Not only can molasses provide a food (sugar) source for microbes, but it also contains many trace and ultra-trace minerals. This is a critical factor because a balanced and consistent supply of trace minerals is essential for microbes to survive and thrive. The micro-nutrients and other nutrients contained in molasses are available for quick uptake by your plants, simply because they are derived from a plant. This is especially important for the microbes that depend on trace minerals as catalysts in order to produce enzymes that enable critical biochemical transformations.