Molasses/treacle for watering toms

[Snoop Puss]

I've just got the James Wong Grow for Food book. One of the things he repeatedly mentions is watering tomato plants with dilute molasses. The idea is it feeds the microwhatsits in the ground and that this is beneficial for the tomato plants.

Has anyone done this? Any results to report?

[ESBkevin]

No. It's an American thing I think. They also add it to compost for the same reasons. Others use cola and lager watered down for similar effect. The whole concept seems sound if unconventional by our standards. I have fed my compost that way to accelerate decompose to good effect.

[Muddy_Boots]

I believe farmers add molasses to cut grass to produce silage or at least I reckon that's what my brother told me when he was dairy farming in this country. That was whilst I was helping him kick the top stuff down where the cows had eaten into the pile, the animals are so stupid they will just eat into it until the whole top collapses on top of them and they suffocate and die.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks guys.

By the way, I've just realised I've got the wrong book title, it's James Wong's Grow for Flavour, published by the RHS.

[Mrs Bee]

I got James Wong's book last year.
I got the molasses and did the aspirin and molasses thing and the salted water.
To be honest I didn't keep it up as things overtook us. A granddaughter. So I was a bit lax with what I was doing with the tomato plants but I did have some tomatoes which I did as usual and some which I watered with the molasses. I was not convinced of any difference.

I did get some of the seeds for salad leaves that he said had a flavour of salty roast beef and they were foul. I grew some lemon eucalyptus and I wasn't fussed with those either.

And the beans that I got none of them produced beans.

James Wong's book is in the pile for the charity shop.

[Bal]

I grew asparagus peas after reading about them in James Wongs book. I was certainly not impressed wit them. I also ordered some hyacinth beans last year at the same time. Have planted them this year. Am not expecting great things but will wait and see. I am quite disappointed with his recommendations so far. Probably won't bother with any others.

[Mrs Bee]

It was the hyacinth beans I planted last year, I got them started and they grew, and they grew, but beans there were none.

[Mr Bones]

I use molasses when making compost tea. Seems to work well enough like that when used as a general soil feed. If you're adding it by itself I'd guess the beneficial microbes need to be already in the soil for it to work well. For anyone thinking about giving it a go, the molasses need to be unsulphured or it can kill more bugs than it feeds.

[Snoop Puss]

James Wong's book is in the pile for the charity shop.

I did wonder about that. I read rave reviews elsewhere some time back and saw it on special offer on Amazon (should have wondered why!), so I bought it.

I was a bit surprised by how repetitive it is. Plus if your experience and Bal's are anything to go by, his recommendations aren't even to be trusted really. For reading with more than a pinch of salt, it seems.

I can save the treacle for some other use then!

[Snoop Puss]

I use molasses when making compost tea. Seems to work well enough like that when used as a general soil feed. If you're adding it by itself I'd guess the beneficial microbes need to be already in the soil for it to work well. For anyone thinking about giving it a go, the molasses need to be unsulphured or it can kill more bugs than it feeds.

Thanks, that's good advice.

[Mrs Bee]

I did wonder about that. I read rave reviews elsewhere some time back and saw it on special offer on Amazon (should have wondered why!), so I bought it.

I was a bit surprised by how repetitive it is. Plus if your experience and Bal's are anything to go by, his recommendations aren't even to be trusted really. For reading with more than a pinch of salt, it seems.

I can save the treacle for some other use then!

unfortunately I can't as I bought a large gallon container from the farm supplies shop which is for giving to horses. Fortunately it wasn't expensive so I will probably feed it to the tomatoes this year until it is all used up.