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RE: Rooting Hormone
Mary Ann Lee wrote:
>I've been "having fun" with planted tanks for only a year and have a
>question about rooting hormone. Dupla's substrate mix comes with a rooting
>hormone tablet in it. What is it? and does it do any good, and since there
>is no Dupla supplier in the U.S. any more can one concoct it ones self? I
>just upgraded two 20 gallon tanks to 37 gallon, one done with the rooting
>hormone, one without. The one with the hormone might be doing better but
>it's hard to tell.
Glad that you are having a good time Mary Ann, but don't get carried away...
<g>
The following two quotes are from the Dupla web-site:
"Duplarit G, a granulate, is added to the gravel material when the aquarium
is initially set up. A root activation tablet is enclosed in the Duplarit G
pack for the purpose of rapid root formation."
"Once Dupla has found the right laterite it is prepared for use in
aquaristics. Every packet of Duplarit granulate, for example, contains a
root activation tablet specifically developed for aquarium conditions. It
helps to ensure good root development for the inserted plants, especially in
the initial start-up phase of an aquarium."
And this final quote is from the literature included with every box of
Duplarit G:
"The included root stimulator tablet contains growth promoting agents for
rapid root growth in the initial phase."
You will notice that nowhere in any of these three citations "direct from
the horse's mouth", so to speak, does Dupla make any claim that "rooting
hormones" are in the formulation of the root stimulator tablet. I'd suggest
that perhaps it might be a "fertilizer tablet", but I don't think that you
can assume anything more based upon what Dupla says about it. And believe
me, if they thought they could get away with calling it "hormone", they
probably would. "Plant hormone tablet" would have much greater advertising
"sex appeal" than "root activator tablet".
George Booth suggested several years ago that it is probably a nitrate and
phosphate rich fertilizer tablet. Sounds more on the mark than the idea that
it is a hormone tablet.
That being said, there is nothing to say that the inclusion of plant
hormones might not be a good thing (nor for it either, most plants are quite
capable of manufacturing all of the "hormones" they need from elemental
substances absorbed from their environment).
What brand/type of plant hormone did you use, how much did you use, and how
did you use it? Have you notices any effects - good OR bad?
James Purchase
Toronto