I didn't have that problem with my adjustable Ortho. I took the filter off the bottom of the tube and it seemed to draw right up and come out easily.

where do you guys buy your molasses? Is it necessary to buy a special molasses made for garden use, or can you just use a jar bought at the local grocery store?

d-lawn- I also suggest diluting it more. The Warm water is a great idea, then just stir it around well. I use 2-3 parts water to 1 part molasses in my Ortho dial-n-spray. I also run my irrigation after I apply the molasses to insure it gets down to the soil.

segask - Grocery store molasses is exactly what you want. Just make sure its "Unsulfured" Molasses.

I use the warm water suggestion from morph. You can also drill the hole in the top with a 1/16th drill or 3/64th drill to make stuff come out a little quicker.

A quicker way than redrilling the top is to use the 6 gallon hose end sprayer.

I'm confused!!!

I spread one to two hundred pounds /1000 ft^2 per year of cracked corn, bunny food, soybean meal, compost, etc.

3oz/1000 ft^2 of molasses (pure carbon, no nitrogen) is a miracle cure for lawns!!

What am I missing?

Besides the skepticism, I plan on spraying molasses soon based on what I read in this forum.

What is the mechanism?

What am I missing?

Nothing, per se. It depends on what you want to do.

Molasses is great for eating away thatch, or for binding excess nitrogen. Your organic feedings add nitrogen (and carbon, but in smaller ratios than the molasses which has zip nitrogen).

Too much N or lots of thatch: molasses.

Normal feeding: grains.

Add microbes and humates: compost.

Agreed that molasses has no nitrogen!! I have brought that point up once or twice.

I add high carbon feeds like cornmeal and bunny food (which contains more than 3 oz/1000 ft^2 by the way).

My question is one of why I need to add 3 oz/1000 ft^2 of molasses when my organic lawn plan adds logs above that in carbon with every feeding.

I have been told that 3 oz/1000 ft^2 will sweep up all the N2 that the weeeds need right now!! I have also been told that cotton fields can be substained with periodic feedings of molasses once and a while due to nitrogen fixating bacteria.

the material balances don't close and I don't understand the mechanism of how 3 oz/tons of mass (PPM levels) would make a noticable beneficial difference.

Please advise

I have also been told that cotton fields can be substained with periodic feedings of molasses once and a while due to nitrogen fixating bacteria.

Probably true--I hadn't heard that. Feed the bacteria with an energy mix and they'll happily spend the necessary energy to pull nitrogen from the air.

the material balances don't close and I don't understand the mechanism of how 3 oz/tons of mass (PPM levels) would make a noticable beneficial difference.

Ah, yes, I see your point.

Molasses (anything sugar based) is a net energy supplier at a very high level. Our grains aren't (except for the tiny fraction in there as a sugar).

It kicks the bacteria into a temporary high gear, fading out as the molasses is consumed. With tons of free energy around them, they'll happily start chewing on anything that comes into their reach. Synthesizing whatever enzymes you need (if you can) also isn't an issue when you're swimming in an energy bath. Reproduction will happen much faster, too, so the numbers will rise very quickly.

Think of it as a short, sharp addition to the energy equations. All things considered, our grains add much more to the balance, but they're neither short term nor a sharp correction.

Since you're adding that energy bath to the thatch layer (or soil surface), that's where the bacteria benefit. Since thatch exists because it grows faster than it's consumed, it kicks up the consumption speed.

It'll also bind nitrogen in that layer, plus in any soil it touches. It's not a long-term solution, but buys you a little time.

My dad just told me about this and I have a 5gallon bucket of it and don't know the mixture ratio of the molasses and water? And is there anything else I need to add to it for my grass. If anyone can help please.

robbin9429, Generally you should start at 3 ounces of molasses per 1,000 square feet. How you get that amount applied is up to you. Then you can adjust the application rate up or down based on your results.

I've tried every dilution except full strength and saw no change at all to my lawn.

There is a lot you can do for your lawn. Are you already watering deeply and infrequently, mowing at the mower's highest setting, and fertilizing with organic fertilizer regularly?

dchall, I water quit frequently every morning and evening for a good hour in my front and back yard. Moving at the highest my mower will go and mulching it back down i just fertilized this year but as far as organic it wasn't. My neighbor just got me into organic. With this molasses i need to use an adapter for my water hose like an empty bottle of weed b gone so the water mixes with it?

Spraying molasses is a snap. Pour 3+ oz into a plastic milk jug, add about 8 oz of water (use a strong stream) shake vigorously and pour into an Ortho hose sprayer. Removing the screen on the tube helps. The gooey stuff flows like "water."

This may be a silly question, but when I looked in the grocery store, there were three kinds of molasses (blackstrap, fancy and one other I can't remember). None of them stated that they were "unsulfured", however I think it was the blackstrap one that listed "Blackstrap Molasses (sulfites)" as the ingredients. Is that considered to have sulfur then? Does it matter which one I use?
Thanks.

I water quit frequently every morning and evening for a good hour in my front and back yard.

You may need to tune up your watering. At least you are doing it deep. Here are what I call the 1-2-3 elements of good lawn care. I've come to these elements after reading thousands of posts here and elsewhere on the Internet.

2. Water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means at least an hour in every zone, all at once. Infrequently means monthly during the cool months and no more than weekly during the hottest part of summer. If your grass looks dry before the month/week is up, water longer next time. Deep watering grows deep, drought resistant roots. Infrequent watering allows the top layer of soil to dry completely which kills off many shallow rooted weeds.

3. Mulch mow at the highest setting on your mower. Most grasses are the most dense when mowed tall. Bermuda, centipede, and bent grasses are the most dense when mowed at the lowest setting on your mower. Dense grass shades out weeds and uses less water when tall. Dense grass feeds the deep roots you're developing in 1 above.

4. Fertilize regularly. I fertilize 4 times per year using organic fertilizer. Which fertilizer you use is much less important than numbers 1 and 2 above.
   

Still less important, in my opinion, is the use of molasses. Get the grass to thrive by doing these three things right. Then you can try out some of the more exotic aspects of organic lawn care. Have you read the Organic Lawn Care FAQ? You can find it in almost any organic forum...except this one. Nobody knows who the moderator is here, so it shows up in the GW Organic Gardening forum as well as in many other forums on the web.

dchall, Thanks so much for the input. One last question before i get started on this projest. Is there anything I need to do before I spray my grass? How long after I spray with molasses can I water? Do I water after I spray to soak it in the grass? You don't know how much this helps me out. I can't seem to find a knowledgable person about this around me.