Hormonal paste is an excellent assistant in cultivating orchids , since with its help gardeners grow new flower stalks and increase the number of children.
At the same time, you need to know how to use this drug, otherwise, instead of the desired peduncle, you can get many different growths or a baby, which then, after growing to the desired size, is planted in a separate container. Next, we will tell you what the orchid paste is called and how to use it.
Cytokinin paste for orchids
Description
This is a hormonal drug, often used to awaken dormant buds and not only on orchid plants. The main active substance is cytokinin. With its help, cells begin to actively divide, reproducing their own kind.
It is sold in specialized stores along with various preparations for caring for house plants. This small package, when used correctly, is enough for a large number of plants.
Properties
The main property of this paste is its effect on cell growth in the internal parts of the plant at the cellular level . This quality is necessary in order to be able to propagate a capricious plant, which is the orchid. In a fairly short time, a stimulant containing hormones awakens flower stalks and side shoots.
Cytokinin paste stimulates the appearance of new flower stalks and children.
The following types of orchids reproduce with the help of paste:
- Wanda;
- Dendrobium;
- Cymbidium;
- Phalaenopsis;
- Miltonia and others
Release form
This drug is produced in small plastic containers, and they are hermetically sealed . After purchase, it is recommended to store the hormonal paste in the refrigerator compartment and not use it after the expiration date. Since this can lead to disastrous consequences instead of obtaining a peduncle.
Rooting of children and regulation of metabolism
Using cytokinin paste, experienced gardeners stimulate the formation of the root system in mature children. In this case, you need to apply a little product to the places where root primordia are observed and distribute it evenly. To maintain humidity at the desired level, it is recommended to wrap moss on top.
The drug affects material metabolism through the production of amino acids. As a result, the orchid blooms profusely with bright colors. The paste helps save a plant that has been improperly cared for. For example, you can heal a broken top. To do this, you should treat the plant below with the drug; in this place, you can later expect the appearance of lateral shoots and children.
Impact on the plant
Cytokinin paste, by its effect on the plant, awakens its lateral shoots, as a result of which, instead of one bush, you can get a large orchid bushconsisting of a mother plant and 2-4 basal children.
If all these rosettes are not planted, but left in one container, then when 3-5 bushes bloom, there will be a beautiful bouquet of beautiful exotic flowers. also help in the following cases:
- if the flower was cultivated in a room with a low temperature;
- will help with dried/flooded root systems.
Sometimes cytokinin paste for orchid growth is the last chance for a dying plant.
Awakening sleeping buds
Any orchid bush always has dormant buds, which can be located both on the peduncle and on the stem of the plant. Experienced gardeners advise using paste to wake up plants in the spring if they themselves are not able to wake up after winter. The main thing is that the orchid has a peduncle with waiting buds.
The best time to awaken is considered to be the end of winter and the first two months of spring .
Recommendations on how to smear an orchid to awaken waiting buds:
- Carefully remove the covering scale from the kidney and bend it back using nails or tweezers;
- Using a sterilized needle, carefully scratch the kidney, trying not to damage it completely;
- Then the required amount of paste is applied to the damaged part.
Photo of using cytokinin paste.
The bud will begin to grow literally 10-14 days after applying the paste. If more than one peduncle develops from one bud, then it is necessary to leave one of the strongest ones, the rest are removed.
When stimulating the plant, only a completely healthy orchid is selected and at the moment of the formation of a flower arrow or babies, the flower is regularly fed so that the mother bush does not become depleted.
IMPORTANT! In order to obtain a peduncle, the amount of paste is applied with a ball no more than 2 mm. To do this, use a gypsy needle or toothpick. If you apply a pea of a larger diameter, then instead of a flower arrow you will get a growing baby.
Metabolism regulation
Cytokinin paste is able to regulate metabolism in plant cells by stimulating amino acids.
Amino acids awaken the buds, and the plant begins to increase its growth. In this case, flowering will last longer and the flowers will gain a more saturated shade of color.
This will be an important part if an inexperienced gardener, making mistakes, begins to destroy the orchid. After all, if the top of a plant is broken and the remaining bottom is treated with cytokinin ointment, then babies will begin to form on it.
Delays aging and decay processes
By using the paste, the flower goes through a renewal stage and this slows down its aging. At the same time the buds last longer than if they were on an unstimulated peduncle.
Activation of growth and flowering
After processing the waiting flower bud on the peduncle, a peduncle begins to form after 14 days . Many new buds are formed on it, which will have a long flowering period .
Formation of a peduncle after treatment with paste.
Alternative remedy
In addition to cytokinin paste, other agents that help stimulate growth through phytohormones can also help:
- Keiki Grow Plus. This drug is produced in Canada. It has the same effect as cytokinin paste. Reviews are good.
- Letto is a synthetic analogue of the phytohormones cytokinins. It is produced in powder form. A solution is prepared from it, which is used in spraying. With its help, they improve color, increase the size of the flower and thicken the stems.
Conditions of use
The paste is quite easy to apply. This is a task that even a novice florist can cope with. The main thing is a healthy orchid bush with one or two peduncles .
