Kelp seaweed from pills
- Thread starter 2cent
- Start date
Rurumo
Well-Known Member
I'd say it's not worth it. If you're really desperate, go to an asian market and grind it into a powder. Better off just buying some Neptune's Harvest seaweed powder off of ebay and just wait for it to arrive, it isn't a super critical ingredient. Are you making compost tea with it or something?
2cent
Well-Known Member
It is worth it when that strain has the right leveld of cykotins and certain auxins to inhibit my GA causing stretch.
Spraying asc nord in flowrr stops flowet stretch in its tracks
While others promote growth and stimulate GA if auxin his higher in content
calvin.m16
Well-Known Member
I would like to see with & without lol can you do a side by side? Are you going to stretch beyond your light height limit? Lots of big box stores are carrying stuff in the gardening section now at least in Michigan that is Kelp inclusive and Seaweed etc.. I know Real Growers Recharge was spotted at a local Ace Hardware lol. Not sure if that has what you need in it?
Care to explain how to benefit from said method? I'd love to experiment. I brew microbial teas for my coco every week.
2cent
Well-Known Member
Sure from a study i started lead into a lifestyle lol.
13.60 Cytokines and Gibberellins - Advanced
Difficulty Level: Basic | Created by: CK-12
Last Modified: Aug 17, 2016
Plant Hormones: Cytokines and Gibberellins
Cytokinins: Cell division and “Fountain of Youth”
If you recall that cytokinesis is cell division, you will more easily remember that cytokinins promote cell division. Growing tissues such as embryos, fruits, and roots produce cytokinins. Those produced in the roots move up the plant through the xylem. Alone, cytokinins have no effect on growing cells, but together with auxin, they induce cell division. The ratio of cytokinin to auxin determines cell differentiation: an excess of cytokinins produces shoots and buds, an excess of auxin results in roots. Cytokinins interact with auxin to regulate apical dominance, with cytokinins stimulating -and auxin inhibiting - axillary bud development. Again, the balance is critical.
Cytokinins derive their name from their role in cytokinesis, or cell division (left). Florists use cytokinin’s ability to delay aging of flowers and leaves to preserve cut flowers (right).
Cytokinins also slow aging of leaves and flowers, reducing the breakdown of proteins and stimulating synthesis of RNA and protein. Florists take advantage of this property to preserve flowers by spraying them with cytokinins.
Gibberellins: Elongation and Seed Germination
More than 110 gibberellins (G1 – G110) are known (Figure below). This group of hormones is named for a fungus Gibberella, which secretes the first known of the 120 compounds, causing “foolish seedling” disease (excessive, abnormal growth) in rice plants.
More than 110 different gibberellins have been identified. Lettuce “bolts” from a compact rosette to a tall stalk for flowers and seeds when gibberellins stimulate stem growth between leaves. Grape growers spray developing fruits with gibberellins so that lengthened stems provide room for larger grapes.
Like auxins, gibberellins promote cell elongation and growth of stems and leaves at low concentrations, and too much can reverse those effects. An example of their effect on stems is “bolting” – the rapid growth of stem internodes, which transforms a plant from a compact, leafy rosette to a tall stalk of flowers. Although farmers bemoan the smaller leaves and bitter taste that accompanies bolting in plants such as spinach and lettuce, the plant itself benefits from the elevation of flowers and seeds for better pollination and seed dispersal. Grape growers celebrate these same effects, spraying their plants to grow longer stems to accommodate larger fruits.
Gibberellins break down stored food in endosperm, stimulating growth of the embryo in a seed. This reverses the effects of ABA to cause germination (Figure below). Greenhouses make use of this trait to germinate otherwise dormant seeds. “Malting” grain – such as barley, to make scotch – uses gibberellins for the release of enzymes which break down starches and proteins, so that the yeasts can use them in fermentation.
Another effect of gibberellins is breaking seed dormancy for germination, as for lettuce sprouts (left). Gibberellins may be used to “malt” (germinate) barley for the production of scotch (right).
Summary
- Cytokinins delay aging in leaves and flowers.
- Gibberellins elongate stem internodes in lettuce to elevate flowers and seeds for pollination and dispersal.
- Gibberellins stimulate breakdown of endosperm, growth of the embryo, and seed germination.
- Greenhouses use gibberellins to germinate dormant seeds.
- Breweries use gibberellins to “malt” grains, activating enzymes to break down stored foods for use by yeasts.
2cent
Well-Known Member
When a plant sets flowers, the direction it stretches, the size of its fruits, when it drops them to the ground and virtually every other aspect of plant development is controlled by hormones.
Environmental signals trigger production of these powerful compounds. The hormones are produced either in the leaves, flowers, shoots, roots or fruits, depending on which hormone is in production.
