1. What is Gibberellic Acid (GA3)?

Gibberellic acid (GA3) is a naturally occurring plant hormone that regulates the growth of plants, including triggering seed germination. There are over 100 different Gibberellic acids, and plants will have several different types. Rice has fourteen different gibberellic acids while corn has twelve different Gibberellic acids.

2. Is Gibberellic Acid An Organic Product?

OMRI, the leading organic certifying organization has certified many Gibberellic acid products.

3. How Does Gibberellic Acid (GA3) Help Plants?

The main areas of activity are to improve seed germination, bigger plants and flowers and manipulating the gender of flowers. There are also some reports that it will also generate a larger number of female plants. This aspect is generally undocumented and requires research. Depending on how you use gibberellic acid (GA3), you can generate male flowers on a female plant and use the pollen from the same plant to generate female clones of itself or to pollinate another female plant.

4. How Do I Use Gibberellic Acid (GA3) To Improve Seed Germination?

Gibberellic Acid will improve seed germination. The generally used method is to prepare a gibberellic acid (GA3) liquid solution and to soak the seeds in it for 24 hours ¹; the GA3 concentration should be in the range of 100-250 PPM ¹.

One manufacturer ² of gibberellic acid products recommends first trying a concentration of 50 PPM.

One website ³ recommends using 500 PPM for rosulate Violas, which seems rather high.

Older Seeds

One botanist used Gibberellic Acid when successfully germinating 2,000 year old seeds from an extinct plant ⁴.

In some cases the seedling may grow so quickly that it begins to lean over. If this happens add more soil around the base of plant.

For more information on improved seed germination please take a look at Brassinolide, Chitosan, Fulvic Acid and Gibberellic Acid.

Order the Super-Grow Germination Pack!

5. Does Seed Chilling In Distilled Water Also Affect Seed Germination?

Yes; this is known as cold stratification. In a normal life cycle seeds will spend some amount of time dormant over winter. Research ¹ studies have shown that this can be critical in improving seed germination. The same research suggested a six week chilling period.

9. Can Gibberellic Acid (GA3) Induce Plants To Flower?

One researcher ¹ concluded that flowering can be induced in spathiphyllum by gibberellic acid (GA3) at concentrations of 500 PPM or less, while the best range is probably between 200 to 400 PPM. It is recommended to first start with a few plants to test the best response. Another report ² concludes that early flowering can occur at concentrations between 50 to 200 PPM. One study ³ of cyclamens accelerated flowering by 4 to 5 weeks with one foliar spray of 50ppm 60 to 75 days before the plant would normally flower.

Camellia

The use of gibberellic acid to induce flowering of camellias is considered to be a common practice. While not all varieties will respond the same, the gibberellic acid treatement should generate some blooms within 40 to 45 days according to one site ⁴; another site has it at 30 to 90 days ⁵. The process can even generate bigger flowers ⁶. One method ⁷ is to place one drop of the solution on the cup.

For more information on improved flowering please take a look at BenzylAminopurine, Gibberellic Acid and Naphthalene Acetic Acid

10. Can Gibberellic Acid Induce Bigger Flowers?

Yes! One study ¹ concluded that gibberellic acid (GA3) can also generate bigger flowers that are 25% to 50% larger when Gibberellic Acid is applied at 5 PPM directly to the flowers of gardenias or geraniums. This type of result would be applicable to most flowering plants.

BenzylAminopurine will also produce bigger flowers.

11. Can Gibberellic Acid (GA3) Induce More Flowers?

Yes! One study ¹ conducted on the lily garden plant found a 243% increase in the number of flowers at 25 ppm.

12. What Is The Use Of Gibberellic Acid In Producing Bigger Yields?

A study on persimmons ¹ increased yield by at least 50%. This was done with a foliar spray of 15 to 30 ppm when the plants where at full bloom.

13. How Do I Use Gibberellic Acid (GA3) To Control The Gender Of The Flowers?

This area has less research than seed germination, but some information is available and even. Agriculture Canada has this as an effective procedure ⁴. One website ¹ has described that to induce male flowers a spray of 10 to 200 PPM; female flowers are induced with 200 to 300 PPM and more than 600 PPM will hinder any flowering.

Medical Marijuana

14. Can I combine Gibberellic Acid (GA3) With Other Plant Hormones?

Super-Grow has created GrowTonic by combining Gibberellic Acid with other hormones (Indole Butyric Acid and Naphthalene Acetic Acid) that induce root development. The combination of hormones will boost growth in different parts of the plant so they work together quite well.

There is existing research ¹ indicating that combining Gibberellic Acid and Indoleacetic Acid will improve plant growth.

