Hormone preparations are used to help cuttings form roots. You need to apply the hormone preparations correctly to make sure that cuttings can form a good strong root system.
If you have never used hormone preparations on deciduous hardwood cuttings before, you may be a little nervous about doing the wrong thing and making a mess of all the cuttings.
A fellow student, Giles, offers to give you some advice. But be warned, Giles tends to be a bit of a 'know it all' and sometimes gets it wrong!
Why not listen to his advice and then you can decide whether to accept or reject it.
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Giles' advice The main reason we use hormone preparations is to help the cutting produce flowers quicker. Do you think Giles is correct?
Giles' advice I usually dip the whole cutting into the hormone preparation, just to make sure I don't miss anything. Is Giles right?
Giles' advice You had better check the strength of the hormone preparation because if you get it wrong it can really affect the growth of the cutting. Do you think Giles is giving you sound information here?
Giles' advice You can tell if the hormone is the correct strength for the cuttings you are taking by checking the label on the container. Does Giles know what he is talking about here?
Giles' advice Most hormone preparations only come in gel form. Do you think Giles is correct?
Giles' advice Don't dip the cuttings into the original container. I always pour some out into a petri dish. Is Giles correct this time?
Giles' advice You only need to pour out a small amount of hormone at a time. And you can always top up from your original container if you need to. Do you agree with Giles?
Giles' advice That's it. Go to the next page.
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That is correct. Giles is off track here. Hormone preparations do not help cuttings produce flowers quicker. They actually help the cutting produce more roots that are stronger. Sorry, Giles is off track here. Hormone preparations do not help cuttings produce flowers quicker. They actually help the cutting produce more roots that are stronger. That is correct. Giles must waste a lot of hormone preparation. Only the cut end needs to be dipped into the hormone. This will produce roots close to the cut. No, Giles must waste a lot of hormone preparation. Only the cut end needs to be dipped into the hormone. This will produce roots close to the cut. Sorry, Giles is right with this one. Using hormone that is too strong may burn the end of the cutting, too weak may not grow any roots. Yes, he is right. Using hormone that is too strong may burn the end of the cutting, too weak may not grow any roots. No, Giles is right on this account. The label on the product will list the type of cuttings it can be used with. Some products are even colour coded for strengths but you still need to check the label. Yes Giles is correct again. The label on the product will list the type of cuttings it can be used with. Some products are even colour coded for strengths but you still need to check the label. Correct, Giles is misinformed here. Hormone preparations can come in liquid, gel and powder forms. No, Giles is misinformed here. Hormone preparations can come in liquid, gel and powder forms. Yes, Giles knows what he is talking about here. The hormone is sensitive to diseases activity as well as light and temperature. So if you dip the cuttings straight into the original container the hormone will become contaminated and the whole container will be wasted. It's a good idea to pour a small amount into a petri dish. Giles is actually correct here. The hormone is sensitive to diseases activity as well as light and temperature. So if you dip the cuttings straight into the original container the hormone will become contaminated and the whole container will be wasted. It's a good idea to pour a small amount into a petri dish. Yes, Giles knows what he is talking about here. You only need to pour out a small amount of hormone at a time and you can always top up if you need to. Remember not to pour any left over hormone back into the original container as it will contaminate the whole container. Sorry, Giles is right again. You only need to pour out a small amount of hormone at a time and you can always top up if you need to. Remember not to pour any left over hormone back into the original container as it will contaminate the whole container. |