They are made on the smooth endoplasmic reticulum within plant cells, then transported through the cell walls and circulated throughout the plant. Whether part of the normal life cycle or in response to stress, the interacting plant hormones are responsible for all growth changes.
Plant hormones are grouped into five classes depending on their chemical makeup and what they cause to occur, or prevent from occurring: abscisic acid, auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins and ethylene.
The plural is used when listing three of these agents of change because there is not one single molecule, but a group of them that have similar functions and molecular compositions. Let’s look closer at each class of hormone.
Abscisic Acid
Abscisic acid (ABA) is Mother Nature’s natural timer. ABA builds up in developing seed coats, so when a seed falls to the ground, the slow dissipation of abscisic acid causes the seed to break dormancy. This is vital in frozen climates because if a seed were to germinate too early, set roots and begin to grow, it would perish.
Certain plants, such as pines, have high amounts of ABA stored in their seed coats and need to be stratified (forced germination by mimicking winter conditions) for several months prior to germination. Some short-lived annuals, on the other hand, have low levels of ABA and can pop overnight.
ABA also helps regulate the respiration process during times of drought. In a back-and-forth communication between roots and leaves, ABA is produced and used to modify potassium and sodium levels in the guard cells, causing the stomata to close and the plant to save water. (See: 10 Facts on Abscisic Acid)
Auxins
Next on the roster are the powerful root, shoot and fruit regulators known as auxins. High auxin levels result in cell wall plasticity, allowing growing cells to stretch out. Bigger cells mean bigger tissues, which result in bigger organs, and bigger organs result in larger fruits and fantastic flowers.
Auxins are also responsible for phototropism, or the way plants grows towards the light. By regulating which cells elongate and which don’t, the plant is able to grow directionally. (See: 10 Facts on Auxins)
Cytokinins
Cytokinins are as important as auxins, especially considering levels of both are kept relatively even. A simplified explanation: if one level is 50%, the other level is 50%. If one level rises to 60%, the other drops to 40%. If cytokinin levels are low, the plant produces vegetative growth.
As cytokinin levels increase—and auxin levels decrease—a plant transitions into the flowering stage. Higher cytokinin levels cause plants to grow bushier, with shorter internodal spacings. There is a good chance the secret ingredient in your favorite fertilizer is a mix of auxins and cytokinins, balanced precisely to induce your garden to grow one way or another. (See: 10 Facts on Cytokinins)
Ethylene
The next plant hormone is ethylene, a gas produced as pectin breaks down in the cell walls of ripening or rotting fruits. The release of ethylene gas by one rotten apple triggers nearby apples to ripen prematurely, spoiling the entire bunch.
Ethylene also plays a role in phototropism, stem growth—lower levels correspond to thicker stem growth—and takes part in the initiation of leaf development. (See: 10 Facts on Ethylene)
Gibberellins
Last but not least are gibberellins, or gibberellic acid (GA). This class of hormones has a lot of responsibilities. Gibberellins cause seeds to start growing after germination and help seedlings manage food storage while still developing photosynthetic leaves. During vegetative growth, GA also causes stretching, or large internodal spacing.
Flowering plants affected by the daylight period length are induced to flower by adjusting GA levels. Gibberellins are often used in growth-promoting products. (See: 10 Facts on Gibberellins)
Making Plant Hormones Work for You
These five classes of hormones work synergistically to trigger all the necessary physiological processes plants undergo to complete their life cycles and ensure another generation.
Cytokinins and auxins balance out the switch from vegetative to flowering growth, gibberellins and abscisic acid work together to promote heavier fruiting, and ethylene and auxins coordinate to cause the dropping of leaves.
Low doses of gibberellic acid promotes growth, while high levels inhibit it. A cocktail of chemicals is constantly flowing through a growing plant, the recipe of which is ever-fluctuating.
Speaking of recipes, how about the ones that are in some of your favorite grow products? Often the true active ingredient is not listed on the label, which is why that bottle of potassium sulfate seems to make magic happen.
Plant growth hormones are sometimes listed on the label; other times, they are not. If a hormone is made synthetically, it is called a plant growth regulator, or PGR.
Two common PGRs seen on product labels are the auxins indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and napthaleneacetic acid (NAA), which you have likely used in rooting hormone products. (Read More: The Science Behind Root Growth Promoters)
These two PGRs mimic the natural hormone IAA (indole-3-acetic acid), and initiate the formation of a callus and then root development. Using a product with IBA or NAA will ensure that time spent taking and rooting cuttings is not wasted.
PGRs can be used like a tools in a tool box, adjusting a garden’s growth however a grower sees fit. A common problem indoor and greenhouse growers face is running out of room, which can be remedied by using PGRs that inhibit stem elongation.
You may have heard of products that use paclobutrazol, flurprimidol or trinexapac-ethyl, which stop stems from stretching by inhibiting gibberellin biosynthesis.
