zakhren: Gibberellic Acid

[David]

zakhren
Location: Subang Jaya, SS19
Gibberellic Acid
« Thread Started on Apr 21, 2007, 11:54am »

Does anyone know where they would sell gibberellic acid (GA3)? Aparrantly it's better than smoke when trying to get some seeds to germinate. Dave maybe you could check Ace? I can't go there so often...


David
Location: Kuala Lumpur
Re: Gibberellic Acid
« Reply #1 on Apr 22, 2007, 12:19am »

I've already smoked the seeds using fire and actual smoke. Why not just do that? Easy and it saves you money.

I don't think so I've seen that stuff being sold anywhere. Perhas others on the forum would know.


cosmoking
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
Re: Gibberellic Acid
« Reply #2 on Apr 22, 2007, 3:08am »

Triffid Nurseries sell it:
http://www.triffidnurseries.co.uk/
They will happily sell you some as its not a plant so it will not require any permits.

I must say I do agree with David on this one: Ive never used it myself but smoke is much easier to use and get a hold of, and with Gibberelic Acid you never realy know how much is too much and how much is too little, and you culd easily kill your seeds by over-dosing.


ericsow
Location: Malacca
Re: Gibberellic Acid
« Reply #3 on Oct 31, 2007, 2:51pm »

Quote:I've already smoked the seeds using fire and actual smoke. Why not just do that? Easy and it saves you money.

I don't think so I've seen that stuff being sold anywhere. Perhas others on the forum would know.

David, any tips show how to smoke the seed?


ischan
Location: Singapore
Re: Gibberellic Acid
« Reply #4 on Dec 29, 2007, 8:52pm »

They sell this product and smoke water, from rarexoticseeds.com
you can look at their website. They also have got quite a good selection of rare seeds of Sun dews, and other types of carnivorous plants.


strath76
Location: Australia
Re: Gibberellic Acid
« Reply #5 on Feb 19, 2008, 3:56pm »

I have seen a thing called a smoke pad for sale over here in Australia. it retails for $4. I haven't used them but I am told it comes with instructions and makes germinating seeds such as tuberous drosera a lot easier. Hope this helps.


kianliang87
Location: Bandar Baru Bangi,Sel,M'sia
Re: Gibberellic Acid
« Reply #6 on Mar 18, 2008, 1:35pm »

Yea, is there anyone willing to share the proper way to smoke the seeds?


shawnintland
Location: Koh Samui, Thailand
Re: Gibberellic Acid
« Reply #7 on Mar 18, 2008, 3:48pm »

Just another input on this- I just received a bottle of gibberellic acid from a bio-chemist friend in Bangkok. He said it was quite easy to get and not at all expensive (he didn't charge me so I don't know how much! - Thanks Pop! Hopefully he will add his experiences to this thread soon). I just planted about 800 Nep seeds, 1/2 with 24 hour soak in 0.1% Gibb. solution and 1/2 with no pre-soak. It is still too early to give you any results but I'll post again when I know. Previously, my friend and I both planted seeds from the same sources at the same time but he had Gibb. and I didn't - it has sounded like he had far better germination than I did. In the past he was about to give up trying to plant seed because of poor germination - meanwhile, I had always had quite good rates! The turnaround made me think it was worth trying out a real side-by-side comparison test.
I hope others will post their experiences with both methods here - good or bad, so we can all benefit.

aphos
Location: BKK, Thailand
Re: Gibberellic Acid
« Reply #8 on Mar 18, 2008, 11:39pm »

Hi Shawn,
Nice to see you in here. And thanks for sharing your experince in here.

As I read from many source in internet, some claim that Gibb promote Neps seed germination, but some of them did not convince about the result. I think it is hard to say because it is high variation in neps hybrid itself, some hybrid start germinate very quickly, the concept underlie this is from genetic background in each hybrid is very different. However, as stated in many text book about the effect of Gibberellin to seed germination and dormancy destroying, I use Gibberellin for neps seed soaking. As Shawn, described I sow seeds nearly at the same time as he did. But our growing condition is quite different, but when he e-mail to me about his first germination, I had 4-6 of the germinated already. May be this due to different in growing condition or effect of Gibberellin, this experiment should be re-do again. I use 3 different hybrids for soaking, viking x ('Red Dragon'), Tiger x rafflesiana 'alata' and viking x (spathulata x rafflesiana) (All seeds were recieved from Xir007 of Nepenthessiam board and member of the forum). Tiger x rafflesiana 'alata' and viking x (spathulata x rafflesiana) exhibit reasonable germination rate. But viking x ('Red Dragon') did not, it was reported that Red Dragon hybrid show low germination rate (personal communication).

