICmag brought in his soil and compost to look at. We easily observed that he had copious bacteria, flagellates and fungal hyphae in both. Good job! It is like looking out your kitchen window to see if you have robins or starlings in your back yard. [but you need a microscope]
That is an interesting article but unless I read it wrong it is stressing the hydroxamic acids as being an allelopath exuded to prevent the growth of competing plant species. The root exudates which effectively mineralize organic matter for direct nutrient uptake is a fascinating subject, one which Spurr discussed extensively in here somewhere and which taught me much. Be aware that the percentage of nutrients cycled to plants in this way is very small in comparison to the microbial nutrient loop [according to current studies]. I did not catch the connection to molasses as a chelating agent but do not profess any particular aptitude in that direction.
If by chelated, you mean in ionic form (or soluble) then one could submit a sample of compost for a lab NPK test compared with the same compost mixed with black strap molasses. The results would reveal the amount/percentage of nutrients ionized.
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How much Blackstrap Molasses to use?
baba, maybe tell us more about what molasses is chelating.
is it ripping N right out of microbe bodies? turning already ionic nutes into chelates?
baba, maybe tell us more about what molasses is chelating.
is it ripping N right out of microbe bodies? turning already ionic nutes into chelates?
just Fe?
I was picturing a general chelating effect all around, thanks for the info Baba.
(nice to have you here for civil discourse)
I was picturing a general chelating effect all around, thanks for the info Baba.
(nice to have you here for civil discourse)
To everyone: I'm not prepared to keep a list of people I can respond to and people I can't respond to. If you find what I write upsetting, please use the ignore function.
Let me reiterate that everyone is most welcome here, and let's forget about the past. The abusive rep and cursing isn't necessary.
I believe we were trying to explore whether or not you can improve your medium vis a vis the plant by feeding your soil with molasses. We've brought up the possibility that blackstrap is a "chelating agent", at least when it comes to Fe. Otherwise though, we have not defined what a "chelating agent" is going to do in situ.
Let me reiterate that everyone is most welcome here, and let's forget about the past. The abusive rep and cursing isn't necessary.
I believe we were trying to explore whether or not you can improve your medium vis a vis the plant by feeding your soil with molasses. We've brought up the possibility that blackstrap is a "chelating agent", at least when it comes to Fe. Otherwise though, we have not defined what a "chelating agent" is going to do in situ.
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