Gibberellic Acid to Jump-Start Old Seeds

Lamb Abbey Orchards · July 12, 2009

I'm interested in using a solution of Gibberellic Acid to help give a boost to some old tomato seeds I'm going to be planting. I'll be using an alcohol soluble GA3 powder.

Any idea as to an acceptable PPM range for the water solution once I've diluted the GA3 in sufficient isopropyl alcohol? I've got a chart I'm working with that lists a range of PPM in water from 5.0 to 1000.0

Any feedback or suggestions greatly appreciated.

John

**carolyn137** · July 13, 2009

John, you posted the same question elsewhere today so I'll just cut and paste my answer from there to here:

*******
John, I forget what concentration of GA I used but frankly I don't think it's worth using. You can try it conbo with various concentrations of K nitrate around 0.2% but I still think you're going to not get good results.

Plants grown from such treated seeds were lanky and ridiculous and I wasn't all that surprised since GA is a plant hormone. Adding in the K nitrate made them a bit better, but not by much.
How old are the seeds that are non=viable that you're trying to wake up?
I've tried many different ways to wake up non-viable seeds and also to up the % on low germinating seeds and there are other ways that I think are better.
If these seeds are the ones I know about already that are from 2005 you don't have to do anything other than double sow and probably that isn't necessary either.
__________________
Carolyn

July 12, 2009	#1
Lamb Abbey Orchards Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Union, Maine / Coastal Zone 5 Posts: 44	Gibberellic Acid to Jump-Start Old Seeds I'm interested in using a solution of Gibberellic Acid to help give a boost to some old tomato seeds I'm going to be planting. I'll be using an alcohol soluble GA3 powder. Any idea as to an acceptable PPM range for the water solution once I've diluted the GA3 in sufficient isopropyl alcohol? I've got a chart I'm working with that lists a range of PPM in water from 5.0 to 1000.0 Any feedback or suggestions greatly appreciated. John

July 13, 2009	#2
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	John, you posted the same question elsewhere today so I'll just cut and paste my answer from there to here: ******* John, I forget what concentration of GA I used but frankly I don't think it's worth using. You can try it conbo with various concentrations of K nitrate around 0.2% but I still think you're going to not get good results. Plants grown from such treated seeds were lanky and ridiculous and I wasn't all that surprised since GA is a plant hormone. Adding in the K nitrate made them a bit better, but not by much. How old are the seeds that are non=viable that you're trying to wake up? I've tried many different ways to wake up non-viable seeds and also to up the % on low germinating seeds and there are other ways that I think are better. If these seeds are the ones I know about already that are from 2005 you don't have to do anything other than double sow and probably that isn't necessary either. __________________ Carolyn __________________ Carolyn