Depending on the timing of their use, you can keep vegetative plants shorter for longer, or make a flowering plant produce short, tight internodes with increased lateral branching. PGRs can be useful tools if used properly, but due to health and safety reasons, some PGRs are meant to be used on ornamental crops only.
If you decide to use them, make sure they are safe to use on your intended crop, use the recommended safety equipment, pay attention to re-entry periods, and do a post-harvest rinse of all produce.
If you want the benefits of a PGR, but don’t want to use synthetic chemicals, Mother Nature has it all figured out. Potent phytohormones are produced in plants, fungi and algae. They can be directly applied to the garden, or extracted and concentrated into easy-to-use liquids and powders. Several are in products you may already be using.
Environmental signals trigger production of these powerful compounds. The hormones are produced either in the leaves, flowers, shoots, roots or fruits, depending on which hormone is in production.
They are made on the smooth endoplasmic reticulum within plant cells, then transported through the cell walls and circulated throughout the plant. Whether part of the normal life cycle or in response to stress, the interacting plant hormones are responsible for all growth changes.
Plant hormones are grouped into five classes depending on their chemical makeup and what they cause to occur, or prevent from occurring: abscisic acid, auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins and ethylene.
The plural is used when listing three of these agents of change because there is not one single molecule, but a group of them that have similar functions and molecular compositions. Let’s look closer at each class of hormone.
Abscisic Acid
Abscisic acid (ABA) is Mother Nature’s natural timer. ABA builds up in developing seed coats, so when a seed falls to the ground, the slow dissipation of abscisic acid causes the seed to break dormancy. This is vital in frozen climates because if a seed were to germinate too early, set roots and begin to grow, it would perish.
Certain plants, such as pines, have high amounts of ABA stored in their seed coats and need to be stratified (forced germination by mimicking winter conditions) for several months prior to germination. Some short-lived annuals, on the other hand, have low levels of ABA and can pop overnight.
ABA also helps regulate the respiration process during times of drought. In a back-and-forth communication between roots and leaves, ABA is produced and used to modify potassium and sodium levels in the guard cells, causing the stomata to close and the plant to save water. (See: 10 Facts on Abscisic Acid)
Auxins
Next on the roster are the powerful root, shoot and fruit regulators known as auxins. High auxin levels result in cell wall plasticity, allowing growing cells to stretch out. Bigger cells mean bigger tissues, which result in bigger organs, and bigger organs result in larger fruits and fantastic flowers.
Auxins are also responsible for phototropism, or the way plants grows towards the light. By regulating which cells elongate and which don’t, the plant is able to grow directionally. (See: 10 Facts on Auxins)
Cytokinins
Cytokinins are as important as auxins, especially considering levels of both are kept relatively even. A simplified explanation: if one level is 50%, the other level is 50%. If one level rises to 60%, the other drops to 40%. If cytokinin levels are low, the plant produces vegetative growth.
As cytokinin levels increase—and auxin levels decrease—a plant transitions into the flowering stage. Higher cytokinin levels cause plants to grow bushier, with shorter internodal spacings. There is a good chance the secret ingredient in your favorite fertilizer is a mix of auxins and cytokinins, balanced precisely to induce your garden to grow one way or another. (See: 10 Facts on Cytokinins)
Ethylene
The next plant hormone is ethylene, a gas produced as pectin breaks down in the cell walls of ripening or rotting fruits. The release of ethylene gas by one rotten apple triggers nearby apples to ripen prematurely, spoiling the entire bunch.
Ethylene also plays a role in phototropism, stem growth—lower levels correspond to thicker stem growth—and takes part in the initiation of leaf development. (See: 10 Facts on Ethylene)
Gibberellins
Last but not least are gibberellins, or gibberellic acid (GA). This class of hormones has a lot of responsibilities. Gibberellins cause seeds to start growing after germination and help seedlings manage food storage while still developing photosynthetic leaves. During vegetative growth, GA also causes stretching, or large internodal spacing.
Flowering plants affected by the daylight period length are induced to flower by adjusting GA levels. Gibberellins are often used in growth-promoting products. (See: 10 Facts on Gibberellins)
Making Plant Hormones Work for You
These five classes of hormones work synergistically to trigger all the necessary physiological processes plants undergo to complete their life cycles and ensure another generation.
Cytokinins and auxins balance out the switch from vegetative to flowering growth, gibberellins and abscisic acid work together to promote heavier fruiting, and ethylene and auxins coordinate to cause the dropping of leaves.
Low doses of gibberellic acid promotes growth, while high levels inhibit it. A cocktail of chemicals is constantly flowing through a growing plant, the recipe of which is ever-fluctuating.
Speaking of recipes, how about the ones that are in some of your favorite grow products? Often the true active ingredient is not listed on the label, which is why that bottle of potassium sulfate seems to make magic happen.
