How to increase brix level in high level rainfall

[Zulfikar Arsa]

Hello Guys,


I need your help for soling my trouble.

I from Indonesia, in my site the rainfall is to high level. So, my fruit is not sweet.
How to make the brix level of my fruit high again??


Thanks all..


Best regards
-Arsa-

[buddyguygreen]

one thing you can do is add molasses to your plants, maybe every month or two. Makes any fruit sugar sweet

[barath]

one thing you can do is add molasses to your plants, maybe every month or two. Makes any fruit sugar sweet

Hmm -- I've heard of using molasses to improve soil health, but hadn't heard of it increasing fruit sweetness.  How does it affect fruit sweetness?

[buddyguygreen]

it feeds the soil bacteria carbohydrates and by them breaking down the carbohydrates they transform it into sugars which is in a available form for the plant to utilizes it and make its fruit sweeter. I started adding it to my papayas and bananas and the result has made them almost sickening sweet, i will admit i sort of added cup fulls of molasses every watering so i started using less and now the fruit is perfect, not too sweet but full of flavor.

[Tropicdude]

There are a few ways to raise Brix in plants,  as mentioned anything that helps your plant bring up nutrients from the soil,  will help.

Potassium is important for brix,  it is possible it is leaching out of your soil due to all the rain,  so you may need to add more.

another way to get nutrients to your plant is by foliar spraying,  seaweed and/or yeast extracts have been shown to improve quality of fruit.   of course you want to apply this when you know it wont rain for a day or two,  spray in the early morning or in the evening, when its cooler.     

[Mike T]

Potassium levels being sufficiently is important as well as a range of micronutrients like zinc and iron are important with sulphur and magnesium having a role in good taste.

[Vernmented]

Biochar will help to boost your cation exchange capacity.

[greenman62]

often boron levels are low
in areas of high rainfall.
you should check the soil (test) if you can.

careful though, boron is used in VERY small amounts.
too much will kill the plant.

[CTMIAMI]

I have probably a similar situation  like our friend in Indonesia, as far as the rain. I also have a rocky soil.  I do use molasses and they do have an effect on the micro organism of the soil. I use very little, bad organisms like it as well. I add beneficial microbes and Myco's as well and small doses of Humid and Kelp. 

As of recent I have been using slow release, poly coated potassium for the reason that it is very hard for me to keep K levels high. Seemed to have worked. My K levels are at an all time high. Tree health as well.

I would be skeptical at adding a lot of molasses without adding some antagonistic beneficials as well.

[greenman62]

Carlos
you make a good point.
molasses is high in sugar, which is beneficial to  bacteria
but, not so much to fungi.
a lot can move that ratio, which will negatively impact healthy flora
especially for woody type species.

although stuff like veggies and more herbaceous type plants will probably love it.
they like a bacterial dominated soil

a good thing to balance it would be fish hydrolysate
Fish emulsion is OK, but not as good as cold pressed.
oatmeal is actually wonderful fungi food.

[Mike T]

Sugars are basically a bit of carbon with Hydrogen and Oxygens hanging off them so don't supply nutrients.If it encourages mycorhizae I dont know.They could act like bland mulch giving the decomposes a sugar hit but I am skeptical and normal wood and leaves would serve the same purpose better.