> Off Topic Discussions
Vegetable Gardening Guru
Ninny:
So cool Roy I second Kat, tell us a lot!! I'm going this next weekend to get started on what I want to plant I'll come back with questions, too! Oh and yes I'm going to do the soapy water thing too!
Kathy
Roy Martin:
Molasses
Sweet syrup that is a carbohydrate used as a soil amendment to feed and stimulate microorganisms. Contains sulfur, potash, and many trace minerals. Approximate analysis is 1-0-5. Molasses provides food for microorganisms and is a source of carbon, sulfur, and potash. It is a good, quick source of energy for the soil life and microbes in a compost pile, and will chase fire ants away. It is a carbon source and feeds beneficial microbes creating greater nature fertility. Liquid molasses is used in sprays and dry molasses is used as an ingredient in organic fertilizers. It contains sulfur, potash, and other trace minerals. Excellent foliar feeding material and can be mixed with other organic liquids. Use at 2-4 quarts/acre for soil application. For foliar application on broadleaf plants use 1 pint per acre. For grasses and grains still use 1 quart per acre. Blackstrap molasses is the best choice because it contains the sulfur and iron of the original material.
Dry molasses isn’t really straight dried molasses. It’s molasses sprayed on a grain residue carrier. It’s an excellent carbon source that stimulates beneficial microorganisms. And, it repels fire ants.
Molasses is the best sugar for horticultural use because of its trace minerals. Blackstrap is hard to find but is the best molasses because of the sulfur and iron, but any kind will work. Molasses is a carbon source and feeds the beneficial microbes creating greater natural plant fertility. Molasses also has a nice side benefit. When used with compost tea and orange oil, it kills fire ants and other insect pests. By itself, molasses repels fire ants effectively.
Ninny:
Who would have known that Molasses would repel FIRE ANTS!! Where do you get the molasses? Is it at the farm store? Can you get it in any garden center? wow!
Bummer I didn't get to go out and get stuff to plant this weekend! I've been so busy! definitely planning it by next weekend!
Kathy :D
Roy Martin:
I get it at the nursery & garden center. Feed stores might have it, but I think you'll find it at any garden center. It has ran all the fire ants from my yard. I apply it everywhere and it works. It takes a couple of weeks to see the fire ants start thinning out. Its a competition thing. Fire ants hate it.
Roy
7
Ninny:
Roy, I am baffled by this, sorry! It is funny I have been a country girl all my life how did I miss such a simple thing as this ??? I can't wait to get started getting rid of the fire ants AND Terminix who sprays my yard every 3 months I hate having those chemicals all over my yard! So do you dilute it in a sprayer? How do you apply it? I mean on the ant beds or around them? Does it keep the bees away? I have some clover in and around my yard and I don't want to do anything to discourage the bees especially the honey bees. I don't like wasps but I don't mind other bees as long as they mind their manners! :D
Kathy :)
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version