Molasses: Jekyll to You, Hyde to Pests.

Farmers and gardeners have always been on the holy grail quest for the growing savior. Growers for eons have searched for the sole silver bullet that will rid them of the insufferable onslaught of fiendish bugs, megolomaniacal weeds, and microscopic diseases. While end-all cure are fallacies, there is new (and not so new) research that molasses can bring alleviation to many dire garden situations.

Most of us grew up touting the sweet tooth benefits of this thick goodness. Now, the champion of the tastebuds can alter the way we practice our garden methods.

Check it out:

• Feeding the little guys

Fungi and insects of ill repute have learned to fear the sugar. Insecticides containing molasses can deter soft bodied pests like aphids. There are also reports (specifically from a company called Garden Ville) that a mixture of water and molasses will drive fire ants away as well as root knot nematodes. Vinegar fungicides containing apple cider vinegar and molasses have been known to deter bad fungi.

Finally, mountainous compost piles requiring Sherpa-esque exploration can be shrunk to size with the addition of dried molasses (made from Blackstrap molasses sprayed and dried on grain flour roughage).

• Environmental Champion

  From Natural News, there is new research by the USDA suggesting that molasses could replace the highly toxic fumigant, methyl bromide, as an herbicide. Researchers in Florida incorporated the use of molasses and poultry litter in the soil and covered the area with plastic tarps to suppress weeds and pest emergence. The end results compared evenly with the effectiveness of methyl bromide. Hopefully, this trend will catch on worldwide.