Molasses: Nature's Nectar for the Organic Gardener

 Turns out that molasses is more useful than just making gingerbread cookies around the holidays. Instead of baking cookies, give your garden's soil the boost that it deserves. By feeding your crops with molasses, you will increase soil productivity and ultimately increase vegetable/fruit yields!

 Why Use Molasses?

·         Soil Productivity: Molasses adds a large amount of carbohydrates (sugars) into the soil. These sugars are rapidly used by beneficial soil microbes. This boost in energy allows for larger microbe populations and increased efficiency in the breaking down of nutrients.

·         Chelating Properties: Molasses is known to have chelating properties in soil. This basically means that molasses takes a nutrient and changes it so that it is in a more usable form. More available nutrients are being taken up by your crops.

·         Higher Yields: With a boost in microbe activity and available nutrients your plants are able to achieve higher yields. Micronutrients and potash found in molasses also attribute to larger yields.

·         Sweetener: Many gardeners will also use molasses as a sweetener to enhance the flavor of certain crops.

What Kind to Use?

Any unsulphured blackstrap molasses will do the job. An arrangement of brands can be found at any local supermarket or natural market. I would recommend a natural or organic molasses, but the choice is yours.

How to Use:

Dissolve 2Tbs of molasses in 1 gallon water. Water your plants as you normally would. Molasses can be used every with every watering, but I find it necessary to use it only every other watering. Simple as that!