Potassium & Molasses; The End Is Near

Reliable sources have major variances in recommended total potassium per gallon. I will compare Fox Farms Soil Schedule and NPK RAW, calling these reliable sources. I am looking at the amount of potassium being used during the final weeks before harvest. I also look a wee bit at molasses, sulphured and unsuphured.

Potassium

Fox FarmTiger Bloom
5 grams @ 4% K2O = 5 x.04 x.826= 0.165 grams K+
Cha Ching
1.25 grams @ 10% K2O = 1.25 x .1 X .826 = 0.103 g K+
Total 0.268 grams or 268 mg K+/gallon

For Raw
1.9 grams @ 50% K2O = .95g K2O X .826 = .785g K+
Total 785 mg K+/ gallon

This is 3 times difference.

Molasses has potassium somewhere between 110 - 600 mg/ TBLS. (Read the labels at the store) Recommended dosing for molasses is commonly 1-2 T/gallon or 110 mg/gallon to 1200 mg/gallon. I have never seen consideration given to the mineral content in molasses when using it on plants. Molasses is only for sugar, shut up and smoke. OK molasses has sugar, moving on.
268 to 785 in nutes
110 to 1200 in molasses supplements
378 mg to 1985 mg Total potassium/gallon

Molasses-unsulphured has lactic acid so this can help bacteria. The acid may help to correct the pH of feed water as well. I have heard regular molasses may not have as lactic acid but, IDK. There are so many minerals in molasses that it makes a good expensive low nitrogen fertilizer. Molasses is a nutritional mineral bomb for plants. It has lactic acid. It has most of its sugar removed. Molasses does feed soil bacteria in many ways. When did enough become way too much. What numbers did you come up with when using your preferred nutes?
Most of this is a secret information so tell nobody.

Here’s a bigger secret …..

You can run a grow without “ molasses or any other simple sugar “.

Budzbuddha said:

Here’s a bigger secret …..

I said, "OK molasses has sugar, moving on."

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Of course you don't need sugar. Nobody uses sugars simple or complex as successful fertilizer. Sugar ain't gonna do jack shit, in my not even close to humble opinion. I should have something of a response under my leaky hummingbird feeder. Sugar is not the answer.
Can you find a high potassium replacement that does not add nitrogen? All the major and known minor components are replaceable. Then there is the quality about molasses that makes it smell. I want to make this a focus on Potassium. That doesn't mean we can't mention all the other minerals in there, much of what plants need is in molasses.

There is plenty of abuse of K in this hobby/industry. Here is a good article that sums up some of the current science on p/k requirements in cannabis. https://manicbotanix.com/p-phosphorus-and-k-potassium-in-cannabis-production/

MAK1 said:

Of course you don't need sugar. Nobody uses sugars simple or complex as successful fertilizer. Sugar ain't gonna do jack shit, in my not even close to humble opinion. I should have something of a response under my leaky hummingbird feeder. Sugar is not the answer.
Can you find a high potassium replacement that does not add nitrogen? All the major and known minor components are replaceable. Then there is the quality about molasses that makes it smell. I want to make this a focus on Potassium. That doesn't mean we can't mention all the other minerals in there, much of what plants need is in molasses.

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Potassium Sulfate 0-0-50. Here's a tip, you can buy 5 pounds of it for less than what that overpriced RAW repackaged potassium sulfate costs for an 8 oz package. RAW = $28.95 for 8 oz. You can get a 5 lb bag of the same stuff for $19.95 it just comes in a different bag from a different brand.

Just looking around, it seems like all-in-one fertilizers that are high in K (Jack's, Mega Crop, etc) have like 2-5 times more K than N. That's a big range, but maybe that's useful.

I grow in soil, my last batch had like 19 grams of N amendments and 42 grams of K amendments. So about 2.3-1 potassium to nitrogen. I know this isn't a super accurate analysis, but that's what I got.

I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but keep in mind their are lots of microbe foods that aren't sugars. Or that don't have much potassium. And there all also sources of micronutrients with less K. Plus ways to stimulate uptake of micronutrients that don't rely on microbes at all. So don't feel "stuck" having to compromise with just molasses.

youraveragehorticulturist said:

Just looking around, it seems like all-in-one fertilizers that are high in K (Jack's, Mega Crop, etc) have like 2-5 times more K than N. That's a big range, but maybe that's useful.

I grow in soil, my last batch had like 19 grams of N amendments and 42 grams of K amendments. So about 2.3-1 potassium to nitrogen. I know this isn't a super accurate analysis, but that's what I got.

I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but keep in mind their are lots of microbe foods that aren't sugars. Or that don't have much potassium. And there all also sources of micronutrients with less K. Plus ways to stimulate uptake of micronutrients that don't rely on microbes at all. So don't feel "stuck" having to compromise with just molasses.

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What I'm trying to do is bulk up my buds in the last weeks. In the past I have ended with too much leaf in my buds. I am trying to add all the minerals I can "get away with" while still holding back on nitrogen. Molasses looks like a good solution for me.
When I started looking at molasses I found out the mineral content varies dramatically. Since I am interested in the mineral content I could not care less about sugar. No matter where I turned for information on feeding plants molasses I got the same stupid answer, "Molasses feeds the microbes because it has sugar." It looks like the only people that have a clue about molasses and minerals are those that eat it or feed it to animals.
I am totally blown away at the broad based ignorance about the real reason molasses is good for plants, it is not the sugar. This ignorance is not here only, It is everywhere. Scour the internet and not a single sources able to put it together. They all want to talk about sugar regurgitating what they heard without understanding. I am using ionic nutrients and don't have time to wait for some nitrogen coming from bacteria. I am looking to wean nitrogen so that story aint holding water for me. Rurumo (@ #4 above) put a link for me to look at for potassium applications.
p.s. I understand mother nature made arrangements for plants and LAB to work with each other without added sugar.

