Alternative plant foods

[andy_j]

I was talking to a fellow allotmenter today about growing some stuff for show next year. He mentioned that he was going to try feeding his crops with diluted molasses.

Now personally, i can't see what benefits that would give over a carefully balanced NPK feed with trace elements.7

Anyone used anything like this ? I personally prefer to buy NPK in dry form and mix it according to your needs.

Andy

[rustylady]

Molasses is raw sugar, isn't it? Can't see the point myself but I will have a google.

I use homemade comfrey tea and nettle tea as liquid fertiliser.

[KarlB924]

The molasses wouldn't be feeding the plants directly, but rather microbes in the soil. It's used in compost tea as a feed for all the microbes in there. As a foliar spray though, apparently it aids photosynthesis. Apparently.

[andy_j]

Excellent stuff, didn't know that. Wonder if the sugar would attract small fruit flies.

[Glutton4...]

I reckon it would, AJ, most feedstuffs attract bugs of some sort or another, or so it seems.

[bretty666]

Rusty lady...how did you get on with your nettle and comfrey tea?? Iv just made a bin full and stomped it down then covered in water?? I think this is the right way?? Did you notice any big difference usint it??

[solway cropper]

This molasses idea has been cropping up in various places for a while now. As Karl says, it won't feed the plants directly but may help the micro-organisms. Every now and then we get some new amazing idea that is going to allow us all to grow monster veg but I can't get away from the idea that a healthy soil in a balanced ecosystem is the only long term solution to feeding ourselves.

[dim]

I brew my own compost teas using organic unstapped molasses, worm humis (worm compost), fish hydrolosate, seaweed extract and fulvic/humic acids ... all brewed using rainwater, an airpump and a heater

excellent stuff and what the molasses does is feed the microbes in the compost and they in turn reproduce rapidly .... so, in essence, you are brewing a super concentrated form of compost

if you brew for approx 24hrs, you brew a bacterial dominant tea .... if you brew for approx 36-48hrs, you brew a fungal dominant tea

watch this youtube video:

and watch this:

add the above with High Brix gardening methods and you will always ave healthy plants and nutritional vegetables

[Mr Bones]

I agree with the molasses feeding the microbes theory and have used it in both compost and sheep poo tea. It also works remarkably well mixed with stale urine as compost accelerator, helps autumn leaves to rot down a treat. Every time I get the molasses out (black treacle in my case) I always have half a teaspoon myself as a sneaky treat. Just have to remember to eat it before I dip the spoon into what ever I'm mixing it with at the time..