A Molasses/Nematode Experiment

[GoDawgs]

There are articles I've read suggesting that the application of unsulphured molasses as a drench around plants not only boosts microbial activity in the soil and stimulates nutrient uptake but also has a nematicidal affect. I will be experimenting with this.

Yesterday I got a bed prepped for planting summer squash. It's one of the beds on the nematode affected side of the garden.. There will be four plants, two of which (Squash A) will be grown as they always have been. The planting soil of the two others (Squash B) will receive a pre-planting molasses drench. Both A & B will be fertilized with Miracle Grow as usual except that there will be molasses added to B's fertilizer dose. Something to play with.

It will be interesting to see if the molasses-treated squash plants fare any better than the untreated, if at all. To be on the safe side I will be planting summer squash on the no-nematode side of the garden in a week or so. A few articles suggested the molasses could negatively affect earthworms but others pooh-poohed that as nonsense.


https://www.hawaiiag.org/harc/VEG3.pdf