Misconceptions about plant root hormones
As a company that specializes in plant root hormones, we receive many questions regarding plant root hormones. We therefore often need to clear up misconceptions. Sometimes people think plant root hormones or growth regulators are the same as animal and human hormones. This is not the case. While many carbon-based life forms use and produce hormones, animal and plant hormones are not the same.
People commonly believe that plant hormones are like those used in the food supply. For example, Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) increases size and dairy production in cows. People therefore fear using a synthetic hormone with plants would be equivalent to adding BGH to a dairy cow.
Types of plant root hormones
In general, there are five main types of plant growth hormones and regulators: Abscisic Acid, Auxins, Cytokinins, Ethylene and Gibberellins. These growth regulators play very different yet crucial roles in the development of specific plant areas. For example, cytokins help promote new growth at root sites. In contrast, gibberillins promote elongation and new growth at the mature areas of the plant, such as meristems and the Apical meristem.
Using auxins as plant root hormones
At Hormex, we use auxins in our products. Auxins help at different stages of the plant’s growth cycle, such as initiating rooting, enlarging cell walls, and finally bud formation. They also work in conjunction with the plant’s cytokinins. Similarly, auxins work independently to produce other hormones throughout the plant’s lifecycle.
From the start, these plant root hormones stimulate lateral and adventitious root growth. They also help in promoting apical dominance, a process in which buds are inhibited from growing lower down the stem. This allows larger buds to form at the top of the stem where they receive more light and are found by pollinators.
By adding auxins, you give plants plant root hormones that may not be adequately supplied by the surrounding environment. The more young plants struggle during the early stages of growth, the more likely they are to have stunted or mutated growth later. And these are the factors that lead to conditions such as sudden hermaphroditism. If a plant senses imminent demise, it uses plant growth hormones to create both sex organs to ensure propagation. Similarly some plants tend to give off one last spectacular inflorescence before they die.
Optimize and increase growth with plant root hormones
We often compare the use of plant root hormones with the use of human growth hormones (not anabolic steroids) by older body builders. These hormones help to increase muscle mass because older athletes may no longer produce enough of the hormone testosterone due to age and environment.
The origin of the word hormone comes from the Greek hormon which means “to set in motion.” This is exactly what Hormex products are designed to do – set plant growth in motion. Plants require certain hormones at varying stages of their life cycle to promote healthy growth and sustainability. Hormex embraces the opportunity to help provide plants with the building blocks they need to survive and thrive.
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