Plant growth hormones are sometimes listed on the label; other times, they are not. If a hormone is made synthetically, it is called a plant growth regulator, or PGR.
Two common PGRs seen on product labels are the auxins indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and napthaleneacetic acid (NAA), which you have likely used in rooting hormone products. (Read More: The Science Behind Root Growth Promoters)
These two PGRs mimic the natural hormone IAA (indole-3-acetic acid), and initiate the formation of a callus and then root development. Using a product with IBA or NAA will ensure that time spent taking and rooting cuttings is not wasted.
PGRs can be used like a tools in a tool box, adjusting a garden’s growth however a grower sees fit. A common problem indoor and greenhouse growers face is running out of room, which can be remedied by using PGRs that inhibit stem elongation.
You may have heard of products that use paclobutrazol, flurprimidol or trinexapac-ethyl, which stop stems from stretching by inhibiting gibberellin biosynthesis.
Depending on the timing of their use, you can keep vegetative plants shorter for longer, or make a flowering plant produce short, tight internodes with increased lateral branching. PGRs can be useful tools if used properly, but due to health and safety reasons, some PGRs are meant to be used on ornamental crops only.
If you decide to use them, make sure they are safe to use on your intended crop, use the recommended safety equipment, pay attention to re-entry periods, and do a post-harvest rinse of all produce.
If you want the benefits of a PGR, but don’t want to use synthetic chemicals, Mother Nature has it all figured out. Potent phytohormones are produced in plants, fungi and algae. They can be directly applied to the garden, or extracted and concentrated into easy-to-use liquids and powders. Several are in products you may already be using.
2cent
Well-Known Member
Willow bark powder is a great natural rooting hormone due to the high amounts of salicylic acid present in the bark, which promotes root initiation. This natural miracle worker also plays a part in inducing systematic acquired resistance, causing a plant to bulk up its entire defense system, and reducing chances of future disease or pest problems. A foliar spray of willow bark water will toughen up your plants and keep them stronger for longer.
Another natural plant growth hormone source is yeast, which produces the auxin indole-3-acetic acid. Yeast extracts are probably on the list of unlisted ingredients in products that make your garden blast off. Sprouted seed teas (SSTs) are starting to gain popularity amongst probiotic farmers.
A sprouting seed is packed with abscisic and gibberellic acids, as well as a bunch of other bioactive enzymes and beneficial proteins. These teas are made by soaking seeds, often barley or rye, in water until they sprout their radicle (the first bit of root that emerges from a germinating seed), blending the sprouting seeds into a slurry, or just collecting the water they are soaked in.
This biologically active liquid can be used in a root drench or foliar spray. Plants will respond to the hormones with root and shoot development, cell elongation and heavy flowering.
Another common source of plant hormones is kelp. Kelp products contain auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins, causing plants to grow more leaves, as well as stimulating flowering, increasing lateral branching, developing more roots and dividing more cells.
Different products will have different concentrations and ratios depending on the extraction and concentration process and the type of kelp used. High cytokinin levels cause giant kelp to grow up to 2 feet per day, though that kind of growth might get out of hand even in the largest of warehouse gardens.
Conclusion
Plant growth hormones are like tools in a tool chest. Using the right product at the right time allows growers to tailor their gardens how they see fit.
One can induce vertical growth and leaf development to meet vegetative growth goals, and then stop vertical growth and promote lateral branching and flower initiation to finish big, or hold clones a couple weeks longer by halting growth altogether.
Wise use of phytohormones can bring your garden to the next level—just remember to watch out for the bad apples.
Luke besmer humboldt University of biology
Another natural plant growth hormone source is yeast, which produces the auxin indole-3-acetic acid. Yeast extracts are probably on the list of unlisted ingredients in products that make your garden blast off. Sprouted seed teas (SSTs) are starting to gain popularity amongst probiotic farmers.
A sprouting seed is packed with abscisic and gibberellic acids, as well as a bunch of other bioactive enzymes and beneficial proteins. These teas are made by soaking seeds, often barley or rye, in water until they sprout their radicle (the first bit of root that emerges from a germinating seed), blending the sprouting seeds into a slurry, or just collecting the water they are soaked in.
This biologically active liquid can be used in a root drench or foliar spray. Plants will respond to the hormones with root and shoot development, cell elongation and heavy flowering.
Another common source of plant hormones is kelp. Kelp products contain auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins, causing plants to grow more leaves, as well as stimulating flowering, increasing lateral branching, developing more roots and dividing more cells.
Different products will have different concentrations and ratios depending on the extraction and concentration process and the type of kelp used. High cytokinin levels cause giant kelp to grow up to 2 feet per day, though that kind of growth might get out of hand even in the largest of warehouse gardens.
Conclusion
Plant growth hormones are like tools in a tool chest. Using the right product at the right time allows growers to tailor their gardens how they see fit.
One can induce vertical growth and leaf development to meet vegetative growth goals, and then stop vertical growth and promote lateral branching and flower initiation to finish big, or hold clones a couple weeks longer by halting growth altogether.
Wise use of phytohormones can bring your garden to the next level—just remember to watch out for the bad apples.
Luke besmer humboldt University of biology
2cent
Well-Known Member
Takeaway: Among the first plant hormones to be discovered, auxins serve a variety of roles within plant activities and development.
- Auxins are a family of plant hormones with diverse roles in plant morphogenesis including phototropism (bending toward light), cell expansion, root formation, and bud development.
- Auxins were the first plant hormones to be discovered and studied. Charles Darwin found that coleoptiles (the sheaths around the leaves of young grass plants) would bend toward light. By shading various parts of coleoptiles, Darwin found that the source of the bend response was located in the tips of the coleoptiles.
- Other workers expanded upon Darwin’s work and the discovery of the first auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), is credited to the Dutch botanist Fritz Went who worked in the 1920s and ’30s.
- It is now known that IAA is produced in the growing tip of a plant shoot and diffuses downward through the stem. Providing the tip of the plant (the apical meristem) is intact, IAA suppresses the development of axillary buds and branching growth below the tip.
- Which is why cutting off the main stem (topping) of a plant increases bushiness by allowing the axillary buds below the tip to be released from their IAA-induced dormancy to begin growing.
- Although IAA is the principle auxin produced by plants, there are a few others. One of particular note is indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), the active ingredient in most rooting powders and cloning aids used to stimulate root development in cuttings.
- As is usually the case with plant hormones, auxins interact with other hormones in complex ways. For example, the auxin-cytokinin ratio has diverse regulatory effects on plant growth and development.
- Along with the naturally occurring auxins, there are numerous synthetic auxins that are structural analogs of IAA.
- One of the more notorious synthetic auxins is 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, more commonly known as 2,4-D. 2,4-D was one of the compounds (in combination with 2,4,5-T) in Agent Orange, used by the United States as a defoliant during the Vietnam War.
- 2,4-D is still used today as an herbicide. Compared to grasses, broad-leafed plants such as dandelions are much more susceptible to large doses, so it is an effective weed killer for use on lawns.
2cent
Well-Known Member
SDPrestigeResearch
Member
Hello to all you growers! I have been doing a lot of research as well as planning many tests on different brands of kelp and have been focusing my time to see which kelp products really benefit the Cannabis plant. I want to hear your feedback to see what others have seen with their grows or experience with kelp as well. I have been blessed to talk with different chemists and professors during my college career from the University of Arizona and Virginia Tech who have experience developing and testing these kelp products before as well as teach students lessons on botany, soil science, and plant physiology. They helped me learn about the differences between these kelp products on the market used today.
First, they showed me that you want to know a couple of factors before choosing which kelp product you want to use such as, kelp species, kelp extraction, and kelp form. Kelp species is something to look at as there are many types that can be used for plant growth. The most heavily used Kelp on the market is currently Ascophyllum Nodosum as it is easier/cheaper to obtain and has been studied the most. This form of kelp is used in most seaweed products out there. Yes, this product helps with roots, but what people do not understand is that this form of kelp tends to contain higher Cytokinin counts than Auxin Counts. These two things are considered natural growth hormones where Cytokinins regulate axillary bud growth, apical dominance and shoot growth. Auxins stimulate plant cells to elongate and aid in growth of stems, roots and more. With higher Cytokinin counts, it makes more sense to use this type of kelp species during the flowering stage yet they market a lot of products as a great root enhancer. Don’t get me wrong, it helps promote root growth but not as well as Auxin dominated species of kelp. There are few companies out there that are using another species of kelp called Ecklonia Maxima. This species of kelp tends to be harder to obtain in the South African Coasts and some other areas as well. This kelp species through testing shows to contain higher Auxin counts so wouldn’t this type of species seem better to use for root growth? That is why I decided to try and run tests on some different products out there to see which ones seem to work best in regards to root development. Maybe we should be feeding specific kelp species in certain plant stages? Maybe feed Ecklonia Maxima in Veg to really get the roots growing then switch to Ascophyllum Nodosom during flower to help with shoot and bud growth? There are companies out there that add kelp to their bloom boosters but generally containing the Ascophyllum Nodosum species which makes sense, but why market and use this kelp for root growth on other products? Or what if these two species were mixed and had great synergistic abilities? Feel free to make and share your own tests if this topic intrigues you. The companies that have products with this different species are shown below if you wanted to try and test this yourself. I am currently trying to test them all to find which works the best as well as see if you really can see a difference in the plants physiological growth depending on the kelp species used.