In small doses
By using the paste in small doses, we will get a new shoot on the peduncle, which will bear flower buds. To do this, take such an amount of paste so that the diameter of the rolled ball is less than 2 mm . Therefore, take a little paste onto a toothpick treated with alcohol and apply a minimally thin layer to the damaged kidney.
IMPORTANT! If you increase the dose of paste, you will end up with a kidney with a growing baby.
Together with fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers
During the period of flower growth, the orchid must be fed with nitrogen fertilizers made specifically for this type of plant.
If the flower is left without fertilizer and its growth continues due to watering only, then the adult plant will either die itself or dry out the growing peduncle , since it will not have enough nutrients.
However, do not forget that nitrogen fertilizers contribute to excessive growth of green mass . As a result, the abuse of such fertilizers can inhibit the flowering of an orchid.
When the plant is not in the dormant stage
If the plant is in active growth, then hormonal ointment will be an additional impetus for growing more flower stalks. The plant will be able to cope with cell division more easily , since it does not sleep and therefore the growth will take place much faster than in a bush that is brought out of the dormant period.
Aftercare
After the paste to awaken the buds has been applied to the orchid, it should be placed in a warm place where there is a lot of diffused light . Direct rays can burn leaf blades and orchid flowers. After which they will lose turgor and turn yellow. This will lead to the death of the plant. Also, do not forget about watering and mandatory fertilizing , which are necessary for the plant while growing green mass.
IMPORTANT! This order must be followed so that the orchid, when growing new flower stalks, does not feel deprived.
Expert reviews
The opinion of experts is ambiguous. On the one hand, they talk about its effectiveness. On the other hand, they note that cytokinin paste can be harmful, especially if there is a lack of knowledge about its use. The drug can be stored in ampoules for up to three years. During the storage period it does not change its properties. But you should buy paste for future use only if there are a lot of flowers in the house, since little substance is used during processing.
Some gardeners also sin by using the product for other purposes and not in the proportions needed for the development of the orchid. This often leads to disastrous results. In a flower, phytohormones are synthesized in the root and you can see videos of people watering plants with a paste diluted in water. This should not be done. It is also not recommended to spray plants and leaves with an aqueous solution containing cytokinin.
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About the author: Victoria Semyonovna Nakhodkina
Leading researcher at the laboratory of vegetable and berry crops, Yakut Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
Using the paste on the kidneys
By using the paste on a plant, you can be sure that the end result will be a peduncle or a baby . It all depends on the amount of paste applied.
Required Tools
In order to use hormonal paste, you need to have a number of tools with you:
- gypsy needle;
- sharp knife or scalpel;
- tweezers;
- alcohol or other solution for disinfecting instruments;
- cytokinin paste that has not expired;
- healthy mother orchid bush with faded peduncles.
Procedure
It is necessary to adhere to certain rules in order to stimulate the waiting kidney:
- on a strong living peduncle we select either the topmost bud or the bottom one;
- Use a knife to remove the part covering the bud and make light scratches with a gypsy needle;
- Using a needle, take the required amount of paste and apply it to the damaged kidney, evenly distributing the paste over the entire surface of the waiting kidney.
Application of paste on a dormant kidney.
IMPORTANT! All these operations must be done carefully so as not to further injure the plant.
How to apply the paste and create conditions to stimulate flowering?
The paste should be applied with a thick needle or toothpick. The main condition here is that the selected instrument must be completely sterile without harmful bacteria. Correct application will guarantee the appearance of a healthy peduncle.
When the flower arrow reaches approximately half its length, you need to start fertilizing the bush with specialized fertilizer “For Orchids”, since it contains a lot of phosphorus and potassium, necessary for the formation of buds.
What needs to be done for a baby to appear on a dormant bud?
In order for a young rosette to appear on a dormant bud, a pea-sized amount of paste with a diameter of about 3 mm must be applied . After which the flower is placed in a place where:
- warm;
- damp;
- a lot of diffused light.
In this case, the flower is intensively fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
How long does it take to expect the kidney to awaken?
If all the above conditions are met, after two weeks a peduncle or baby will begin to form from the waiting bud . If the orchid continues to be in the hibernation stage, you can treat it with the paste again and check whether all the recommendations for caring for the bush have been followed or whether there were errors that need to be corrected.
Result of impact: baby or peduncle?
After three weeks, you can determine from the formed bud whether it will be a peduncle or a baby. If the bud is pointed and resembles a cone, it is a growing baby, since the peduncle grows with a blunt end.
A baby on a phalaenopsis peduncle.
Delay of aging processes and activation of flowering
Hormonal ointment for orchids can be used to slow down aging and decay - it renews its tissues and cells. On plants treated with it, the number of buds is much greater. The procedure is practically no different from that which is performed to achieve other tasks. But in this situation, it is recommended to treat the buds located closer to the top of the peduncle, while using pastes less than 0.5-1 mm.
Important!
Even if all conditions are met, a 100% positive result is not guaranteed. Everything depends directly on the plant itself.