MAK1 said:

It looks like the only people that have a clue about molasses and minerals are those that eat it or feed it to animals.

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People and animals are not plants. Maybe that's why.
It seems like you feel like you've discovered something since you can't find anything to verify your thought process. That latter part should be a clue.
Good luck.

I don't give my plants molasses because the desiccating effects of sugar can actually disrupt microbes in the rhizosphere.

Bacteria are important, but they do fine without the molasses.

Creature1969 said:

People and animals are not plants. Maybe that's why.
It seems like you feel like you've discovered something since you can't find anything to verify your thought process. That latter part should be a clue.
Good luck.

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I have discovered nothing at all. All this information about the mineral content in molasses is out there and widely available but mainly in regards to dietary intake. (Dietary intake is when animals eat something not plants). When it is given to plants all that knowledge about minerals goes out the window and its all about feeding microbes sugar.
I'll simplify this. What is the maximum ppm range for potassium to reasonably expect before there is an uptake issue for other nutrients. Nutrient lines pay close attention to amounts of everything. Adding molasses to the mix dramatically raises the mineral count across the periodic table and lowers the pH due to lactic acid. I am a fan of molasses. If I want sugar I'll use sugar.

Creature1969 said:

People and animals are not plants. Maybe that's why.
It seems like you feel like you've discovered something since you can't find anything to verify your thought process. That latter part should be a clue.
Good luck.

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The only legitimate way to prove something is to do everything possible to prove your theories wrong. If you can't debunk yourself you're probably onto something. Just trying to prove yourself correct is more of a confirmation bias issue.

Budzbuddha said:

Here’s a bigger secret …..

You can run a grow without “ molasses or any other simple sugar “.

Click to expand...

I think my fungus gnats like the molasses.

MAK1 said:

What I'm trying to do is bulk up my buds in the last weeks. In the past I have ended with too much leaf in my buds. I am trying to add all the minerals I can "get away with" while still holding back on nitrogen. Molasses looks like a good solution for me.
When I started looking at molasses I found out the mineral content varies dramatically. Since I am interested in the mineral content I could not care less about sugar. No matter where I turned for information on feeding plants molasses I got the same stupid answer, "Molasses feeds the microbes because it has sugar." It looks like the only people that have a clue about molasses and minerals are those that eat it or feed it to animals.
I am totally blown away at the broad based ignorance about the real reason molasses is good for plants, it is not the sugar. This ignorance is not here only, It is everywhere. Scour the internet and not a single sources able to put it together. They all want to talk about sugar regurgitating what they heard without understanding. I am using ionic nutrients and don't have time to wait for some nitrogen coming from bacteria. I am looking to wean nitrogen so that story aint holding water for me. Rurumo (@ #4 above) put a link for me to look at for potassium applications.
p.s. I understand mother nature made arrangements for plants and LAB to work with each other without added sugar.

Click to expand...

I was going with what I was reading a guy was using Molasses all through his grow.

During Bloom he was using 2+ Tablespoons per gallon of water every watering.

I was but chicken out now using Gold Leaf with one Tablespoon of Molasses per gallon of water every third watering.

Oldguyrealy said:

I was going with what I was reading a guy was using Molasses all through his grow.

During Bloom he was using 2+ Tablespoons per gallon of water every watering.

I was but chicken out now using Gold Leaf with one Tablespoon of Molasses per gallon of water every third watering.
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I read the label for potassium content and adjust how much molasses to use per gallon. I have bought the same brand and found the labeled amount of potassium varied from 325 to 600 mg/tbls. I get carried away on potassium and use way more than recommended.
As to the sugar; turning the fire hose on high does not satisfy my thirst better than a glass of water. Bacterial growth in soil is more dependent on moisture and temperature, food is seldom a limiting factor.

So what happened? How did your plants from August turn out?

Did you learn any cool molasses facts? Or a good molasses use protocol?

youraveragehorticulturist said:

So what happened? How did your plants from August turn out?

Did you learn any cool molasses facts? Or a good molasses use protocol?

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Did not end well. I messed up. I shut off my fans while inside the tent and forgot to turn them back on. When I saw them next they were all the flowers tipped over. It was close enough to harvest that I still got a good haul, about 1/2 was lost. I am surprised it is still so strong. I would have doubled the harvest if I could have kept growing for a few more weeks. The biggest issue was somebody went herm and I got seedy weed.
This was my first attempt at a SOG or SCROG, whatever it was. All the plants were tied into place with the net making it impossible to see from where it was at. I was using the same seed strain and different soil blends. I won't do that again. Each 5 gallon pot had different watering issues but the postmortem root exam has Happy Frog mix far ahead of the others. I did not do a very thorough job of developing roots in the beginning.

Molasses fun facts: Sulphured vs. unsulphured molasses. They both work the same but the unsulphured has more minerals because it is from older late season crops. Sulphur dioxide is used on the early season crop to prevent spoilage while it is stored for later processing.
Sugar in molasses feeding bacteria is just bro-science. "If a little works put moron" Drinking from a fire hydrant.
Molasses can be used throughout the grow for mineral content, it is expensive.
A curiosity did arise about using molasses to sweeten flowers. I am a firm believer that we can alter the taste of weed by adding things such as molasses but not sure about the timing. I started adding things early in flower that should have added huge amounts of flavor into my harvest. This is not what happened. It seems like only those flavorings added at the end (like the last 2-3 weeks) had much noticeable added taste or smell in the buds. I use molasses in some, cinnamon on another, lemon zest, etc. What ever I did the last 2 weeks before the cut appears to be the strongest impact, this is only anecdotal info no better than bro-science.