However, from my information above, with my lazyness, I soaked all seed with our perform paralel experiment with control group, so I can not compare result with same genetic background in same growing condition. I think this time my friend, Shawn, will try with it and make comparison.

However, I want to remind that even germinating in TC media, neps seeds exhibit low germination rate, and different hybrid or species show different germination rate. However, in my hand, as I all failed to germinate neps seeds in the past, I've got better result with using Gibberellin.

Cheers,

[arvin555]

Hi I am not sure if this is still on topic, but I read somewhere the smoke water might also work, I don't want to go hunting for GA3.

My question: For GA3 how long do you soak the seeds for? I read Shawn at least soaks for 24 hours. Is this the normal procedure?

Does this work on Nep seeds only? How about drosera?

Lastly, I read that some people use "smoke" may I know how you guys actually smoke your seeds? I'm afraid I might heat the seeds too much and kill it!

Oh, and how did I make smoke water? Well I burned a few newspapers and some leaves in a can, then when they have all burned out, I poured water in it and now the water is in a PET bottle ready for us. I am not sure if this will do anything but at least I am going to find out as I have sown some seeds without and some with.

TTFN
Arvin

[arvin555]

Sorry just wanted to follow up on my questions above, either everyone missed my post or no one is interested in GA3 anymore

[shawnintland]

Hi Arvin,

I've never tried the 'smoke' method, although I did pick up a small packet of 'smoked soil' that was meant to be mixed with potting soil for improving germination. I used it on something a year or so back but didn't do any comparisons. I have GA3, probably more than enough for my lifetime, so if we won't get in trouble for mailing it, I could send you some if you really can't find it there. Try asking at a University Biology Department first.

Some recent N. amp seeds from Papua New Guinea almost all molded out in the germination boxes. I got a message from the supplier (too late!) to soak them in GA3 and mist with fungicide before planting. Anyone that received those seeds from me please be advised! Now I wish I had tried it on those!

[David]

Arvin,

I think most of us here have not got the experience using GA3 or smoke treatments. I just tried once with my byblis seeds. It didn't germinate.

[arvin555]

Interesting that not too many people use GA3 Shawn, you mentioned you have them, but do you actually use them when you do sow your seeds? You mentioned you didn't soak your Amp seeds. So you don't really do it regularly (use GA3).

Thanks David for your note. I am not sure why we are not exploring the use of these techniques, specially if they "claim" to help with germination.

If only I had time and space, I'd be willing to do an experiment with D. Spatulata seeds, but unfortunately I don't.

Thanks for the offer for GA3 Shawn, I'm not too interested in GA3 yet really, specially coz most do not use them. Maybe they are similar to rooting hormones, some swear by it, some say it doesn't work. Rooting hormones for me.... doesn't work so far.

I'm going to post another question about Fugicide in another topic.

TTFN
Arvin

[shawnintland]

Arvin, I got it to 'try out' and the results on my 'tests' showed me that while it sped up germination by a few days, those few days didn't make much difference in the long run. Now that was using relatively fresh seeds...I think it could be very worthwhile on older seeds (anything older than a month after harvesting) and really wish I had used it on those amps seed! The instructions I was able to find all said "24 hours" for the soak.
Good luck!

[arvin555]

Thanks for the info Shawn, Yeah we need to check or experiment on how it helps with older seeds, as new seeds should not need them. So far all my nepenthes seeds haven't germinated yet, but I had mixed with smoke water and without, we'll see.

Oh I sent you an email and a PM shawn, did you get it?

Back on topic, speaking of soaking, I wonder if there is any advantage to soaking CP seeds before sowing. Say even just with water. There are a lot of plant seeds that do well when soaked for a day or so before planting. Nepenthes seeds are slightly hydrophobic though, they float on the smoke water, and I have to shake them often to just try to get them a bit wet.

TTFN
Arvin

[shawnintland]

Just did three sets of very old seed in Gibb, all of them failed germination 100% already so it's not a waste to see if any come up with the treatment. Am soaking them for 24 hours in 0.1% Gibberellin solution and will plant on chopped sphagnum. I'll be quite happy to get a few dozen out of hundreds if it works! Check in later (about New Years).