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New Hampshire

What are they? How many types are there? Is seaweed(kelp) considered a bio-stimulant? Does our high organic matter patches need them? ?????

12/2/2004 10:40:30 PM

Itzetown City

I never used that stuff before caus in Germany these stuffs are not regular to buy in our gardenstores. No "Neptuns-Harvest" or somewhat here. But there are stores for "Gras-growers" where you can buy a lot of root growth stimulant stuff and phyto hormons. Next year I´ll use some stuff from these gras stores "Bio-Bizz-Alg-A-Mic" a seaweed-concentrate 1000 ccm = 13 € and I´ll use "BioVisMix" a fish emulsion 1000 ccm = 7,80 €. By all that organic matter I think our plants need these stuff with all these trace elements within so I hope that helps for a bigger one.
And it would be funny to show the cops the big Pumpkins if they know my adress from the gras store and searching for gras. LOL

12/3/2004 11:45:29 AM

[email protected]

The plant hormones are gibberellins (many different ones, GA3 being the most used), auxins, abscisic acid.....all occur naturally in plants. We can supply hormones to our advantage if the timing & rate are correct for the event we plan to influence.

Lot's of "Natural Bio-Stimulants" contain both "natural" & synthetic hormones.

Sea-Kelp (like Neptune's) does contain auxins & gibberellins. What disturbs me about naturally occuring hormones in Kelp extracts is that the manufacturer is NOT required to disclose the exact quanities. The quantities vary from batch to batch. This would make an advanced hormone program a challenge to implement without going all synthetic.

One reason we don't see problems when going all "natural" is the quantities of naturally produced hormones in vegetable/kelp extracts aren't large enough to upset the apple cart if we make an over-application.

The plant hormones in "Bio-Stimulants" do not occur naturally in soils. So all plants can benefit.

The thing I find most intriguing about plant growth regulating hormones is the possibility to quicken vine growth early without Nitrogen & the chance to delay senescence or maturation in the growing fruit so that it grows longer into the season. Any tool we learn to use that extends the productive fruit growth season is promising.

12/3/2004 12:59:09 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Steve, the chance to delay senescence or maturation is key. I have been tring to grasp this topic for sometime. Is there reason to assume that reducing the use of Neptune's during the later half of the fruit cycle could prolong the plants life. Brigiite has reported that sudden increases in the respiration rates could trigger a rippen response. Is it possible that controled respiration rates are a late season fruit's blessing in producing moderate growth rates. Cool August spells slow the repiration rate then the warmth jumps them back up again boosting them into hyper zap....Then bingo splitsville comes to your patch...Could the sudden growth be affecting the fruit more than we think. Late season splits may be an indication that sudden spurts push the fruit to quicker maturity....

12/3/2004 1:28:45 PM

ENGLAND

For the benefit of any UK Growers reading this Thread there is a Bio Stimulant called MAXICROP available here in the UK. There are several different types available to the general public but more varied mixtures are available to commercial growers and farmers. MAXICROP ORIGINAL is the basic mix available in garden centres. ALL mixtures are based on Seaweed extract. I cannot find the UK Website for Maxicrop but the website for the USA is www.maxicrop.com

12/4/2004 7:36:19 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Thanks Mike, that was an interesting link.

12/4/2004 10:13:33 AM

Chicago, IL

MegaGro is a GA product, made from potassium (no alcohol). You can read more about it at www.MegaGro.com

12/14/2004 8:58:48 PM