I was told that I could feed my plant sugar water to thicken my buds up if they are light and feathery. Is this true? And if so, how much water to suar ratio? Thanks
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I was told that I could feed my plant sugar water to thicken my buds up if they are light and feathery. Is this true? And if so, how much water to suar ratio? Thanks
Sugar is a good carbon source to fatten buds; I use molasses at a dilution rate of 1-2 tablespoons per gallon.
If your buds are wispy and thin, though, you should look to other possible causes as well- the most common are heat stress and light leaks.
Sugar is useful but like other sources of carbon, if your grow environment is poor, its value is negligible.
A carb synthesizer such as Sweet has the catalysts to improve sugar usage by your plants.
Sugar is OK, but what you need is molasses! Sugar will feed the beneficial fungi and bacteria in your soil, which in turn help your plants absorb their nutrients. Molasses goes one step further- it provides minerals, too. You will want the darker kind of molasses, not the light. Darker means more good stuff in it. I use one tablespoon per gallon of water, deep into flowering I sometimes use 2. If your plant is a sativa (tall, with skinny leaves), it may not help- some of them just have fluffy buds. Try running a search on molasses here and you will start using it! (Normally, I'd post a link for you, but Granny's sick today- one of my darlings at school gave me a nasty cold and you're big enough run a search without my help.)- Granny:hippy:
LOL....I love granny (cracks me up) :)
Thankyou so much, I've been learning alot since I joined this site, the plant I have though isn't in a growroom, I'm growing in good soil outside in southern Texas, I've posted all the details of this plant in the thread titled "Lost & Found" It's the one I found growing in my backyard already budding...more than likely from a bag of mids or beasts...it is doing reat since I took it under my care, but the buds aren't getting very big...lots of trichomes and white and orange pistils...just not very large.Quote:
Originally Posted by stinkyattic
How often do I use the molasses and water? Every time I water? I give her 200 mililiters of distilled water every morning and 50 mililiters at night since the texas weather dries it up so damn quick.
:greenthumb:Thanks Granny! I have a bottle of Grandmas molasses in the fridge,...the dark stuff. I will start using this today. But my question still is How often I want to use it and for how long? And also yes it is a sativa, but these buds are still pretty light even for a sativa I believe. I can't thank you all enough for the advice:greenthumb:Quote:
Originally Posted by Storm Crow
Oh and what is this rep points I hear about and how do I give them to someone for good advice?
Molasses is a nice thing because in soil, it's not an exact science at all!
I'd start adding it when you see bud set. Then you can pretty much give it whenever you feel like it. I give my indoor plants molasses about every third watering, along with either Sweet or TopMAx for best effect.
If you see a post you like, click on the little scale thing next to the post number up in the right corner, and then you can leave the poster rep and a comment.
Well see I thought that's what it was cuz I see that silver scale on my posts next to "permalink" in the top right corner, but ONLY on my posts??? They are not on anyone elses for me to leave rep or comments. Do I need to be a member for a certain period of time before I can rep someone? Or do I need to have a certain amount of posts?Quote:
Originally Posted by stinkyattic
Oh and also What is "Sweet" and where can it be found?
awsum man keep us posted on the grow :thumbsup:
and I believe you have to have 50 posts to be able to rep people
Sweet is a carb synthesizing supplement and you can get it at a grow shop, or look up 'Botanicare' to mail-order it. Bonus, it's a good value for the $$$
Quote:
Originally Posted by stinkyattic
Thanks alot stinkyattic, you've been a great deal of help to me as I see you have to countless others. Thankyou for sharing so much of your knowledge with others that are still learning.:thumbsup:
I.love.my.carbo.load,along.side.voodoo.juice.my.pl ants.are.so.happy.
Wow, That stuff is expensive, will a quart of sweet go a long way for one plant because I'm not the richest man ya know? Even if not, I will still get it if it will make that much of a difference. A gallon online is 54.95 and a quart is 20 smackers! I'm gonna check out the nursery down the road from me, but I've started my girl on the molasses plus the nutes I've been using for her...now I just gotta get rid of the pest problem.
Spend your money on fighting pests! A stressed plant is going to give you headaches that no amount of sugar, either fed to the plants or fermented into beer and then fed to yourself, will cure, lol!