Next thing to look at when choosing a kelp product is the extraction method. I had help learning from some chemists who are experienced creating kelp products. There are different kelp manufacturers and I have even read about some other posts on here of people explaining the companies who harvest and extract the kelps but their info seems to be outdated. With today’s technology, there are products being created that are way more concentrated and more beneficial then kelp meals and cold pressed kelps when regards to natural hormones/ secondary metabolites. In order to get a specific kelp form, you must extract the kelp in a specific way. So the forms out today are Kelp Meal, Kelp extract, Kelp Powder, and Kelp concentrate. A lot of people on these forms tell people to just use kelp meal because of price reasons/making your own liquid kelp with it through rehydration/tea or using it because of the fact that there is no solvent like potassium hydroxide to harm your precious microbes and biology in the soil. Kelp Meal is good for someone on a budget, because you could make a tea and make the product last a long time but it is not working nearly as well as certain products on the market. Plus it takes weeks for it to be broken down by the soil biology because of the extra organic matter that companies add to their products. Kelp Meal is made by solar drying and being ground and pulverized which can harm and deteriorate some of the beneficials such as auxins and cytokinins. It is higher in Nutrients along with Mannitol and Alginic Acid when compared to certain kelp extracts but kelp extract or concentrate offers greater concentration of hormones and consistency of performance
Member
Hello to all you growers! I have been doing a lot of research as well as planning many tests on different brands of kelp and have been focusing my time to see which kelp products really benefit the Cannabis plant. I want to hear your feedback to see what others have seen with their grows or experience with kelp as well. I have been blessed to talk with different chemists and professors during my college career from the University of Arizona and Virginia Tech who have experience developing and testing these kelp products before as well as teach students lessons on botany, soil science, and plant physiology. They helped me learn about the differences between these kelp products on the market used today.
First, they showed me that you want to know a couple of factors before choosing which kelp product you want to use such as, kelp species, kelp extraction, and kelp form. Kelp species is something to look at as there are many types that can be used for plant growth. The most heavily used Kelp on the market is currently Ascophyllum Nodosum as it is easier/cheaper to obtain and has been studied the most. This form of kelp is used in most seaweed products out there. Yes, this product helps with roots, but what people do not understand is that this form of kelp tends to contain higher Cytokinin counts than Auxin Counts. These two things are considered natural growth hormones where Cytokinins regulate axillary bud growth, apical dominance and shoot growth. Auxins stimulate plant cells to elongate and aid in growth of stems, roots and more. With higher Cytokinin counts, it makes more sense to use this type of kelp species during the flowering stage yet they market a lot of products as a great root enhancer. Don’t get me wrong, it helps promote root growth but not as well as Auxin dominated species of kelp. There are few companies out there that are using another species of kelp called Ecklonia Maxima. This species of kelp tends to be harder to obtain in the South African Coasts and some other areas as well. This kelp species through testing shows to contain higher Auxin counts so wouldn’t this type of species seem better to use for root growth? That is why I decided to try and run tests on some different products out there to see which ones seem to work best in regards to root development. Maybe we should be feeding specific kelp species in certain plant stages? Maybe feed Ecklonia Maxima in Veg to really get the roots growing then switch to Ascophyllum Nodosom during flower to help with shoot and bud growth? There are companies out there that add kelp to their bloom boosters but generally containing the Ascophyllum Nodosum species which makes sense, but why market and use this kelp for root growth on other products? Or what if these two species were mixed and had great synergistic abilities? Feel free to make and share your own tests if this topic intrigues you. The companies that have products with this different species are shown below if you wanted to try and test this yourself. I am currently trying to test them all to find which works the best as well as see if you really can see a difference in the plants physiological growth depending on the kelp species used.
Next thing to look at when choosing a kelp product is the extraction method. I had help learning from some chemists who are experienced creating kelp products. There are different kelp manufacturers and I have even read about some other posts on here of people explaining the companies who harvest and extract the kelps but their info seems to be outdated. With today’s technology, there are products being created that are way more concentrated and more beneficial then kelp meals and cold pressed kelps when regards to natural hormones/ secondary metabolites. In order to get a specific kelp form, you must extract the kelp in a specific way. So the forms out today are Kelp Meal, Kelp extract, Kelp Powder, and Kelp concentrate. A lot of people on these forms tell people to just use kelp meal because of price reasons/making your own liquid kelp with it through rehydration/tea or using it because of the fact that there is no solvent like potassium hydroxide to harm your precious microbes and biology in the soil. Kelp Meal is good for someone on a budget, because you could make a tea and make the product last a long time but it is not working nearly as well as certain products on the market. Plus it takes weeks for it to be broken down by the soil biology because of the extra organic matter that companies add to their products. Kelp Meal is made by solar drying and being ground and pulverized which can harm and deteriorate some of the beneficials such as auxins and cytokinins. It is higher in Nutrients along with Mannitol and Alginic Acid when compared to certain kelp extracts but kelp extract or concentrate offers greater concentration of hormones and consistency of performance
2cent
Well-Known Member
. The issue with certain kelp extracts is that it can be extracted through chemical hydrolysis (i.e. potassium hydroxide) and physical extraction (i.e., high-pressure and cold process). Chemical hydrolysis and high pressure extraction is not generally favored as it is harsh and kills off some of the beneficial hormones and nutrients the kelp has to offer as well as destroy alginic acid and mannitol. The cold Pressed kelp can be beneficial but what the chemists explained is that cold pressed kelp is not as concentrated and tends to be watered down. A lot of the beneficial vitamins and hormones keep contained within the plant cell and wont get extracted through cold press unless that cell is broken down through enzymes. That brings us to the other form of extraction called enzymatic digestion. Through this extraction, enzymes are able to fully break down the cells and retain most of the beneficial/secondary metabolites creating an overall more concentrated product containing higher hormones, alginic acid and mannitol content then other forms of extraction. Some companies may even have testing done to prove the content of their Beneficial’s within their kelp showing the amounts of vitamins and hormones contained in their product.
