Gibberellic Acid Improves Corn Germination

Using our own Premium grade water soluble gibberellic acid I ran some germination tests with 1659 corn seeds to find an optimal PPM dose and procedure. The test was putting corn seeds in distilled water with our premium gibberellic acid for 1 hour at around 20 celcius (68 ºF). The seeds where then rinsed in regular tap water and the excess water was drained off and the seeds placed in paper towels and kept moist for seven days. After seven days the growing stems where cut off and weighted.

the seeds soaked for 1 hour at 225 PPM had 15% more growth than untreated seeds;

the seeds soaked for 1 hour at 300 PPM had 30% more growth than untreated seeds;

the seeds soaked for 1 hour at 400 PPM had 23% more growth than untreated seeds;

the seeds soaked for 1 hour at 500 PPM had 15% more growth than untreated seeds;

the seeds soaked for 1 hour at 600 PPM had 6% more growth than untreated seeds.

Products

Water Soluble GA3 Powder 20% Water soluble Gibberellic Acid is the easiest way for most people to use Gibberellic Acid. This type of GA3 will absorb humidity from the air and it must be kept sealed. It includes a scoop that lets users measure out even very small amounts. All product descriptions should not be interpreted as a claim. It is only a summary of information commonly found on the internet including laboratory research. Products are not available in Canada.

Super-Grow GrowTonic GrowTonic is intended for that have established a root systems and require a growth boost. It was original designed for an aging garden hedge fresh out of a Canadian winter that seemed to take forever to start growing again. GrowTonic is a combination of Gibberellic Acid, Indole Butyric Acid and Naphthalene Acetic Acid.

Alcohol Soluble GA3 Powder 90% This is the most economical form of Gibberellic Acid. It is soluble in 70% common rubbing alcohol. Gibberellic acid is an important plant hormone that can improve seed germination and plant growth and size. Our users have reported significant improvements in their production of tomatoes, peppers and squash among others. All product descriptions should not be interpreted as a claim. It is only a summary of information commonly found on the internet including laboratory research. Products are not available in Canada.

Gibberellic Acid 4+7 Gibberellic Acid 4+7 is a specialised product that is less stable than GA3 (must be kept at frozen temperature). This product is soluble in alcohol. All product descriptions should not be interpreted as a claim. It is only a summary of information commonly found on the internet including laboratory research. Products are not available in Canada.

User Feedback

Citrus

I sprayed Gibberellic Acid (35 PPM) on my citrus trees last week when they were starting to bloom. I checked them yesterday and they are all loaded with blooms. G.H. User Group March 31, 2005 9:24 PM

Cotton Germination

A research project tested the germination of cotton seeds with simple water and 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 parts per million concentrations of Gibberellic Acid with a ten minute soak. The research concluded that the 5 PPM soak gave the fastest germination.

[http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2004/Projects/S1618.pdf]

Cotton Growth

An experiment tested the foliar application of gibberellic acid on cotton plants at 25, 50 and 100 PPM. The cotton plants at 50 and 100 ppm had greater shoot and root length, had more nodes, more leaves leaves and total leaf area.

http://www.cababstractsplus.org/Abstracts/Abstract.aspx?AcNo=20043143944

Lawn - GA3

1. I used a soil mix of 8 parts top soil, 2 cow manure, .5 peat, and .25 Perlite(Krum) @ 2-4 inches deep.
2. Sprayed lightly with a hose before covering the sewn grass seed.
3. I used stems from last years flowers that were like strong hay, criss-crossed them over the seeded moist soil mix, and then piled oak leaves 1-2 inches deep over that to create heat for the grass.
4. On late March early April near Chicago the 6th day of growth, I pulled off the cover and sprayed the grass in 3 diff locations full sun, part sun, and shady. I put the cover back on after spraying and 1-2 days later gave it a spritz of water. I sprayed GA3 3 days after that and then 2 days after that.
5. There was no presoak.
6. The temperature was approx. 50-70 F during the day and no lower than 45 F at night. 2 of the days it was 78-82 F.
So, from the 6th day of growing to 1.5 weeks of spraying 3 times later I have some good grass. The shady grass seemed to grow the quickest. It might have been because of a less variant temp. I tried the same areas last year without covering the seed, without special potting soil, and without spray GA3. - JT, User Group

Super-Grow note: the gibberellic acid concentration was 35 PPM for each of the three sprayings.