Haha, yea the pest problem isn't too bad yet, but I'm gonna nip it in the bud before it gets there. Got paid early today so I am on my way to the grow store for Jump Start, Sweet, and something for pests.Quote:
Originally Posted by stinkyattic
what about sucanat???
What is sucanat? And why do I want it?Quote:
Originally Posted by iblodro4220
its like a natrual sugar my friends used it on thier outdoor gro im not saying use it i was asking about it
Look.what.I.found.for.you(I.learnt.a.few.things.to o).
http://boards.cannabis.com/organic-g...ml#post1423535
Hope.it's.not.to.late.
Thanks Chrissy, it took me 15 minutes to read all of that, but very well worth it. I appreciate you sendin it my way. ;) My girl has actually shown no signs of stress at all, no wilting or yellowing or anything, I guess I was all worried over nothing since her little tumble and root damage. I think it helped that it was raining and the soil is very aerated and light.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chronic Chrissy
molasses is cheap and it works
Spray sugar water on my buds - Page 6 - Marijuana GrowingQuote:
Originally Posted by Storm Crow
In that thread I give reasons why. Just my two cents. :-)
~jessie
Sugar is not the best foliar spray, but if you want bugs...it attracts them nicely. If you want sticky plants, walls and equipment, sugar is the ticket.
Are you sure your sugar water is doing anything other than clogging the leaf's stomata? I'm not. The sugars must be broken-down into a usable form for it to benefit a plant. Otherwise it's not something the plant uses, it's something it deals with.
If sugar water was so good, compainies like Advanced Nutrients would have most of their products derived from it. But that's not the case, as most of their products are derived from some form of molasses. Mostly sugar beet or cane sugar, but there are other totally bullshit concoctions that are simply watered-down molasses with a hefty pricetag.
CalMag Plus, is a great example of this. It's not a bullshit concoction, but it is watered-down molasses. It's an ok product, per-se...but the 3 main benefits from molasses is the calcium, the magnesium, and the iron. Plus, there's carbs for bulking and a plethora of micronutes, but at fairly insignificant levels. Sugar water has...processed sugar and water.
Believe it or not...even though this thread is three years old...the information is still valid. I'd ditch the sugar water for something that works.
Okay, so a little biochemistry lesson: Plants do not uptake complex sugars. Even sucrose (contained in white granulated table sugar) is not something a plant will have an easy time processing. To put my point in layman's terms, "you've got to boil your sugar for 5 minutes to break down the sucrose into glucose, the simplest form of carbohydrate if you want your plant to be able to assimilate it". I am not saying molasses will not help "your nugs bulk up". The truth is actually quite the opposite. However, the prime function of molasses is to stimulate the propagation of beneficial microbials in the soil. Molasses will notably increase plant nutrient uptake, but if you want to benefit from a carbohydrate growth boost, boil your sugars in clean filtered water for 5 minutes. I use brown sugar because of the molasses contained in brown sugar, but that's largely because I don't use molasses. I use sugar solutions during weeks 4-8 on a 10 week cycle. Anywhere from 1.5 and 3 Tbsp/gallon is what I've noticed people using, but I use 1.5 Tbsp/Gallon. *NOTE Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT water your plants with boiling water. Not to say you would, just sayin'.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty Trichome
Hmmm,
Looks like it's time for a chemistry lesson.
Boiling Sucrose will not convert it to Glucose.
However, if you add a small amount of citric acid it will.
Heating starch to ~160F. will convert it to glucose.
Boiling starch will cook it.
Plants produce sugars, but they do not uptake them.
That's why they need light.
And glucose in soil feeds mostly yeasts.
Just sayin. :)
Aloha,
Weeze
Molasses is a great additive to any soil based grow. I have used Blackstrap for many years in my outdoor grows. Molasses feeds the soil and the plant. Win, Win.