With all of this info, It urged me to test what I learned to see if what these scholars say was true. I am confused why the nutrient market has not caught on to this information but then began to learn that money tends to get involved. Companies out there selling watered down products or claiming things that are not fully true through their marketing tricks. I will perform testing on all these kelp products below based on their form/extraction and their species. I want to see if the species Ecklonia Maxima really does create more root growth than the Ascophyllum Nodosom species kelp. I also want to compare performance of enzymatic extraction vs kelp meal and physical and chemical extraction kelp. Through these tests, I could then see which form/extraction of kelp worked best as well as which species performs better as a root enhancer. I want to use the kelp that will best promote root growth as the greater the roots, the greater the plant organs, the greater the plant organs, the bigger the fruit it will create! I am open for any opinions or comments. I will be posting my results from the tests when done! I believe all of this is a start a something new and maybe you members might want to test it yourself! Happy growing to all!
Ecklonia Maxima Species Kelp:
-Herb N Grow
-First Rays Kelpmax=Nutrients & Additives Archives » First Rays LLC
-Environotics Earth Kelp=Seems to be taken off amazon sorry for no link!
- Bloom City Clean Kelp (Blend of Ascophyllum Nodosum, Ecklonia Maxima, Chlorella Vulgaris, Arthrospira Platensis, Palmaria Palsmata, Laminaria Saccharina and Chandrus Crispus)
Ascophyllum Nodosum Species Kelp:
-Neptune Harvest Kelp Meal
-Fox Farm Bush Doctor Kelp Me Kelp You
-Aurora Innovations Buddha Bloom
-General Organics BioWeed
-3 Gems Jewel= Premium Plant Nutrients | Liquid Kelp Fertilizer | 3 Gems Nutrition JEWEL
-BioBasics SeaCrop 16= Sea Crop 16
-GS Plant Foods Liquid Kelp
-MaxiCrop Liquid Seaweed
-Dr Earth Seaweed kelp meal
-BioBizz ALG-A-MIC
-NPK Industries RAW Kelp Meal
-Blue Planet Nutrients Easy Weed Seaweed
With all of this info, It urged me to test what I learned to see if what these scholars say was true. I am confused why the nutrient market has not caught on to this information but then began to learn that money tends to get involved. Companies out there selling watered down products or claiming things that are not fully true through their marketing tricks. I will perform testing on all these kelp products below based on their form/extraction and their species. I want to see if the species Ecklonia Maxima really does create more root growth than the Ascophyllum Nodosom species kelp. I also want to compare performance of enzymatic extraction vs kelp meal and physical and chemical extraction kelp. Through these tests, I could then see which form/extraction of kelp worked best as well as which species performs better as a root enhancer. I want to use the kelp that will best promote root growth as the greater the roots, the greater the plant organs, the greater the plant organs, the bigger the fruit it will create! I am open for any opinions or comments. I will be posting my results from the tests when done! I believe all of this is a start a something new and maybe you members might want to test it yourself! Happy growing to all!
Ecklonia Maxima Species Kelp:
-Herb N Grow
-First Rays Kelpmax=Nutrients & Additives Archives » First Rays LLC
-Environotics Earth Kelp=Seems to be taken off amazon sorry for no link!
- Bloom City Clean Kelp (Blend of Ascophyllum Nodosum, Ecklonia Maxima, Chlorella Vulgaris, Arthrospira Platensis, Palmaria Palsmata, Laminaria Saccharina and Chandrus Crispus)
Ascophyllum Nodosum Species Kelp:
-Neptune Harvest Kelp Meal
-Fox Farm Bush Doctor Kelp Me Kelp You
-Aurora Innovations Buddha Bloom
-General Organics BioWeed
-3 Gems Jewel= Premium Plant Nutrients | Liquid Kelp Fertilizer | 3 Gems Nutrition JEWEL
-BioBasics SeaCrop 16= Sea Crop 16
-GS Plant Foods Liquid Kelp
-MaxiCrop Liquid Seaweed
-Dr Earth Seaweed kelp meal
-BioBizz ALG-A-MIC
-NPK Industries RAW Kelp Meal
-Blue Planet Nutrients Easy Weed Seaweed
Budzbuddha
Well-Known Member
Local nurseries would carry kelp products - like Down to Earth Kelp powder .
