Why you Should Avoid Using Plant Growth Regulators

Can you remember those funny looking plants in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland? If not, you certainly remember the scene when Alice eats a cookie to get shorter, go through a door and continue her chase after the white rabbit.

Maybe you didn’t know that it is possible to change the size of a plant by using plant growth regulators (PGR). Actually, PGRs are used to deal with growth, flowering and fruiting issues of plants.

                                                                                                                                                      Avoid Using Plant Growth Regulators

What’s the Story?

Technically, PGRs are chemicals used to treat seeds or growing plants in order to make the plants look more desirable. Unlike hydroponic plant solutions, plant growth regulators work as cosmetics for plants.

Hunger for Profit    

It doesn’t take a genie to understand the commercial reason for the use of PGRs. Joseph Tychonievich, horticulturist and geneticist, said it all: “Short, compact plants are easier to sell because they look more balanced in a small pot. Short stems also don’t get tangled together on the bench and are less likely to get broken during shipping; and you can stack many more flats of short plants on shelves in a truck”.

Make the Right Choice

It is true that some PGRs are organic compounds. This particularly refers to those which are used to encourage rooting. However, the plant growth regulators used in commercial agriculture are mostly synthetically derived. Is there an alternative? Sure there is. Start your own hydroponic growing adventure with natural plant solutions.