15. How Does Gibberellic Acid Affect Roots?

There has been a very interesting observation ¹ made about the effects that Gibberellic Acid has on roots. When it is used with auxins and in the dark it helps develop roots while when its light it slows down the development of roots. Given this information and other opinions ² it would be best to avoid Gibberellic Acid when trying to boost root development. But Gibberellic Acid is still a great tool when trying to boost other plant areas.

16. How Do I Use The Powdered Gibberellic Acid (GA3)?

Powder gibberellic acid (GA3) is a white powder ranging from water-soluble 20% to alcohol-soluble 90% pure. Before it can be used is must be turned into a liquid.

17. How Should I Dilute The Gibberellic Acid (GA3) Powder?

The amount of gibberellic acid (GA3) that needs to be used is very small. If you're feeling very scientific you can use a test tube, but we use one of those small plastic jars that prescription pills come in. Drop the correct amount of powder in it, then add a few drops of methyl hydrate. Methyl hydrate is easy to find and inexpensive; we visited three hardware stores and found it in all three for less than $3.00 for enough to last years of use. To add a drop at a time you can use an eyedropper. We went to the pharmacy and bought a bunch of syringes (less the needle) for $0.10 each. Before mixing the GA3 practice dropping single drops with one of the syringes. Once the GA3 is liquefied with the methyl hydrate add water. We have an illustrated guide at MixingGA3.jsp, and a Parts-Per-Million (PPM) mixing calculator.

18. What Should I Use To Dilute The Gibberellic Acid (GA3) Powder?

We prefer to use Methyl Hydrate (99.9% pure), generally available in hardware stores. We have also tested dilution with 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) with good results. If you are using isopropyl alcohol don't go below 70%.

19. How Much Alcohol Should I Use?

The only reason to use alcohol is to dilute the gibberellic acid (GA3) powder. Use just enough alcohol to wet the gibberellic acid (GA3) powder. If after a couple of minutes you can still see some powder add a few more drops of alcohol.

20. Doesn't Dissolving Powder Gibberellic Acid (GA3) With Alcohol Damage Plants?

No! It is often being said that alcohol will damage plants. Yes, but not in the very low concentration needed to dissolve gibberellic acid (GA3). In fact, the use of alcohol is encouraged ¹ in seed germination as a fungicide, where it is used in much higher concentrations - as much as 5% - than for disolving Gibberellic acid (GA3).

21. Can Powdered Gibberellic Acid (GA3) Be Diluted In Water?

It depends on which powder you are using. Super-Grow carries a 90% GA3 powder that will not dissolve in water and a 20% powder that will.

23. How Do I Make and Use the Gibberellic Acid Paste?

Gibberellic acid paste can be made without much trouble. In one study ¹ paste was applied in a band around the terminal bud of trees three times in one summer. The treated trees grew an 8.5 ft. and only 1.5 ft. for the untreated trees.

31. How is Gibberellic Acid (GA3) Produced?

Gibberellic Acid (GA3) is not manufactured; it's a natural product extracted from the Gibberella fujikuroi fungus. Gibberellic Acid (GA3) is already naturally found in plants and using gibberellic acid (GA3) will help you get better results from your plants.

32. What Is The Difference Between Gibberellic Acid And GA3?

Gibberellic acid (GA3) is one of the known forms of gibberellins. There are over 100 known forms of gibberellic acid; GA3 is the most effective, with GA4 and GA7 also occasionally being used but less effective.

33. Is There A User Group For Gibberellic Acid (GA3)?

Yes, there is a gibberellic acid (GA3) user group. You can get more information at Ga3ug.jsp.

35. What Are The Effects Of Gibberellic Acid On Palm Tree Germination?

Improved germination has been reported by soaking palm seed in a gibberellic acid solution of 10 to 2000 parts-per-million (PPM) for 1 to 3 days. Because gibberellic acid may cause elongation problems it would be recommended to only use the lower concentration of 10 PPM for only 1 day. If any elongation does occur Benzylaminopurine will correct the problem.

IMPORTANT: it is best to try germinating the palm seeds naturally and only use the giberellic acid if that doesn't work.

36. What Are The Effects Of Applying Gibberellic Acid On Tomato Plants Before Transplanting?

One study ¹ concluded that 10 days before transplanting tomatoes should be supplied with 60 PPM of gibberellic acid.

37. What Are The Effects Of Applying Gibberellic Acid On Tomato Plants When Transplanting?

One study ¹ concluded that a spray of 50 PPM of gibberellic acid when the tomato plant was transplanted outdoors increased yield by 40%.