Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
- andy10917
- Posts: 29739
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
I've decided on this winter's lab project (last year's was fine-tuning the micronutrient levels/spreadsheets, and the homemade soil conditioner). It involves exploring and testing the use of natural plant hormones, vitamins and micronutrients to enhance root growth, affect apical dominance, branching, overall growth, quicker germination and faster ending of dormancy. I'm concentrating on KBG.
Is anyone other than me interested in following the progress and results? I'll probably set up a blog or something for the detailed stuff, but does anyone want to read the less-detailed stuff?
Also, if there are any other "closet scientists" out there that can commit to two months of basement science, let me know.
Is anyone other than me interested in following the progress and results? I'll probably set up a blog or something for the detailed stuff, but does anyone want to read the less-detailed stuff?
Also, if there are any other "closet scientists" out there that can commit to two months of basement science, let me know.
- simpson
- Posts: 4982
- Joined: June 14th, 2009, 1:12 pm
- Location: elkton md
- Grass Type: moonlight slt
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
what do i need to buy?
- MorpheusPA
- Posts: 18129
- Joined: March 5th, 2009, 7:32 pm
- Location: Zone 6 (Eastern PA)
- Grass Type: Elite KBG
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Advanced
- andy10917
- Posts: 29739
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
Not much. Some styrofoam or plastic cups, a couple pounds of potting soil and a fluorescent workbench fixture with warm/cool bulbs (you're probably already have it for starting garden plants). I'll provide 1/16 lb of seed, a teensy amounts of stuff to put into a $2 spray bottle, but I won't tell you what the things you're putting down are until we're done (a single-blind study). You grow the grass in cups and track which ones did best with "substance A" or "substance B".
And then you get the Nobel Prize for Science. Maybe. Maybe not.
And then you get the Nobel Prize for Science. Maybe. Maybe not.
-
- Posts: 1188
- Joined: August 28th, 2009, 1:00 am
- Location: Northeast Ohio
- Grass Type: KBG
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
Sounds like fun.
Count me in!
[ Post made via Mobile Device ]
Count me in!
[ Post made via Mobile Device ]
-
- Posts: 1349
- Joined: April 23rd, 2009, 6:12 pm
- Location: Houston, Texas
- Grass Type: St Augustine
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
What are the temperature requirements?
- andy10917
- Posts: 29739
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
I dunno. My basement stays around 60 degrees, and it stays maybe 5 degrees warmer under the lights. That's what I'm going with.
I'll be doing some control experiments between now and Christmas. After Christmas, those things that show a little promise (translation: don't kill the grass) will be sent to others to repeat experiments and find the best dosages.
Here are some things that I'm looking into (alone and in combination):
- Gibberellic Acid
- Thiamine
- Brassinolide
- Indole (IAA and IBA)
- Benzylaminopurine
- NAA
- Triacontanol
I'll be doing some control experiments between now and Christmas. After Christmas, those things that show a little promise (translation: don't kill the grass) will be sent to others to repeat experiments and find the best dosages.
Here are some things that I'm looking into (alone and in combination):
- Gibberellic Acid
- Thiamine
- Brassinolide
- Indole (IAA and IBA)
- Benzylaminopurine
- NAA
- Triacontanol
- nothing0
- Posts: 1982
- Joined: June 7th, 2009, 12:54 pm
- Location: Evansville, IN
- Grass Type: Front yard-3rd Millennium TTTF Back- Zinfandel KBG
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
I'm in if you need more people.
- MorpheusPA
- Posts: 18129
- Joined: March 5th, 2009, 7:32 pm
- Location: Zone 6 (Eastern PA)
- Grass Type: Elite KBG
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Advanced
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
Where in the name of the Bright Powers are you getting this stuff at an accurate enough concentration to test?!?
- andy10917
- Posts: 29739
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
Canada, I hope.
-
- Posts: 4179
- Joined: May 22nd, 2012, 9:24 am
- Location: Southeast MA
- Grass Type: Bewitched, Prosperity, Moonlight SLT
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
I take it none of these things worked?
- andy10917
- Posts: 29739
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
Hah!! That's funny. It has become a three-year obsession. The number of hours on this is high enough that I'm afraid to count them.
Oh, by the way - they work very well.
Oh, by the way - they work very well.
-
- Posts: 4179
- Joined: May 22nd, 2012, 9:24 am
- Location: Southeast MA
- Grass Type: Bewitched, Prosperity, Moonlight SLT
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
All of them? No data to share yet?
- andy10917
- Posts: 29739
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
I can't think of any that "don't work". The issues are whether you want the effects they create. Do you want elongation, apical dominance, faster growth, slower growth, top growth, root growth, or the ability to break dormancy sooner?
- bernstem
- Posts: 4232
- Joined: April 15th, 2011, 2:59 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
- Grass Type: Front: Solar Eclipse/Award/Bewitched/Moonlight SLT/Prosperity Back: Solar Eclipse Monostand + Bewitched (shade)
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
Let me see... Slower top growth, faster root growth, increased tillering and rhizome production with darker color. Gibberellin inhibitors seem to give some of those effects, but the impact on tillering and root growth is nominal at best while there is likely no impact on rhizome production (which seems a bit at odds with the data on root growth, but it is biology so it often doesn't make sense at first pass).
- andy10917
- Posts: 29739
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
I won't be publishing the concentrations of auxins that work well for me, as I'm giving them to my sons for products for their web store. There will be auxin products they will be selling.
- simpson
- Posts: 4982
- Joined: June 14th, 2009, 1:12 pm
- Location: elkton md
- Grass Type: moonlight slt
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Winter (Lab) Project: Natural Grass Growth Hormones
I'm still waiting on the one we talked about Andy. Production date still on for October?
[ Post made via Android ]
[ Post made via Android ]
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests