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Old 05-04-2003, 12:10 PM
Brian Clifton
 
Posts: n/a
Default Medina, soil activator (Molasses?)

I'm used Medina, but what is the dry molasses used for???
I'm unfamilar with this and how it can be used...

Thanks, Brian

"J Kolenovsky" wrote in message
...
I found a gallon of Medina for $9.99 and 50# of dry molasses for $14.99.
Next time I get 10% off because I'll have opened an account there by
then.

animaux wrote:

On Fri, 27 Dec 2002 23:25:49 -0600, J Kolenovsky

wrote:

It must be. I used 2 gallons on 2500 sg feet today and went home and
read about it. I think I would like to try the blend with humate next.
The soil activator is supposed to be at work in 2 weeks. I think I'll go
back to the feed store and buy some agricultural molasses.


The molasses may be a lot cheaper at Lowe's, as well as the Medina.


--
J Kolenovsky, A+, Network +, MCP
τΏτ - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/reference.html


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Old 05-04-2003, 12:10 PM
J Kolenovsky
 
Posts: n/a
Default Medina, soil activator (Molasses?)

Where can you get Cheap Natural Fertilizers and Soil Amendments?

One of our composting experts and friends on this site, David Hall
(DcHall_San_Antonio), recently gave a great
list of some of the major benefits from soil high in organic matter: =


************************************************** ********** =


"Chemical fertilizers rely on an assumption that plants only need three
elements to survive and thrive. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are
those three. This is the equivalent of saying that we need protein, fat,
and sugar to live. While this may be mostly true, pure protein, pure
fat, and pure sugar do nothing to supply the vitamins,minerals, and
diverse supply of bacteria and fungi in our diets. =


Here is a list of a dozen things that you can do with organically fed
soil that cannot be achieved with conventional chemical feeding. =


1. Decompose plant residues and manure to humus. =


2. Retain nutrients in the form of stable humus. =


3. Combine nitrogen and carbon to prevent nutrient loss. =


4. Suppress fungus and bacterial diseases. =


5. Produce plant growth regulators. =


6. Develop soil structure, tilth, and water penetration/retention. =


7. Clean up chemical residues. =


8. Shift soil pH to neutral and keep it there. =


9. Search out and retrieve nutrients in distant parts of the soil. =


10. Decompose thatch and keep it from returning. =


11. Control nitrogen supply to the plants according to need. =


12. Pull minerals out of inorganic soil components for plants. =


Soil microbes need sugar and protein to thrive. When you apply synthetic
ferts, none of the things on this list gets done. The microbes normally
get sugar from plant roots. Protein in nature comes from dead insects,
plants, and animals. The organic gardener applies protein artificially
in the form or organic fertilizers. It is usually in the form ofa ground
up meal made from plants and animals to try to replicate the natural
process." =


************************************************** ***** =


With that being said, many times it is difficult to find good organic or
natural fertilizers and soil amendments from garden stores because most
of the garden people that we meet are non-organic users. Therefore as an
organic gardener, we have to be creative in order to find our supplies. =


This is a simple list of sources for uses in foliar teas, composting and
green manure techniques, and other soil amendments: =


1. Deer plot mixes - 50 lb bag is a great source of economical cool
season cover crop seeds. Most contain a
mixture of legumes and grasses like crimson clover or hairy vetch or
winter peas, oats, winter wheat, and rye. =


2. Catfish or pond fish feed - Excellent source of alfalfa meal and fish
meal for topdressing or compost teas. =


3. Cat or Dog foods - Good source of corn gluten meal for weed seed
suppression control in lawns or gardens. =


4. Seaweed - If you can't collect it free from the beach, you can buy
economical packs of fresh seaweed from
oriential markets for compost teas. Take all your remains from your teas
and recycle them into your compost
piles. If you liquify the seaweed in a juice, you can use the whole
product as a foliar feed or soil drench. Even though most fertilizer
companies rate seaweed with a NPK of 0-0-1, it contains at least 1%
total N and over 3%total P. Seaweed may contain as much as 60 trace
elements. Seaweed and other algae plants are some of thegreatest soil
amendments on earth, or should I say in the ocean. Seaweed also contains
beneficial growthhormones and benefical fungal food sources for soil
microbes. =


5. Fish emulsion - Commercial brands contain no fish oil and little or
no aerobic bacteria. Homemade versions
supply extra beneficial oils for beneficial fungi and fish bones for
extra calcium. Free fresh fish parts are the best if available. However,
cheap canned fish products will do fine. Experiment with canned
mackerel, sardines, herring, etc. If the fishy smell is a big issue,
just mix your fish products with a lot of high carbon sources like
sawdust, leaves, or straw in a 5 gallon closed bucket. Let this mix
decompose for at least a week or more before adding to the hot compost
pile or to your compost tea recipes. The extra carbons will help absorb
the offensive odors as well as keep most of the organic nitrogen in your
compost pile or your compost teas. Also the aerobic bacteria kill break
down any bad pathogens that may exist in decaying fish meat. Read the
other FAQ's on aerated teas and homemade fish/seaweed emulsions also. =


