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1) I never thought of that before. Sounds like a great idea. Don't see how it could be much harm if you are growing in soil. I'm going to try this with some rich washout dirt I found earlier today. I figure if it grows an ungodly amount of fiddleheads, it must be good for herb.
2) TRIM!!! I don't know too much about "sacred lower budsites." I HATE tiny little popcorn nugs. And I hate trimming them even more. I never cut off leaves. Let them drop naturally. But the lower branches have to go! You will more than make up for it on the topside of the plant where the big buds are.
3) Yes Molasses. Any kind of blackstrap molasses is ideal; preferably Brer Rabbit Blackstrap (Whole Foods). Grandma's Gold will also work. Just one key word when looking for blackstrap, "unsulphured." Molasses works just as well, if not better, than those overpriced "bud sweeteners" sold in the hydro shops. Don't waste money, go molasses. Use during flowering, 1 Tbsp. per gallon of water.
4) Composting is just a dream for me at the moment. I really would like to do it eventually. Unfortunately, I'm kinda in the dark on this one too.
Here's what I gathered from my research on molasses:
The point of using molasses is to provide sugars to the plant, and ultimately sweeten the buds. It does this by making the simple sugars available to the plant in an already usable form. In this way, the plant doesn't need to make these sugars itself. It just needs to transport the sugars from the roots which frees up more energy for it do other things (other than actually making the sugars).
Not sure about the nutritional value to the plant but I'm pretty certain there is some. It seems to me that molasses would affect potency and yield in a positive way. If the plant doesn't need to make as many sugars then it can use the energy to do all the other "plant things" plants do. Such as make more buds and trichomes.
I liken it to the way that hydroponic nutrients are already broken down into a usable form for the plant. All the plant has to do is absorb and transport it instead of producing it by itself.
Edit: I don't post on icmag because there are too many weed snobs there. There are many good grows there, unfortunately, many of the people growing there are on some sorta massive ego trip. That just makes everyone on edge and makes people pick apart every little thing. It happens here to, just not to the same extent.
-------------------- “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” -Dr. Seuss