I think it was a thread on this forum that included a discussion about using molasses on vegetable gardens, but I can't find it! If anyone can direct me, I'd appreciate it. (I tried the search function, but I still couldn't find it.) Thanks.
Molasses?
I know you can use it to control ants in your yard, garden, and compost pile. It's also a good fertilizer.
I've been looking for the info on molasses, too, and don't know where to look. Didn't need it when it was written a short time ago but now I do. Isn't that the way it always is - you keep something until it's almost time to use it and then throw it away either purposely or by accident.
Ann
Go to the Dirt Doctor's website and you'll find it there. I'm not at my home computer and this one is too slow to load another window, but just do a Google search for The Dirt Doctor or Howard Garrett and you'll get there.
Hi Hoosier, I think this is the thread you thinking of. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/916675/ It's long but toward the end a discussion about molasses came up.
cocoa, thanks for the link. I knew I had just seen the molasses bit but for the life of me couldn't find it. Got my molasses today over at Lowes. BYW, I've got my eye out over there because everything was so dry and underwatered and I figured that they would be having some good sales pretty quick. I got the plants I wanted and earmarked the ones I plan to get. Oddly enough one of the "big-wigs" or someone was over there and on the phone complaining that the beautiful plants weren't being tended as they should be to one of his buddies in the hort. area and telling him that they would be losing a lot of the merchandise because of it if they weren't careful.
Ann
Ann...Did you get the dry molasses or is it a liquid? Did you go to the Lowe's on I-10 and Fry Road?
cocoa_lulu: Thanks for the link! That was it. I found cattle-grade molasses at a feed store, but it still had a preservative in it, so I asked on that thread if it was any good. I'm looking forward to trying both molasses and alfalfa pellets this year on my veggies.
shuggins, Yes I did go to that Lowe's and I got the liquid. I have already done the alfalfa and the Epsom Salts bit in all the beds (and there are a lot of them) so the molasses will have to wait until I can get a strong arm and body to get to the molasses mix.
Ann
Ann: Did you explain on another thread just what you did with the alfalfa and Epsom salts? I've got a large bag of alfalfa pellets that I planned to mix in my planting rows, then apply diluted molasses. Did you use alfalfa pellets or alfalfa hay?
I used the pellets. Our 2 sons came for the morning and I led them around and said things like "Lots of alfalfa here" and/or "Lets get some Salts on this". It's hard being the foreman but those "kids" (one's 43 and the other is 50) are the greatest! Now if I can talk Jim into mixing the molasses and warm water and doling it out I'll have it made. The boys I had just broadcast the other stuff right at the root systems. The most work I have is walking all around this yard - it's kind of big and I can't walk very well - and turning on the automatic sprinkler system besides being the "brains" of the outfit. Lotta fun!!
Ann
If you're a purist organic person, then Epsom salts is a no-no. That's what's in Miracle Gro. The alfalfa and molasses will do just about the same thing without harming the soil.
HoosierGreen -
The preservative normally used in feed grade molasses is propionic acid but double check to make sure. Sometimes they add feed grade polyethylene glycol to aid in flowability. I used to work with molasses based feeds here.
There was some work being done in CA about reclaiming "brown fields", using molasses to feed beneficial nematodes to clean up waste in the ground. Don't remember reading anything about the outcome of the project. There was also a guy in the midwest (maybe Michigan?) who did some publishing about feeding beneficials for vegetable root crops - I think potatoes and/or carrots.