Understanding Plant Growth Regulator and their Use
Creating and maintaining a garden can be pretty amazing, garden plants come in so many shapes, sizes, and colors that will bring great change to and environment. There are edible plants and then there are plants that are non-edible which means these non-edible plants are us to create a natural and pleasing effect as we see in nature.
Having some knowledge of plant growth and its function is so important, no I am not saying that you need a college degree to be successful at gardening but having some knowledge will go a long way in giving you the success that you worked so hard at and is looking forward to. In this post, however, we will be discussing plant growth regulator and how it affects a plant’s growth
So what’s all this stuff about plant growth regulator and how does it help in the growth and development of plant life? I am so happy that you asked.
What’s a plant growth regulator
Sure plants do need water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide to survive but there are other components that plant needs in order to perform their best, these components are known as plant growth regulators. Plant growth regulators are chemical compounds that are naturally produced by plants that control their rate of growth and development. Just as our hormones play a big role in the development and functioning of our bodies so do plant growth regulators. Garden plants such as orchids, lantanas, and other flowering plants produce such beautiful flower bloom that we enjoy, well without plant growth regulators we would not have these beautiful plants.
Types of plant growth regulator
Natural plant growth regulator
- Growth inhibitors
- Gibberellins
- Auxins
- Ethylene
- Cytokinins
Growth inhibitors
Plant growth inhibitor is a natural occurrence in plants that promotes flower production while stopping the growth of garden plants.
Gibberellins
Gibberellins are plant hormones that are responsible and regulates the development processes such as flower development, stem elongation, germination, leaf and fruit senescence, flower development, and dormancy.
Auxins
Auxins is a plant hormone that promotes stem and root growth along with stem division. Auxins are found in shoot and root tips.
Ethylene
Ethylene is a gaseous hormone and plays the role of encouraging fruits to ripen, but does not promote plant growth.
Cytokinins
Plants cytokinins are a group of growth substance that encourages the division of cells in shoots and roots. These chemicals also promote axillary bud growth, chloroplast differentiation, and the delay of senescence.
Chemical or manmadeĀ growth regulator
There are also growth regulators that are manmade, these chemicals are sprayed or applied to the plant to influence the growth and the differentiation of plant organs, cells, and tissues. These growth regulators are beneficial and will contribute to the overall health of a plant just remember to read and follow the direction on the label before applying.
Growth retardants or PGRs
Plant growth retardants are a chemical growth regulator that is applied to garden plants and crops that slow cell division and control the heights of plants without negatively impacting a plant’s development.
The advantages of plant growth retardants
1. Plant growth retardants can promote a darker green with a plant’s foliage.
2. PGRs will cause plants to have less water stress.
3. PGRs may assist in helping to fight off disease.
4. It is believed to support better water absorption.
5. It can give higher profits because of a plant’s overall appearance.
The final word on plant growth regulator
Garden plants are depending on these hormones to thrive, I am aware that knowing this stuff is not entirely dependent on having success with garden plants but having this bit of information on hand will help you to better understand how plants functions. It is amazing how complex a garden plant is no matter how big or small, these components are present to ensure the proper growth of plants. The next time you take a walk or work in your garden remember what takes place in a plant’s life for you to enjoy.
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About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
As someone who aspires to have a vast garden in the future, it is really good to have a site like this as a resource for information. I realize that I definitely have a lot to learn when it comes to successful planting. Thanks for all the information on growth regulators. I do have a question, and I don’t know if I just missed the answer in the post, but are growth regulators all chemical-based or are their organic/natural regulators as well?
So happy to help and it is good to hear that you are learning so much and seeing success when installing garden plants. Remember plants naturally produce these substances but the PGRs that I mention are chemically based. I have been looking to seek if there is an organic version also but have not come across any although I have been checking.
Someone knows a lot about Gardening! š I was particularly interested in the “Creating a Lily Pond” blog having recently created a pond and waiting for my Lilies to appear (April time in UK at the moment).
This is a great website a lots of useful nuggets of information within it. I’ll be back to read more!
Thank you.
Glynn
I am so happy that I could help and thanks so much for your kind words wishing you the best of success and have a good day.