Molasses for cannabis – more than meets the eye.

Molasses for cannabis – Historically, hemp has been cultivated for nearly 500 years BC, and over time growers have adapted techniques and methods to make the crop more successful. In the modern weed world, there are plenty of products to explore when it comes to nutrients or feed for your plants. But what about putting it on the old fashioned way? Hemp molasses has a long history among growers as a sufficient supplement for soil, flower weight, and overall plant health. So is molasses good for marihuana plants, and if so, when should you add molasses to your plants? Let’s answer these questions and more in our detailed guide to molasses for cannabis plants.

Molasses: natural syrup supplement

Molasses is a thick syrupy liquid that is produced as a by-product of sugar refining. In sugar refining, the juice of sugar cane or sugar beet is boiled repeatedly. The sugar is then removed from the mixture, leaving a sticky substance called molasses. The number of times this process is repeated determines the grade or quality of the molasses product. It also determines the exact nutrient and mineral content, which makes it important in the context of using molasses for marihuana.

When feeding molasses to marihuana plants, it is ideal to use an organic product that is free of chemicals, preservatives and additives. Therefore, we will move on to discuss the types of molasses you need to know more about – blackstrap molasses and unsulfurised vs sulfurised molasses.

The choice is important – Types of molasses

There are two distinct differences in the types of molasses that you should be aware of when using it to grow cannabis, as one type can be very beneficial to your cannabis while the other can be quite harmful.

The two types of molasses are sulfured and unsulfured. The titles are often considered confusing as both actually contain sulphur, a nutrient that marihuana plants require. The difference is that sulfured molasses contains sulphur dioxide. Sulphur dioxide acts as a preservative and antimicrobial, meaning that it will kill beneficial micro-organisms in the soil if used. Non-sulphured molasses, however, contains only sulphur, meaning that organic non-sulphured molasses will feed plants without killing the microbes that help promote growth.

When choosing the type of molasses, it is also important to consider the different quality grades. The integrity of the grade is usually known by the colour of the molasses itself. Light molasses is usually pure sugar syrup, while darker molasses, such as blackstrap molasses, has been further refined and is full of beneficial nutrients. Blackstrap molasses is most commonly used in grower circles, offering the highest levels of vitamin B, calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium.

Plant health is important – How molasses can help

The health of the crop depends largely on the composition of the soil, as it is the direct basis for the growth of marihuana plants. The soil is therefore the place where the benefits of molasses for plants are most apparent.

Cannabis plants thrive when healthy and beneficial microorganisms are present in the soil. By adding molasses to the soil, you are essentially feeding these beneficial microbes and helping them to thrive. As a result, the overall structure of the soil and its ability to hold water will improve, while being enriched with additional nutrients from the molasses.

Improving health also helps build strength against harmful conditions or other factors. For example, fertilizing marihuana with molasses helps protect plants from pathogens and salt build-up in the soil. If you didn’t know, salt build-up in the soil causes nutrient uptake problems – a problem you can avoid with molasses.

Timing – When should I add molasses to the plants?

As with many other growing techniques, growers often disagree on when and how to add molasses to marihuana plants – whether during the vegetative state or during flowering. The general consensus is that molasses can be applied to plants throughout their life cycle. However, the amount should be increased during the flowering phase, and even then it has been found to be more beneficial.

Although the risk of over-fertilising with molasses is lower than with other nutrients, it is important to remember to monitor molasses application at all stages of plant growth and check for signs of stress or scorch. It is also advisable to completely stop applications for flushing 2 weeks before harvest. A final benefit of using molasses on weeds is that it is a natural insecticide and repellent for pests common to marihuana such as aphids, silkworms and whiteflies.

Molasses: natural syrup supplement

From the information you have gleaned, you now know that molasses is more than just a syrup of cooking liquid. The benefits of molasses to plants are overwhelming, yet it remains a natural and organic supplement option. It stands to reason that many store-bought nutrients contain this ingredient, as feeding marihuana plants molasses can be very beneficial. Make sure you follow our tips on choosing the right type of molasses and using it correctly in your crops for optimal plant growth and health.

If you decide to grow your own cannabis plants, always buy good quality, fresh cannabis seeds. You can check out seeds from Nukaseeds.