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[Sunshine]

I purchased a milligram scale, some 6-Benzylaminopurine, gibberillic acid crystals, and some 3-indole butyric acid (in both powder and gel form).

For those of you who do not know what those things are, I will take a second to explain. Plants produce different levels of growth regulators depending on what stage of growth they are in or what species of plant they are. They usually produce these regulators in relatively miniscule amounts.(Exception to the rule;willow shoots contain high amounts of salicylic acid; a rooting growth regulator)

These growth regulators, sometimes referred to as 'plant hormones'are very potent so they need to be weighed using a milligram scale and diluted in solution. Generally speaking, these growth regulators, or hormones, if you will, are diluted and measured in ppm(parts per million).

Gibberillic acid(abbreviated as GA3) is a naturally occurring plant hormone which is used in a wide array of applications. It is commonly used to 'wake up' seeds which are otherwise dormant. Seeds which require cold stratification, scarification, or others which just naturally have a low germination rate can be treated with GA3 to greatly increase the germination rate. It also 'cancels out' the effect of abscisic acid contained in the seed.(abscisic acid keeps the seed from germinating during warm periods in winter.)

GA3 is also used to treat food crops such as grapes because it encourages cell division in the fruits. Next time you are looking at grapes in the market check to see if the grapes are large and elongated. Chances are good that if they look like that then they have been treated with GA3.

Don't start freaking out now!!! Plants produce this chemical naturally and it has been consumed by people for thousands of years. It is relatively safe when consumed in the amounts naturally found in plants and in amounts found on the grapes and other produce found in the market. Produce suppliers do not need to tell you the produce contains it because it is naturally occurring.

Normally, GA3 is used anywhere from 100-1500ppm. This is a broad range. Some species of seeds require more for it to be effective, others require less. While one see may be burned by a 1500ppm concentration, another may handle it just fine. In any case, it is best to start with a mid-low range concentration and adjust accordingly. 200-500ppm is a good starting range. Here is a youtube video of a boy who did experiments using GA3 on beets. You can clearly see that plant that was treated with both GA3 and nutrients had much lusher growth.

6-Benzylaminopurine(Abbreviated as 6-BAP) is another naturally occurring plant growth regulator. It is most commonly used to suppress the effects on the lower branches of the auxin produced by the apical tip. An apical tip is the top growing tip of the plant where new leaves sprout from. The apical tip produces this plant growth regulator called auxin, which suppresses the growth of the lower branches. A plant only has so much energy it can use to grow. Auxin helps the plant by suppressing the growth of the lower branches so that the apical tip that is growing the best can mature.

The exact mechanism of action of 6-BAP has not been thoroughly researched and as a result is not entirely understood. However, it is clear that it overrides or cancels out the effects of auxin in some way. When 6-BAP is applied to lower apical tips, or branches, if you will, it cancels out the effect of the auxin produced by the top apical tip and allows the plant to put energy into them. Plant treated with 6-BAP will look more bushy as a result and less 'tree-like' so to speak. 6-BAP is commonly applied to the areoles(spike nodes) on cactus in the form of a gel, rather than a solution, to encourage pupping(when the cacti puts out babies...awwe ). On other more leafy plants it is applied directly to the lower apical tips in solution form.

3-indole butyric acid is another very well known plant growth regulator. In short, it is a rooting hormone.

If anyone is interested in hearing more about plant growth regulators and how I plan to use them please let me know. It is a lot to type, especially from memory, and I'd like to hear at least one person is interested and that my words aren't falling on deaf ears before typing more. Also, if you see any misinformation in the above paragraphs please let me know.

Peace and Love
-Sunshine
 

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[Auxin]

Auxins also help plants lean toward light via cell elongation. As long as your making paste with BAP, the property of auxins promoting cell elongation can be exploited in a cool way. When hybridizing different species that have some difficulty crossing applying auxin paste to the pedicle (flower stem) will help the germinating pollen cells elongate down into the flower to make seed.

The common painkiller naproxen is also a plant growth regulator, it blocks the biosynthesis of the dormin class of hormones. A very under-researched area is to make a paste with acid naproxen (made by reacting sodium naproxen with vinegar) and applying it to the stem of developing seed pods/fruit. It could help to reduce or eliminate seed dormancy in applicable species.

A plant growth stimulant that is currently gaining popularity is Triacontanol, its in some of those really expensive grow booster liquids sold in grow shops. Its possible to make your own... with a compost pile. When plant waxes, including the wax coating on leaves, breaks down triacontanol is one of the things produced. Its one of the reasons that for hundreds of years leaf mold has been famous for boosting plant growth, no need to blow $60 on a fancy liquid.

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[Caium]

It's interesting how the top of the plant and the tip of the root have a kind of hormones fight. While the auxins suppress lower branches and stimulates root division, the cytokinins suppress root division and stimulates lower branches. That's why people that makes bonsai prunes both plant and root tips at alternated times.
Other hormone to include here is ethylene gas, that enhance plant sensibility to cytokinins. It's produced by riping parts of the plant or by severe light/drought stress, a reason why mimosas are more bushy, plus have strong and poorly divided roots. For a more tree like mimosa one can apply auxin in the first months. Another thing is put some riping fruits around the cactus while it's with cytokinin gel applied.

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[PermieGing]

So we are learning about hormones in my plant sciences class. I asked my teacher if USDA organic allows the use of hormones and she said that they do.

That surprised and disappointed me....

[Greentoe]

I think most plant growth hormones are organic compounds. Id imagine if a synthetic plant growth regulator, such as 2,4-D or IBA, were used it would no longer be considered organic.

[PermieGing]

Yea like gibberellins and auxins and others are organic (unless its a synthetic analogue), but i still dont wanna eat hormones...

It may just sound bad and have no effect.
 Then again....?!?

1 Like fairdinkumseeds likes this.

[bezevo]

This is  Fascinating !

 I bought a gram of pure BAP  I  will buy some pure lanolin to  make a jell.   I am going to try to induce some pupping or branching on a few cactus ..hummm!!

How would I use BAP to reduce my potted figs from growing leggy  and induce more side branching ?
I live in zone 5 my figs go to a cold basement room  to sleep for winter .

Please  any one give me your ideas , opinions ?

[bezevo]

also curious  ..how The common painkiller naproxen  can be used on cactus.

how would you apply and what would effects be ?

[bezevo]

I  can't find any more info  on naproxen as a plant hormone  any info ?

[LIBERTYNY]

Any one familiar with some of the hormone vendors ?

Im looking for  Triacontanol, and Gibberellic acid.  The only place I can find any Triacontanol is on ebay, and I hate buying stuff like that off relatively unknown vendors.

[nobody]

If you buy ga3 from an eBay vendor get it from dr_ned. I have ordered from him before and things were as they should be. You could also order it from J L Hudson.


nobody

1 Like LIBERTYNY likes this.

[Auxin]

also curious  ..how The common painkiller naproxen  can be used on cactus.

how would you apply and what would effects be ?

Possible uses on cacti would be presoaking seeds with a solution of it to improve germination rates or, when making difficult crosses, applying a lanolin paste of it to the fruit to reduce chances of fruit drop if only a few seeds will form.

I fed some to cacti in the hopes that it would promote flowering, but no flowering occurred.

[bezevo]

cool  thanks  for info .......

WHAT DO YOU THINK ......should I start  my  experiments  applying  BAP  now to promote  pupping ,branching .

.........Or wait tell closer to spring when there will be more active growth ?