Meadowlark
Gardner, Angler, Adjunct Professor, and Rancher
What about the soil life? I supposed there is not really an easy way to test that from the average person.
If you know of a way other than visual, I'm certainly willing to try it.
What about the soil life? I supposed there is not really an easy way to test that from the average person.
I wish you luck in your examinations.I'm happy to add Epsom salts and tomato tone to the drench...or whatever else but that wasn't part of the original claim...rebar pushed 5 ft deep with one hand through clay soil... Early results say it's not going to happen, but several weeks yet to go.
"Is that the US billion ten to the ninth or the English billion ten to the twelfth?"Especially when there are 50 BILLION in an average tablespoon of soil.
Don't know. I only report the news, not make it. It is what google said but it didn't say who, what or how to count 50 billion."Is that the US billion ten to the ninth or the English billion ten to the twelfth?"
"Not sure, I'll just check. One, two, three ..."
Maybe you should have a control patch as well. One with just sugar, one with sugar, epsom salt and fertiliser, one with nothing. At least on a three horse race I could start a book, give odds for penetration increasing 0%, 10%, 50%, 100% or five foot.
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2 ft deep penetration with both hands in garden soil is far different than 5 ft through clay soil with one hand.Well, all I can say is that I can push a piece of rebar 2 feet into the ground with both hands and a hernia but then I hit solid rock.
One thing I know about molasses applications to the soil is that it does soften and make the soil more friable, but 5 feet with one hand? I'll believe it when I see it. And in clay? I await with bated breath.2 ft deep penetration with both hands in garden soil is far different than 5 ft through clay soil with one hand.
Cool Hand Luke once said, "I can eat 50 eggs" and by golly he did, in the movie.
Pushing rebar through 5 ft of clay with only one hand with nothing added to the clay except weekly 1% sugar drenching would be an accomplishment even Cool Hand Luke could be proud of.... but I'm open minded and several weeks to go yet.
It's easy to test it...try pushing rebar with one hand through 5 ft of clay saturated in 1% sugar solution and let me know your results.
LOL, that's why I included my garden soil as an additional test plot. Adding all these variables sugar, epsom salts, and fertilizer certainly complicates matters.Maybe you should have a control patch as well. One with just sugar, one with sugar, epsom salt and fertiliser, one with nothing. At least on a three horse race I could start a book, give odds for penetration increasing 0%, 10%, 50%, 100% or five foot.
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Ok as long as there is food for fungi all you need is moisture.LOL, that's why I included my garden soil as an additional test plot. Adding all these variables sugar, epsom salts, and fertilizer certainly complicates matters.
The original claim was molasses 1% weekly drench, one hand, rebar pushed 5 ft into what was impenetrable clay soil before the weekly drench ...and that's pretty simple to evaluate.
I have observed a kind of texturing on the surface of the clay soil test plot. Maybe it's the beginnings of loosening it up some? No observable change to the garden soil test plot.Any updates on the condition of the soil?
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Anyone want to make a bet...one way or the other...on the outcome?
Using nothing but sugar product in the above amounts. 10ml per l every week for 8 weeks
Ok, I'm ready to declare this part of the experiment over. The premise that using only a 1% solution of molasses weekly on impenetrable clay soil resulted in being able to push rebar with one hand 5 feet deep into that clay simply cannot be verified by me.
...Next, I will test the production effects on onions of saturating a portion of soil (test plot 2) with the 1% solution for these 8 weeks. Results next spring, if you are interested.
Molasses is a known killer of weeds when used in strong proportions. Personally, I have used molasses to kill nutsedge. Reading research articles it appears that molasses has a weed killing protein in it and when molasses is applied in large amounts or concentrations, this provides enough of this protein to kill plants. I found the following link interesting.We recently had a cold snap taking the temps down to 14 and 15 deg F consecutively. The area saturated with the molasses solution experienced 100% kill rate on the onions. The remainder of the row experienced about 20% kill rate. I might mention that in decades of raising onions through the winters here I have never lost a crop to freezes.
Perhaps its coincidental that the sugar treated plants 100% died. I certainly was surprised.
Anyone else observe any difference between freezing effect on plants treated w/molasses?
Photo of treated area:
View attachment 93985
Photo of untreated area:
View attachment 93986
Two years ago it was colder and for a much longer period of time. What did your onions do then and did you apply any molasses? I also wonder if applying copious amounts of molasses forces the soil microbes to multiply so quickly that they become overpopulated and literally starve themselves out of existence and thus starving the plant as well.Yes, I've also used it to kill nutgrass.... but in much stronger concentrations. 1% seems pretty weak but maybe combined with the extreme low temps... who knows.
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