Is molasses good for tomato plants?

QUESTION: Is molasses good for tomato plants?

ANSWER: Some gardeners swear by feeding their tomato plants molasses, saying that the molasses not only provides tomato plants with energy but also makes ripening tomatoes sweeter and increases microbial activity in the soil. Others disagree, stating that plants don’t need the vitamins molasses contains, and the short-term boost in microbial activity won’t be worthwhile.

If you choose to feed your tomato plants molasses, make sure to dilute the molasses in water or add it to a liquid fertilizer blend first. You can then either pour the diluted molasses mixture over the soil or spray it onto the leaves of your tomato plants.

Use about a cup of molasses per two gallons of water, applying no more than once per week. Be careful not to apply this treatment when the day is hot, instead giving the diluted molasses to your tomato plants in the morning.