Sugar & vinegar?

I've just watched a telly program that featured bacteria growing in sulphuric acid, so I doubt if a few drops of vinegar in water will do much about bacteria.

I can't see how sugar would help either. Only possible thing I can think of is if the vinegar acts on the sugar to release the carbon molecules needed by the plants for photosynthesis.

 

to me, it makes sense

 

I recently saw some giant veg growers on TV, promoting using molasses on giant cabbage and also marrows.

Also molasses is used in most compost tea recipes to help feed the beneficial bacteria in that.

Steve...

 

A proper test would be to grow seeds from the same pack, divided into 3 sets. Grow them in identical conditions, except one lot gets commercial plant feed, one gets plain water, and one gets the water/sugar/vinegar mix. All ensuring that they are mixed together so light and temperature doesn't vary between sets. Then watch them grow and record everything.

 

I don't think it would do much for the flower patch although the sugar might attract bees.
I don't think plants can absorb sugars directly through there roots.
I can see that compost tea would benefit, especially from molasses which are an unrefined sugar, also maybe a compost heap as the sugars can be used by fungi and bacteria directly.
For the giant vegetables perhaps the molasses stimulate the soil fungi that can make nutrients available to the plants. Mycorrhizal fungi take sugars from plants and provide minerals etc to the plant.
Bacteria have been found virtually everywhere they have been looked for on Earth, including acidic hot springs in places like Yellowstone, ocean thermal vents and down in the bottom of the deepest mines in South Africa.

 

The sweetness of tomatoes is mainly governed by genetics, giving them as much light as possible will help also don't over water them.

 

I'm going to try the molasses treatment. If it doesn't work, I'll use the rest to make gingerbread people...

 

Sugar will contain glucose which is needed by plants but I'm not sure if plants will use it as they make their own in photosynthesis for respiration and storage. No idea what 'nourish the stems' is getting at!

Vinegar has a pH of 2.4 so you might want to be careful with it unless you want to acidify your soil (not necessarily a bad things in some cases obviously).

Top tip: check the calcium content of your soil by pouring a bit of vinegar on a sample of soil. If it fizzes there is free calcium carbonate available in the soil - if it don't fizz, there ain't.

 

Ive feed my Brugs molasses in summer,only a bit about once a month,it is quite strong and tasty no idea if it helps though it didnt do them no harm ...my hens love it too