|
|
Post by Alan on Apr 13, 2009 17:25:48 GMT -5
Anybody here make compost tea using simple sugars as an additive. I've been experimenting with it in the greenhouse after reading an article about it concerning feeding the bio-film of the soil and creating a bio-film on the plants to protect from insect predation. Seems to be working wonders. I used my normal formula of sifted compost, worm castings, and lime and also added some molasses just to see the results, they have been impressive so far and I will implement them on a larger scale this growing season outdoors.
|
|
|
|
Post by canadamike on Apr 13, 2009 19:34:42 GMT -5
I do indirectly,Alan, because I spray with Sonic Bloom, the ''open the bottle and the whole room smells of molasses'' organic spray.
I have just ordered humic and fulvic acids and will mix them with kelp concentrate, some giberellic acid , alfalfa tea, a little peroxyde and molasses to make a homemade version of it.
I also just ordered a gas powered spayer, 295$ on e-bay, it is the same than others with brand names but is imported from China, as are others ( and a lot from the same company) and sold generic at close to half price. »It is also equipped with a mister/duster adaptor. I can see some uses with diatomaecious earth when the wet sprayed version is unpractical
So in a couple of weeks I will be doing it directly, as you said.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alan on Apr 19, 2009 10:44:32 GMT -5
I've been using it once a week on the greenhouse tomatoes and the difference is astounding, lush and beautiful growth and now flowering! I'll be trying this in a much larger way on the larger fields this year just to document the effects!
|
|
|
|
Post by hiven on Jun 13, 2009 8:50:56 GMT -5
It is very informative ,Alan and Michel, thanks guys! I have not use any molases in my "rabbit/cavies waste tea" as added sugar yet as I can't find any molasses here, but the rabbit/cavies waste tea (I mean their droppings, soaked in water to make manure tea) has been working well in my garden. I will try to add some sea weed and molasses in the tea while soaking and see if it work even better  . |
|
|
|
Post by grunt on Jun 13, 2009 23:58:56 GMT -5
Hiven: If there are any agricultural supply stores in your area (farm type, not garden center), you might be able to get agricultural molasses fairly cheaply. I bought some locally for under $1 a liter.
|
|
|
|
Post by hiven on Jun 14, 2009 2:24:42 GMT -5
Grunt, I shop at our local agriculture stores (Boerenbond) for most of my gardening need from manure to hoe,bamboo canes and some seeds, but so far I have never see any molases before. I will search again and even ask if need be!
Is molases liquid ?
|
|
|
|
Post by PatrickW on Jun 14, 2009 2:36:44 GMT -5
hiven: The Dutch word for molasses is 'melasse'. You can find it commonly in pancake syrup (stroop), although I don't know if stroop is pure molasses. The supermarkets in Amsterdam sell large inexpensive paper containers of CSM stroop.
I've never heard of agricultural molasses before.
|
|
|
|
Post by hiven on Jun 14, 2009 3:51:39 GMT -5
Me neither Patrick, In fact there are only very limited things to be found here, either due to the EU regulations or due to not being used commonly. I saw small tube of food grade molasses sold in the local supermarket before but to be honest, the ingredients is not solely mollases but also some other added things too... don't know if it will be a good choice for use. I have seen dried seaweed in the chinese supermarket in Eindhovent though . Perhaps I should look for the molasses there too. Is there any expire date for the molasses ? If it is a big container, it will take sometimes to empty it for those manure tea ? Thanks. hiven: The Dutch word for molasses is 'melasse'. You can find it commonly in pancake syrup (stroop), although I don't know if stroop is pure molasses. The supermarkets in Amsterdam sell large inexpensive paper containers of CSM stroop. I've never heard of agricultural molasses before. |
|
|
|
Post by PatrickW on Jun 14, 2009 4:24:07 GMT -5
I say big, but it's not that big really. Maybe 500g. It costs less than a euro, I think.
Molasses is just a kind of sugar, and it will keep a long time, the same as any other sugar. I think sulphur is often added to molasses, mostly to give it color, but this should be pretty harmless for the garden.
Yes, it seems you can find most anything at Chinese supermarkets these days...
|
|
|
|
Post by bunkie on Jun 14, 2009 9:32:20 GMT -5
patrick and hiven, do your animal farmers use molasses in their feed, like in COB (corn oats barley, that comes here as dry or wet... with molasses)? i have read that it's called 'agricultural molasses' and is cheaper than the stuff we buy in the food stores here, like about 8 dollars a gallon. i will be looking for it next time we go to town. perhaps your countries have something similar?
|
|
|
|
Post by PatrickW on Jun 14, 2009 12:38:29 GMT -5
If I do a little googling in Dutch, I come up with the fact it's commonly used in horse food here. I didn't come across any place advertising it for sale by itself however. While I suspect you could get it somewhere, I don't know where.
Here sugar beets are more common, and I think they use those to make some kind of feed for other animals that's different from molasses.
|
|
|
|
Post by hiven on Jun 14, 2009 15:46:33 GMT -5
Most of my neighbors got horses, I will ask them about the molasses...
|
|
|
|
Post by grungy on Jun 14, 2009 23:43:20 GMT -5
Molasses is a by product of sugar refining. If you have sugar beets you probably have molasses production somewhere. If you know a grower ask them where they sell their beets.
|
|
|
|
Post by davidintx on Jun 29, 2009 14:17:21 GMT -5
Hi Alan and others. Do any of you have any extended experience with compost teas conferring protection from grasshoppers? Here in Texas where I am, the hot, dry summers find grasshoppers in huge numbers. About early-mid July they reach their adult size and of course are voracious eaters, tending to eat anything in sight, including my vegetable garden. I have read that if the brix count in the leaves of plants reach 12 or higher that it provides immunity from insect predation, but I kind of wondered whether the grasshoppers know that or not. Does anybody have any experience with compost teas if this has helped with grasshopper infestation? Thanks
|
|
|
|
Post by mnjrutherford on Jun 29, 2009 20:37:46 GMT -5
Interesting post. We've had to focus on different insects each year. This year potato beetles, stink bugs, and jap beetles. Next year we will have to go after the hoppers. Today I noticed a couple of skeletal leaves that were clearly the work of hoppers and I've seen some that were up to 4" in length. Much larger and much earlier than in previous years.
I'm a huge fan of dumping individuals in buckets of soapy water. It's cleaner, more definite, and more mentally satisfying than other methods. On the other hand it is extremely labor intensive.
While I've heard of the term "brix" I really don't understand it's meaning. I'd really like to hear more.
|
|
.
