Organic Plant Growth Hormones

In the late 1950's, plant scientists discovered that all plants have naturally occurring hormones in their tissue which act as catalysts to regulate how and when the plant will grow. Further research established that certain seaweed tissues contain extraordinary amounts of plant hormones - notably auxins and cytokinins -  and that foliar applications may supply these hormonal materials for use by other plants.

Why are plant hormones and hormone balance so important?

Plant hormones affect virtually all aspects of plant growth. Understanding how hormones work and how they can be manipulated provides the ability to overcome many of the stress factors limiting plants' natural growth cycles and genetic expression. Plant hormones are present in different levels at different development stages in the life cycle of the plant. They must be available in sufficient quantities throughout the life cycle of the plant to maximize genetic expression.

Stress caused by unfavorable weather conditions (temperature, water, light) creates a hormonal imbalance between growth hormones (auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellic acid) and stress hormones (ethylene and abscisic acid). This hormone imbalance tends to shift the movement of sugars predominantly to the upper part of the plant (apical meristem) resulting in uncontrolled vegetative growth. Excessive growth leads to weaker roots, reduces resistance to disease and insects, and decreases on fruit number, size, uniformity, and quality.

An independent research study performed in 1989 by Ricerca Biosciences confirmed that Response contains both auxin-like and cytokinin-like activity. The relatively high concentration (10 PPM) of auxin-like hormonal activity best explained the often observed increased rooting and increased greening of the leaves reported by Response users. Regular applications of Response ensure that these  critical hormones are always available to the plant as may be required for healthy growth.

Young leaves are known to produce auxin but as they mature, the production process declines and eventually ceases. Regular applications of Response promotes the health and growth of leaves and also prevents their premature aging and abscission. If leaves are kept in an active state for an extended period, extra growth and accumulation of assimilates such as sugars could be expected. This is especially important during the growth of fruits where sugar accumulation is a critical component of growth. Another area where leaf intactness is of the utmost importance is the formation of the plant's root structure.

Based on customer testimonials, the most commonly noted benefits are:

- Overall increase in vigor and color of foliage-
"...foliage is like that in all catalogue pictures but never in your garden, dark green and healthy."

- Increased intensity of bloom colors; blooms open slower and last longer-
"...If you ever want to win again, you better use Response!"

- Excellent transplant solution resulting in sturdier transplants with excellent root growth-
"...Everything I read about this product turned out to be true!"

Response is a carefully balanced mixture of the elements in the table below:

Guaranteed Analysis		Derived From
Nitrogen (N)	9.0%	Diammonium Phosphate
2.7% Ammonium Nitrogen		Mono Ammonium Phosphate
2.1% Nitrate Nitrogen
4.2% Water Soluble Organic Nitrogen		Urea
Available Phosphoric Acid (P2O5)	9.0%	Potassium Nitrate
Soluble Potash (K2O)	7.0%	New Zealand Seaweed
Secondary Plant Nutrients
Magnesium (Mg) Chelated	0.015	Magnesium EDTA
Water Soluble (Mg)	0.015%
Iron (Fe) Chelated	0.017%	Iron EDTA
Copper (Cu) Chelated	0.007%	Copper EDTA
Zinc (Zn) Chelated	0.005%	Zinc EDTA
Maganese (Mn) Chelated	0.012%	Manganese EDTA
Boron (B)	0.008%	Sodium Borate
Molybdenum (Me)	0.001%	Sodium Molybdate
Cobalt (Co) Chelated	0.003%	Cobalt EDTA