Alternatives To Molasses???

I asked this question on another thread where they were talking about molasses but didn't get an answer so I thought I'd try here.

What are some alternatives to molasses?

I am unable to get molasses where I live so I need some alternatives. I don't live anywhere near the western world, the complete opposite to it.

I got a couple of answers to my question before, and they all said go to Home Depot or Lowes or somewhere like those places which are just not available to me.

lol, got shablamashack they have everything you need

nah, got any brown sugar handy? I use that from time to time, basically what brown sugar is. molasses

Use about 1\4 a cup of it and mix it into your rez tank or whatever you use to water with.
-Mister Nice GUY

Are you able to get a hold of any relatively unrefined sugar? Palm sugar, maybe? Basically what you're doing with it is feeding soil microbes moreso than the plant itself, so just about anything that helps feed them is what you're after.

Brown sugar I can get.

Thanks for that guys.

One more question then, would it be better to caramlize the brown sugar in a pot first and let it cool, then add it to the water?

um, i don't think so.
Just mix it well with the water before giving it to your plants.

No, that's another process. Dissolve it in water. Use DARK brown sugar. And I'd go lighter with it because it is more refined.

ive heard apple juice can work like molasses

Yes, but nutrient-wise, is it the same? I don't care for apple juice (to drink, too sweet for my taste) but I love to eat molasses. (I steal a little from my girls when I mix up their tea.)

i dont think as far as nutrients it is the same but i dont think molasses does much for nutrients either does it? im just a noob whos read alot lol but i think its more for the sugar aspect to help the buds produce... and i cant believe you like to eat molasses u crazy women lols!

ANYTHING with alot of simple carbohydrates and base sugars works just fine.Mollases has other things like proteins,amino acids,iron,etc..that also benefits the plant itself.However,what you want to do is feed the medium's teeming micro-organisms,which make them go in a feeding frenzy and start breaking down the soil,which allows the roots to absorb nutrients more easily...apple juice,brown sugar(the darker the better)honey water,mollases,karo honey are all good soures of carbs and sugar molecules..

Molasses has calcium in it.

Liquid molasses, dry molasses powder, brown sugar, corn syrup - source of fast consuming sugars for feeding and breeding the aerobic bacteria in compost teas. Most microherd populations love the high carbon content in sugar products. Sugars are best dissolved and broken down by microbes in compost tea that has brewed at least 1-3 days, before applying to the soil. If too much sugar is added on soil straight as a topdressing, it may cause a temporary nitrogen deficiency in the soil as the microherd populations grow too fast. Molasses also contains sulfur which acts as a mild natural fungicide also. Molasses is also a great natural deodorizer for fishy teas. NOTE: Recent studies have shown that unsulfured molasses or dry molasses powder is best for faster aerobic microbial growth in tea brewing. For a more fungal tea don't add too much simple sugar or molasses to your aerobic teas. Use more complex sugars, starches and carbohydrates like in seaweed, rotten fruit, soy sauce, or other fungal foods.

Soy sauce, eh? I can't stand the stuff myself, but that's interesting.

Yeah, soy's a bit salty for my growing tastes.

Carboload.

I posted on the other thread as well, and got no answers. I was curious about using liquid or dry malt extracts in place of molasses... they are basically the same thing as molasses, but malt extracts come from barley, where molasses comes from sugar cane or beets. Malt extracts are the sugar that you add to beer. The yeast feeds off of these syrups and the by-product is alcohol. In theory, this would act the same as yeast, but im not sure if malt extracts contain proteins, amino acids, and other things that would benefit the plant.

One more question. How often should I water my plants with the brown sugar water mix?

i do it once a week during flowering

Thanks for all your help.

dnkronic said:

I posted on the other thread as well, and got no answers. I was curious about using liquid or dry malt extracts in place of molasses... they are basically the same thing as molasses, but malt extracts come from barley, where molasses comes from sugar cane or beets. Malt extracts are the sugar that you add to beer. The yeast feeds off of these syrups and the by-product is alcohol. In theory, this would act the same as yeast, but im not sure if malt extracts contain proteins, amino acids, and other things that would benefit the plant.

Click to expand...

We just cooked up the wort Sunday. Wanna guess who was lickin' the spoon? That shit is THICK and stickeh! I've kept the pelletized hops to add to my compost after making a mild tea.

A Google should give you an idea of what's present in malt extracts, but aren't they a bit more expensive than molasses or apple juice?