6. Fava beans, soybeans, and other legume cover crops - Mostly all
bagged dry beans and peas in grocery
stores will sprout and make great warm season green manures. Fava beans
and soybeans can found in oriential
markets or health food markets. =


7. Horse and cattle feeds - These contain a great supply of alfalfa meal
and corn meal and other proteins for
soil amendments or compost teas. The whole corn or oat seeds in the
bags, may sprout and give you an extra
green manure benefit. The extra molasses ingredient from the feeds draws
and breeds lots of beneficial soil
organisms. Molasses also contains sulfur which acts as a mild natural
fungicide also. =


8. Corn meal - very cheap source for a nitrogen activator for heating up
the compost pile or as a topdressing.
Great natural fungicide also. =


9. Molasses, 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. =


10. Alfalfa meal - best source is 50 lb bags of rabbit food or alfalfa
hay bales. There are also 100% alfalfa pet litter or beddings if
available. Alfalfa products are best used in teas, mulches, or as
topdressings. =


11. Blood and Bone meal - this classic combo can be found almost
everywhere these days. However blood meal
is very expensive. Bone meal can be even cheaper if purchased in 20 lb
bags from feed stores. Since blood meal
is totally soluble, it can be added to compost tea recipes.. With a NPK
around 11-0-0, it has the highest total nitrogen ratio of all natural
fertilizers, and may burn plants if used improperly. Steamed bone meal
has a recorded NPK around 0-11-0. Usually steamed bone meal has a total
N from 1-6%, 11% soluble P but 20% total
P, and 24% calcium. Raw bone meal has more total N but none of the P is
water soluble. =


12. Urine - yes, human urine is an excellent source of organic nitrogen
for compost teas or as a free nitrogen
activator for composting (45% N). (NOTE: Unlike human manure, any
pathogens, diseases, or other mild toxins in
human urine are quickly killed and digested within 24 hours after they
escape the human body. Therefore human
urine is very safe for all types of composting methods.) =


13. Animal Manures - High in N and great sources of P and K and soil
microbes. Use only vegetarian animal
manures, like cattle or horses! DO NOT EVER USE DOG OR CAT POOP! It is
extremely dangerous to humans.
There are special composting procedures that must be performed to use
toxic, heavy metal manures like pet poop
and human manures. So don't do it! Always compost animal manures first
or use aged animal manures before
applying to the soil or as an ingredient in foliar teas. =


14. Grass Clippings and Green Weeds - Excellent sources or organic N for
special foliar teas or use as an
organic mulch/top dressing. Some gardeners even hot compost strange
weeds and herbs like kudzu, bull thistle,
dandelions, comfrey, stinging nettle, thorns, ivy, etc. =


The above soil amendment products can also be buried straight in the
garden soil for trench composting. You can also bury these materials in
planting holes under the roots of heavy feeder transplants like tomatoes
for extra NPK for plant growth. =


All natural soil amendments as well as homemade compost, do more than
just fertilize the soil and growing plants. Most natural soil amendments
have a total NPK rating sum total less than 20 (i.e. fish emulsion NPK =3D=

5-1-1,compost NPK less than 4-4-4). Don't be fooled by the numbers. Most
P and K ratings only record the soluble available portions in the
products. The N portion recorded could be either the soluble, insoluble,
or total N portions as based on the company. The insoluble non-reported
portion of OM is continuously consumed and broken down with the existing
OM in the garden soil, thus raising the available soluble nutrients for
further season crops. =


Happy Gardening! =

=

J. Kolenovsky

http://www.celestialhabitats.com

http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden


Brian Clifton wrote:
=


I'm used Medina, but what is the dry molasses used for???
I'm unfamilar with this and how it can be used...
=


Thanks, Brian
=


"J Kolenovsky" wrote in message
...
I found a gallon of Medina for $9.99 and 50# of dry molasses for $14.99=

=2E
Next time I get 10% off because I'll have opened an account there by
then.
=


animaux wrote:

On Fri, 27 Dec 2002 23:25:49 -0600, J Kolenovsky

wrote:

It must be. I used 2 gallons on 2500 sg feet today and went home and=


read about it. I think I would like to try the blend with humate nex=

t.
The soil activator is supposed to be at work in 2 weeks. I think I'l=

l go
back to the feed store and buy some agricultural molasses.


The molasses may be a lot cheaper at Lowe's, as well as the Medina.

=


--
J Kolenovsky, A+, Network +, MCP
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/reference.html


-- =

J Kolenovsky, A+, Network +, MCP
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/reference.html
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