I don't have a personal mix.

Much less one containing molasses.

Disclosure: I don't get out much either. And I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade.

But if it works against midge, I'd be interested. Would one apply it with a ladle?

Thanks, Paul. Let's stick to science and not myth around here. I think I'll go dump a bag of sugar on my roses and see what happens-haha. Diane

Diane,

Come Spring I’m going to dump a few cups of sugar in my drip system’s auto fertilizer thingie and see if it brightens things up. Now all I have to do is remember to do it….

Molasses works well in DRY AND ALKALINE conditions, such as one nursery recommended pouring cheap soda into the soil to make soil more acidic. But molasses or anything stinky ATTRACT insects big time. esp. in humid weather. Kelly, zone 4, MN posted in Organic rose of how she had the WORST SAWFLY (rose-slugs) on her roses after feeding them with banana and molasses smoothie. I also noticed more rose-slugs when I tried to deepen pale roses' colors with molasses.

I NO LONGER USE MOLASSES, but it did make Gina Rose's root HUGE during hot & dry & alkaline tap water pH at 9. Even stinky chicken manure attracted more rose-slugs on my roses. That did not happen when I used LESS STINKY horse manure. Anything stinky & sticky would attract insects & pests, that's why cooked starch and sugar is NOT recommended in compost pile. If you google what attract flies the most, the answer is not poop, but sugarly donuts. Midge and sawfly are attracted by anything sweet and smelly. Midge is classified as a small fly.

Our neighborhood has an already-advancing colony of those nasty little black Argentine ants. Most of us have had them invade our houses, at one point or another. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_ant

About the LAST thing I'm likely to do is put molasses (or other sugars) out in the garden.

Rifis, I am so disappointed that you didn’t tell us about your “personal mix” and all the songs you picked. ;-)

Katya, I have used molasses in a neem-based preventative spray for my fruit trees with some success. I‘ve been considering trying it on my roses this year. :-)