garden seeds (flowers) and rooting hormone

[thaigah]

Is there anywhere in HH I can buy garden seeds and rooting hormone (e.g. Rootone, Clonex)?

Cheers!

[deepee]

thaigah,

If you can't find rooting hormone give good old honey a try.
We were put onto it some time ago and it does work , not as good as the the the propriety stuff tho. Ensure its pure ( no sugar or glucose fillers) and unfired is obviosly better too .

[JD]

In England I used to root all my cuttings; dhalia, geranium, lavendar, maybe 20 -25 different types every year with talcum powder, had about the same success rate every year as I did with overpriced rooting hormone powder.

Just don't tell 'em, that's the trick.

[Norseman]

Are you serious now JD?
Talcum powder used as a growth hormone?

[JD]

I would take my fresh cuttings, dip the open end in talcum put them in a pot with well drained earth and sand, do what you do, and they would root away.

I can honestly say I had the same success rate with my cuttings and talcum as I did with my cuttings using hormone rooting powder.

Lets face it I’ve seen Thais cut whole branches and just push them into the earth, and most seem to always come eventually.

I think you maybe need a bit of skill to recognise a good cutting from a bad one, let’s face it if you’re faced with only four or five possible cuttings but only one very viable one, you’ll, like me take the lot, but would never expect more than the one that looks good, if any others catch the earth then that’s a bonus from an initial bad pool. But I must admit some plants, like Dahlias or Geraniums for instance, can be very forgiving for a blundering hand or eye.

[PeteC]

Let's not forget, talcum powder is simply very refined and pure dirt. If it's not loaded with chemicals that may kill plant cells, anything will grow in it. I've never analyzed the components, but I think pretty gentle if it goes onto babies and women daily. People have been applying dirt to themselves to look beautiful for eons. Pete

[STEVE G]

My Thai partner is a keen gardener and buys all this sort of thing at those open air plant stalls that you see at the side of the road. Most of the time it looks like it is either home-made or agricultural stuff sold in old plastic bottles, but it seems to work for her and its very cheap.

[PeteC]

There's a liquid fertilizer here, name unknown but I've used it for years. It comes in a glass bottle, looks like a whiskey bottle. White liguid with a colorful decal on the front of blossoming fruit trees, flowers etc, and I think a Thai person with a farmers hat on? You mix one cap full into an entire bucket of water, about 4-5 litres. I've used it mainly on papaya and banana plants but it works with flowers and other foliage as well. Super stuff, the plants grow like crazy. I think about 80 baht per bottle. Pete

[thaigah]

Thanks a lot for all your advice ladies and gents.
I'll try honey and talc and see which works better!
What about seeds; where do you get these in HH (I'm not living there, just visiting, but would like to try planting some different local Thai seeds in a warm environment when I get back to Korea!)? Will also try lilawadee (frangipani) cuttings! I love this tree, especially the scent.

[DawnHRD]

I agree with you about the lilawadee. It's a gorgeous tree. Did you know that the Thai name has only recently changed, at the suggestion of one of the Thai princesses? I'm not sure which one. It was originally called lang thon & had quite a sad association with Thais, as it's the flower the poor Thais used to fill their loved ones coffins (they couldn't afford to buy floral tributes). You'll find the trees in many wats.

The princess thought it to be a shame that such a beautiful flower had such sad associations, so suggested the name be changed & she is responsible for the flower's current popularity in artwork etc.

[Norseman]

I think they sell small bags of seeds in Home Pro, Market Village.

[Guess]

Talcum powder used as a growth hormone?

That is actually what it is based on but without the additiions it wouldd be useless I susect although the powder itself may be of some benefit.

From the Science And Plants for Schools web site:

Rooting powder usually consists of Naphthyl Acetic Acid (NAA) or Indole Butyric Acid (IBA) mixed with inert talcum powder and often one or more nonhelpful B vitamins.
You can therefore dilute your rooting powder with talcum powder (perhaps baby powder might contain the least of other ingredients).
Alternatively, you could start with pure NAA or IBA powder from a laboratory chemical supplier and dilute these with water. (IBA dissolves best if you first dissolve the weighed amount of powder in a little dilute Potassium hydroxide (KOH) to make the K salt, or the minimum of alcohol and then dilute to the required volume with water.)

SAPS Team