Camellias: Looks like another plant we get to Gibb........

One of the students in class yesterday talked about Camellias........in the talk the mention of how flower buds are "gibbed" to hasten bloom opening and flower size.....I had heard of it before but never knew the details..

"Gibbed" refers to the application of gibberellic acid (GA) to a vegetative bud (actully to the cap that remains once the vegetatie bud is removed) adjacent to the flower bud...That part I got, but there was no mention of the GA rate....so after reading several reports on the subject I finally found a formula for the rate........it was 20 milligrams per 1.5 milliliters....then apply 1 drop to the bud.....

Well after some calculation we deteremined that the actual rate of GA was 13,333 ppm.....now that is one whopping amount.....the most we have ever applied to any aroids was 2500 ppm and I considered that HUGE..........
I wonder how that treatment was ever developed........it really is amazing.....

The bottom line is: teaching expands your mind and let the students talk as you will learn. So now I have another line of thinking to get me in trouble.....you see there are several Camellia japonica in plantings outside my office....and I have this idea............