Lilac - French hybrid

My new very small hybrid French lilacs are doing well as a result of regular spraying with 50 PPM Gibberellic Acid [John M., User Group - June 2, 2005]

Peppers

I tried a 70ppm solution of GA3 on 5 of my habanero pepper plants and on 5 each of my big boy and cherry tomato plants. After 3 weeks I couldn't see any difference between them and the other plants of the same type. I then used a 140ppm solution of GA3 on the same plants and now, 1 week later I can tell a major difference in the height of the treated plants as compared to the untreated ones and also the treated plants are beginning to bloom. [A.L., User Group - May 28, 2005]

Roses

I sprayed a rose plant that was dormant and had only about 4 sets of leaves with Gibberellic Acid (GA3) 650 PPM and it grew about 10 inches of new winter growth!! Amazing! [Kevin, April 2006]

Rasberries

I have a rasberry patch here in RI. If you are trying for a sudden boost use over 500ppm of Gibberellic Acid. If you want sustained growth improvement 50ppm is good. [W.W., User Group - May 5, 2005]

I had some great results by spraying Raspberries also this year. We have 42 new shoots about 3-4 feet high after spraying 85 PPM Fulvic Acid 2 times and Gibberellic Acid 35-70 PPM 5 times. We should have berries soon! We had enough berries last year to make 2 huge pies. I suspect we with get 5-6 pies this year. [J.T., User Group - June 6, 2005]

Squash

My "Early White Bush Scallop" squash plants are massive! They were given GA3 at 300ppm 22 days after emerging and GrowTonic at 36 days. [User Group, July 17, 2005 7:50 PM]

Tomatoes

I used GA3 at 150 PPM on my tomato plants 36 days after transplanting. That was June 28th. When I applied it I had only 2 "Early Girl" tomatoes the size of a pea showing. Quite a few flowers were about to open on both "Early Girls" and "German Johnsons" when I applied it. Here we are at 13 days after spraying and I have 75 tomatoes growing now!!!
Every plant that I've used GA3 on has responded very well. I've seen many gardens around here and no ones plants are bigger or stronger looking. [D.Z. West Virginia - July 11, 2005 - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gibberellic_acid/message/1351]

I noticed a big difference in my tomato plants after spraying them with a 200ppm of Gibberellic Acid. [D.S. - User Group January 8, 2005]

I tried a 70ppm solution of GA3 on 5 of my habanero pepper plants and on 5 each of my big boy and cherry tomato plants. After 3 weeks I couldn't see any difference between them and the other plants of the same type. I then used a 140ppm solution of GA3 on the same plants and now, 1 week later I can tell a major difference in the height of the treated plants as compared to the untreated ones and also the treated plants are beginning to bloom. [A.L., User Group - May 28, 2005]

What The Competition Doesn't Want You To Know About ...

Price

You can purchase just one of our water-soluble gibberellic acid (GA3) tablets or you can purchase one-hundred 32 oz. gibberellic acid (GA3) spray bottles from a competitor. Our gibberellic acid (GA3) tablet will cost you about the same as one spray bottle. Wouldn't you want to buy a product that isn't overpriced?

Quality

You can buy a premixed gibberellic acid (GA3) solution from our competitors. But all the research clearly indicates that when gibberellic acid (GA3) is mixed in liquid it's only good for a few days. We will only sell you a product that works, and you can consult our recommended procedure for extending the effectiveness of the tablet. Wouldn't you want to buy a product that works?

General Information

Frequently Asked Questions

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 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

Papaya

4. Does Seed And Bulb 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.

One expert ² recommended that tulip and hyacinth bulbs also needed to be chilled in a refrigerator for six weeks. The article explains that during this period of time gibberellic acid accumulates in enough quantity to allow the bulb to start growing.

5. What Is Seed Scaring And What Does It have To Do With Gibberellic Acid?

Some seeds have an outer shell that is hard and nearly water-proof. Since seed germination means the seed has to absord the gibberellic acid solution this is an obvious problem. The objective of seed scaring is to damage the seed's outer-shell to allow water to enter the seed. Different scaring methods can be used ¹ but one writer ² suggests lightly using sandpaper on camellia seeds.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. What Should I Use To Dissolve The Gibberellic Acid (GA3) Powder?

The 20% gibberellic acid will dissolve in water, and the 90% won't. Most alcohols will work, and I prefer to use the alcohol that is easiest to find, the 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) with good results. If you can find better than 70% then it will work faster; but if you are using any alcohol don't go below 70%. If you look at the instruction section for 90% gibberellic acid you can find more details, including using ammonia.

12. 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.

13. 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).

14. 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.

17. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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%.