A big thank you to One Hundred Dollars a Month reader Becky who sent me a link to this article about improving soil with milk and molasses. I just love it when solutions to life’s problems can be found in your pantry {I’m still looking for scientific proof that pie can IS actually a solution to most of life’s problems}.
The article, much more eloquently than I can summarize here, states that milk contains vital bacteria that actually helps soil. When milk is poured over compost it helps to feed the compost–giving it nutrients and helping it break down faster. Studies have also found that the sugars in milk can’t be digested by insects, so it is an effective insecticide.
Milk even out-performed fungicides when treating powdery mildew on zucchinis and melons. {Apparently, milk was used as an ancient technique in agriculture, but it the practice has kind of been lost in modern day.} You can even use milk as a fertilizer. Apply milk diluted by 20% with water to your garden soil BEFORE planting and voila, instant organic fertilizer.
Molasses has also shown surprising benefits in the garden. The mineral content of blackstrap molasses, combined with the sugar content, helps to feed microorganisms in the compost pile or garden soil. An application of 3 tbsp. of molasses combined with 1 cup of milk and 4 cups of water makes an excellent plant food to use throughout the season. {I seriously can’t wait to try this out.}
For those of you looking to transition to a more organic style of gardening, but still wanting big yields, milk and molasses might totally be worth a try. I know that I am going to give it a whirl.
~Mavis
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