Orchid care during and after the procedure
appropriate care for the plant
- The temperature in the room should not fall below 23 degrees Celsius;
- There should be sufficient diffused sunlight;
- The orchid must be fed with mineral supplements so that the mother plant is not depleted;
- Regular watering is necessary.
It is necessary to follow these recommendations so as not to destroy the mother bush.
What can be replaced?
Often on forums you can find a question about what can replace cytokinin paste. It can be successfully replaced with hormonal paste made at home. only three components with you . Therefore, if you cannot buy it in a store or order it by mail, you can make it yourself.
You can make your own hormonal paste.
Analogs
Cytokinin paste has analogues. The composition and principle of their action are almost the same. The only difference between them is their higher price. The most common of them are the following:
- KeikiGrow Plus is a Canadian equivalent. Properties and actions are similar. Among the disadvantages, the very high price should be noted.
- Cytodef. Synthetic analogue. Available in powder form. Therefore, it should be pre-dissolved before use. Additionally, it can be used to increase the size of buds and the color intensity of flowers.
Making pasta at home
To do this, take the components and mix them thoroughly. This paste must be stored only in the refrigerator so that it does not lose its qualities.
Required components:
- anhydrous lanolin;
- 6-BAP powder;
- medical alcohol.
Step-by-step instruction
Dissolve 1 g in alcohol. 6-BAP powder. While the powder is dissolving, heat the lanolin in a water bath and add the resulting mixture of alcohol and powder to it. The resulting mixture is poured into a wide jar and left open so that the alcohol and excess moisture evaporate . After a week, the drug is ready for use.
Compound
This drug is hormonal. The cytokinins it contains are phytohormones of plant origin. Additional components of the paste are:
- succinic acid;
- vitamins B1, B6;
- lanolin;
- penetrant;
- vitamin complexes;
- growth stimulants.
Conditions for using the paste
There are certain conditions under which you should not apply the paste to an orchid bush:
- if the bush is damaged by disease or pests;
- if the orchid bush is not yet mature enough and does not have the strength to grow a peduncle;
- you cannot awaken more than three waiting buds on a peduncle;
- you cannot grow a baby and a peduncle on the same bush at the same time;
- if more than one shoot grows from one bud, the rest must be removed;
- Do not apply hormonal paste to the roots and leaf blades of the plant - this can lead to its death;
- if the bush is mature, but has a small number of roots, then first grow the roots, and only then begin to grow the flower shoot.
The paste is unable to revive a flower from a dying bush . It only helps a healthy bush to have offspring. That is, either produce a peduncle with flowers, which can subsequently produce seeds. Or a baby appears immediately, which is raised to a certain size and only then placed in a separate container.
If there is no peduncle or dormant bud
Without a peduncle or a waiting bud, growth is impossible, since the plant can only continue its life from a dormant bud . You cannot apply hormonal paste to the roots and leaf blades of an orchid, as this will lead to the death of the plant.
On a trunk without a peduncle
If you apply hormonal paste to the trunk, then there are waiting buds there that will produce a peduncle or basal child. We must remember that peduncles grow from the leaf axil, and a baby can grow on the side of the trunk .
Formation of a peduncle on the trunk of a dendrobium.
In the place where there was previously a dormant bud
In a place where there was already one growing bud that produced a peduncle, a second one will not appear even with the use of paste. Since she has already grown up and given flowers. Therefore, the buds located on the peduncle are lubricated; they will be able to continue.
On the bulbs
There is still little information about this, but no one is stopping you from trying . Therefore, we make scratches at the bottom of the bulb and wait some time for a growing bud to form, from which a new bulb will begin to form. Whether there will be a result - time will tell.
Contraindications
Cytokinin paste has some restrictions on its use. It is not recommended to use this hormonal remedy on sick orchids damaged by pests. The procedure will not give results, damaged stems will not recover, the plant will simply die faster.
There is no need to simultaneously stimulate the formation of a large number of peduncles or shoots. The product should be applied to one plant in at most 3 places. Such flowers should have a well-developed root system. They need to be provided with a comfortable microclimate and proper care.
Important!
You cannot use the drug on recently transplanted orchids because their root system has not yet formed. Weak roots will not be able to provide new shoots and peduncles with the necessary nutrition. If the procedure is completed, the young plant will begin to shed its leaves.
Negative factors that slow down or cancel the effect
Hormonal paste is not an absolute way to save a flower . Cytokinin paste should be stored in the refrigerator in a closed compartment and in a dark place, otherwise its positive qualities will disappear.
also used only on healthy bushes that are capable of growing an additional flower shoot or baby. More than 3 buds on one bush cannot be awakened at the same time, as this will deplete the main bush.
Cytokinin paste is used only on healthy plants.
The main mistakes of flower growers
Many people do not read the instructions for using the product. It is strictly forbidden to use the paste after transplanting a plant when it has not yet adapted. It should not be used in case of mechanical damage to the flower or illness. It is best to treat plants that are older than two years with paste. Do not spread cytokinin on orchid leaves or roots. It should not be used on injured buds or weak roots.