Okay, so a little biochemistry lesson: Plants do not uptake complex sugars. Even sucrose (contained in white granulated table sugar) is not something a plant will have an easy time processing. To put my point in layman's terms, "you've got to boil your sugar for 5 minutes to break down the sucrose into glucose, the simplest form of carbohydrate if you want your plant to be able to assimilate it". I am not saying molasses will not help "your nugs bulk up". The truth is actually quite the opposite. However, the prime function of molasses is to stimulate the propagation of beneficial microbials in the soil. Molasses will notably increase plant nutrient uptake, but if you want to benefit from a carbohydrate growth boost, boil your sugars in clean filtered water for 5 minutes. I use brown sugar because of the molasses contained in brown sugar, but that's largely because I don't use molasses. I use sugar solutions during weeks 4-8 on a 10 week cycle. Anywhere from 1.5 and 3 Tbsp/Gallon is what I've noticed people using, but I use 1.5 Tbsp/Gallon. Also, I will boil 12 tablespoons of sugar in 4 cups of water to making a sugar water "concentrate". This allows me to mix that sugar water concentrate with cold water to make the watering solution a temperature cool enough to be able to water my plants immediately. You will have to do a bit of arithmetic, but it beats the crap out of waiting for 6 gallons of water to reach room temperature!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty Trichome
Thanks for the info, I'm not sure how I thought boiling sugar would break the chemical bonds of the sucrose. I know hydrochloric acid will also break those bonds, I did not know about the citric acid.Quote:
Originally Posted by Weezard
Anywho, maybe it's the molasses in the brown sugar and the sugars contained in the solution that is nourishing microbials in the soil, thus increasing plant nutrient uptake. But there are some observations that I have made that tell me that a plant WILL uptake sugars to some degree. Firstly, you put freshly cut flowers in sugar water the buds will last about three times as long before wilting than if you just put them in plain old water. That right there tells me sugars get pulled up into the plant when the plant drinks, and furthermore, those sugars consumed by the plant have a quantifiable effect. The other observation that I have made is about 3-4 days after beginning sugar feeding the plant's flowers weigh more. Also if I don't use the sugar the flowers will be less dense. Can someone explain to me more about what sugars do to a plant? The boiled brown sugar that I'm using is DEFINITELY making my little girlies much more voluptuous.
Molasses has been boiled it's what's left after the sugar crystals are removed. I hear maple syrup works great but way to spendy.
"The boiled brown sugar that I'm using is DEFINITELY making my little girlies much more voluptuous."
You may wish to reconsider the "definitely" part. :)
Apparently would be more accurate, yah?
That is, unless you did an actual side by side test.
(6 girls get boiled brown sugar water, 6 girls just get the same amount of boiled water, no BS added, fer instance.)
"Firstly, you put freshly cut flowers in sugar water the buds will last about three times as long before wilting than if you just put them in plain old water. That right there tells me sugars get pulled up into the plant when the plant drinks, and furthermore, those sugars consumed by the plant have a quantifiable effect."
The key word there, is cut.
A cut stem will uptake just about any reasonable sized molecule through capillary action.
That is a function of atmospheric pressure.
Roots are more selective.
So, while I do not question your observation, I do suggest that you re-examine your conclusion.
Adding sugars changes the osmotic balance and does indeed make cut flowers last longer.
Tested it myself.
I just divided the bouquets in two and only sugared one of them for the first few times.
Mine only lasted twice as long, but the difference was obvious, and consistent, so now I do it every time.
For example:
"The other observation that I have made is about 3-4 days after beginning sugar feeding the plant's flowers weigh more."
Again, "weigh more" is a subjective judgement without an objective, side by side, test.
It may be caused by nothing more than an increase in your growing skills, a warmer season, higher humidity.
But, more likely, timing,
There are just way too many variables for a definite conclusion.
Here's something to ponder on.
"I have made is about 3-4 days after beginning sugar feeding the plant's flowers weigh more"
Around the seventh week, right near the end of a growers patience, Cannabis does a "bud swell", whether or not you do anything special.
Huckster play on that, and sell all manner of super duper, magic bud elixirs.
The impatient growers adds these just before his girls pop their buds.
When normal swelling takes place right around that time, guess what gets the credit?
He tell his buddies, they offer it as solid advice to newbies. "I saw it with my own eyes dudes!"
The hucksters get richer.
I too, got that "advice" from forums but, as you may have noticed, I like to test these things.
The great majority of the crap at the hydro stores is a waste of resources.
Saved me a small fortune over the last 45 years of growing.
Science is your friend.
Now bracing myself for a flaming from those that would rather believe something, than actually know something. :D
Aloha,
Weeze
I will add that Molasses is a beneficial additive because it contains trace elements, most notably, sulphur.
Carry on.
Weeze