2cent
Well-Known Member
My local 3 pla t nurserys "its the wrong time of year we dont have any seawred products"
Managed to find 1 shop had 1 but has a giant npk and iron extra. Aswel as crap i wudnt want on eddibled lol.
Plant nurserys god sake seriosuly they deshelv for winter nost nutes
2cent
Well-Known Member
Thats pure gold lol.
Bbqtoast dude u cant laff at someone for science or you wouldnt have half the shit u got today.
To most a car is a car it works. Tel that to the old man v8 rebuilding bolts from scratch tweaking it for the extra quart horse.
If science advancements didnt happen you wouldnt even have any nutrients just soil...
There is waaay toomuch science to overlook it yes it definatly does controll stretch its BASIC biology hormones controll all actions the plant does.
Farmers using ga to stretch their spinnach etc without it they dont yield half the ammount they need.
My strain. Has toomuch ga naturaly yez that can be controlled witu high cykotines as this throws off auxins.
This seaweed has high cykotins low auxins. Therefore they promote fruiting and the stopping of growth. And production of fruit and seed.
Others and most brands have more auxins and less cykotins. Therefore they stimulate growth and bending stretching for light.
This i use on indicas to fill a scrog faster.
The other i wil be using to control lanky ones.
Dont be nieve man its simple i cant believe you cant understand it orgabic gardners and chem gardeners commerital gardners used it thousands of years proven.
So no offence but u need to get over iur arrogant self and accept stupid me has a brain and you could actusly learn a thing or 2 if u open ur mind. Its not like im using 50 bottles of an and 12 pgrs modding my soil with beef cakes is it..
Its basic control using organics cause i dont want anything synthtic marketed shit. Chemicals u have no idea what ur doing "i just spray a hormone" yeah right enjoy man lol
Calm down 420 and get some damn seaweed. With humic and fuvixs too dont even get started on them man
BBQtoast
Well-Known Member
Yes I've used your stretch reducing seaweeds in cold pressed liquid form and processed, good stuff didn't do much more than any good fertilizer, slight differences nothing to write home about but definitely a tool I use now and again.
The soil loves it, gnats are crazy for it, there's a hundred additives that do the same but it's still only a tiny enhancement no magic cure.
DCcan
Well-Known Member
Bloom Kaos for stretch seems to do the trick. That's A. nodosum based.
I've seen a Chinese study, no other seaweeds come close for treating early rice sprouts with it for early fungus.
It actually does quite a bit more than any good fertilizer, quite a bit to write about it. Controls auxin development, as well as Jasmonic response.
Now it's used for PM control, root development, fruit development, seed hulls being strengthened, heat stress, endless list of new uses.
Turns out it signals the stems to allow more buds to pop out, it triggers the genes that control cell walls, not like "any good fertilizer".
The increased salt and drought tolerance alone allows uptake of more nutrients, so higher feed levels as well.
I've seen a Chinese study, no other seaweeds come close for treating early rice sprouts with it for early fungus.
I'll call bullshit right there. It's not just potash.
It actually does quite a bit more than any good fertilizer, quite a bit to write about it. Controls auxin development, as well as Jasmonic response.
Now it's used for PM control, root development, fruit development, seed hulls being strengthened, heat stress, endless list of new uses.
Turns out it signals the stems to allow more buds to pop out, it triggers the genes that control cell walls, not like "any good fertilizer".
The increased salt and drought tolerance alone allows uptake of more nutrients, so higher feed levels as well.
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DCcan
Well-Known Member
Plenty to write about
"...morphological modifications (such as root and shoot growth), physiological responses (photosynthetic parameters), biochemical analyses (enzyme activities, hormone profiling, and phenolic composition), responsiveness of mutant lines, and/or gene-specific or genome-wide mRNA levels
Extracts affect the endogenous balance of plant hormones by modulating the hormonal homeostasis, regulate the transcription of a few relevant transporters to alter nutrient uptake and assimilation, stimulate and protect photosynthesis, and dampen stress-induced responses. "
The bacteria the populate the outer layers of seaweeds are a new focus for plant research, especially for drought resistance and fungal controls.
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BBQtoast
Well-Known Member
You can just buy a soil with kelp guano ewc mykos molasses and ten other things that apparently make everything more amazing, then you can buy a basic soil and cheap ferts and get pretty much the same.
Hydro must be terrible by comparison but you won't get far telling them that.