GA3 powder

[9fingerleafs]

I just bought some online to deal with my old seeds. I saw pretty good results online between 100 and 250 ppm. Has anyone used his before? Anything I should know?

 

[DW2]

forgive my ignorance, but what is GA3 powder and what is it's purpose?

 

[9fingerleafs]

Its called gibberellic acid and its a hormone that causes celular growth and elongation. I believe it's also used in feminized seeds production but not sure. Mixed with water creates a solution where you let your seeds soak so you increase the germination rate. It causes plants to strech and in the case of seeds supposedly helps with old and hard to germinate ones. First time I need it so I wanted to know if someone has any experience with this.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibberellic_acid

 

[9fingerleafs]

It is 5$ for 5grms shipping included and comes with a mini spoon. You just need a ppm meter to create the right solution. Sellers say up to 500ppm

 

[growmore]

Ok ppm is parts per million and you would normally make up a ppm solution as a weight to volume ratio. 1 milligram dissolved in 1 litre of water equates to 1 ppm, so for a 500 ppm solution you would add 1/2 gram to 1 litre. You need to use distilled water and keep refrigerated once mixed.and is onle stable for about a week.

 

[DW2]

Thanks, I have always used water with a pH of 5.5 to soak/germinate my seeds. Would using it to soak the seeds feminize them, or would the GA be used as a supplement during growth, to produce a female plant?

 

[DW2]

Thanks growmore, I should have remembered that from chemistry class (47 years ago! lol)

 

[9fingerleafs]

Its used to promote growth and "stretching" while seeds but when the plant is flowering it affects reproduction. Supposedly you get long stretchy plants when using it as a supplement but helps with old seeds

 

[growmore]

GA3 acts on seed by activating an enzyme that converts starch to sugar. The older the seed is, the more degradation occurs and germination decreases
GA3 can be used to make feminized seed, but not feminized plants. It has the opposite effect and if applied to plants just before flowering it make's the female plant produce pollen.Nebulahaze has covered this topic well, elsewhere on this site

 

[9fingerleafs]

But have you tried it for the seeds?

 

[growmore]

Yes and it does work,depends on the age of the seeds. The older the seed the less the effect.
As I mentioned once a seed get's to old nothing will work.

 

[9fingerleafs]

Thanks guys. Seems like I'm going to be the first to document this process so I will conduct some experiments when it gets here to find the right concentration and do's & dont's