Aspirin for your plants

[MadameCrash]

Aspirin Water for your Plants???

MARTHA MCBURNEY, the master gardener in charge of the demonstration vegetable garden at the University of Rhode Island, had a bee in her bonnet. After reading up on the 'Systematic Acquired Resistance' (SAR) in plants, which helps boost their immune system, she became convinced that aspirin would render their immune system even stronger and keep them healthier. Although richly laughed at, last summer she tested 'aspirin water' on a variety of plan

How much, and how often?

The dosage Martha arrived at after numerous experiments was 1.5 aspirin (81 gr. strength) to two gallons of water. Important note: The tablets should be the uncoated type. She also added two tablespoons of yucca extract to help the aspirin water stick better to the leaves. (The yucca extract can be substituted with a mild liquid soap).

SPRAYING

Finally, Martha divised a schedule of spraying once every three weeks, no matter the type of plant. The summer when Martha first started testing aspirin water was not the best, weather-wise. It was cool, rainy and damp. Yet, by the end of the season, the plants growing in the raised beds on which the aspirin water had been used looked like they were on steroids! They were huge and green and insects-free. Some disease seemed even to have reversed themselves on cucumbers affected by a virus.

Our master gardener now recommends her 'aspirin water' to just about everybody. From people who grow oats to orchids. All have found that plants do remarkably better when given small amounts of aspirin water. It does really well on potted plants too. Specimen are more vigorous and are having fewer problems with aphids and the typical things that can build up on house plants in general.

ASPIRIN IMPROVES SEED GERMINATION

Martha also sprayed the aspirin water on the seeds directly sowed in the ground. The result was close to 100 per cent seed germination, compared to spotty germination in the other trial beds.

Martha's experience caused scientists at the University of Arizona (along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)), to start studying how salicylic acid (main component in aspirin) induces plants into releasing their natural defences against harmful fungi, bacteria and viruses. According to an article by Dean Fosdick of the Associated Press, "They envision it as a commercially viable alternative to synthetic pesticides in a natural way to extend the life of susceptible yet popular crops."

One question, though: Is this an organic method? Well, not really. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is 'derived' from the white willow tree, Salix alba. Studies are now being conducted on plants using pure willow extracts to compare the effects to aspirin.

CUT FLOWERS THAT LAST FOREVER?

Adding an aspirin to a vase of fresh-cut flowers to keep them longer in better shape is often dismissed as an old wives' tale. But current researches have come up with an explanation in favour of using a tablet. Here is why: the wound of a cut flower stimulates the production of a substance that helps the stem fight off potential disease at the injured spot ... but, alas, greatly hastens the wilting process. Aspirin halts the formation of said substance. This, in turn, keeps the flowers looking young and prevents premature wilting...

Source Article: Papillons Art Palace – My WordPress Blog

Peace
MC

 

[Gorillabuds]

And it gets rid of thier cramps, too . So are you gonna try it on a test plant?

 

[MadameCrash]

Ha ha.... I forgot about this... Hmmmm.... I think I'll try it on one of my mother plants and see if it makes her time of the month (clipping time) any happier..

Peace
MC

 

[Racefan]

I advise you to be very careful with the strength you test this aspirin at. I used aspirin to induce male flowers for feminized seeds several years ago. I had mixed results but it did force male flowers to show. Take 3 aspirin and break them up into one glass of water. When it's dissolved saturate whatever nodes you want to produce the balls or bananas. If that didn't work I would dissolve 2 aspirin in a cup of water then actually feed though whole cup via the roots to the plant (and a aspirin misting of the same ratios wouldn't hurt but aren't necessary).

 

[Gorillabuds]

I advise you to be very careful with the strength you test this aspirin at. I used aspirin to induce male flowers for feminized seeds several years ago. I had mixed results but it did force male flowers to show.

I'm not following here. Do you mean you sprayed a few vegging plants with the mix to see if it would force the males to show sex earlier or did you do it to force a female to tun into a hermie?

 

[Racefan]

I used the aspirin solution to force a female plant to grow male flowers which ends up producing feminized pollen. This pollen is used to pollinate female pistals to produce feminized seeds.

 

[Gorillabuds]

Gotcha now. I've heard of doing before. From what I understand you can force a female to produce male flowers by really messing with the light cycles too.

 

[cohiba]

I have heard aspirin turns females in flowering into hermes

 

[Gorillabuds]

I have heard aspirin turns females in flowering into hermes

Uhhh...did you just hear it from racefan?

 

[RangerDanger]

Forcing a female plant to produce male flowers to seed itself (hermpahroditic reproduction) results in seeds that will be predominately female.
BUT
those plants will carry the herm. gene, not good.

I've heard of using aspirin as a way of keeping cut flowers fresh longer, but never on living plants.

The author in the OP talks about plants as if they were people, but they aren't.
Human sex hormones (birth control pills) don't turn a plant female either, because plants are plants NOT PEOPLE.
If you think vitamins/medicine for humans affects plants like people, try feeding your plant a Big Mac and tell us what happens.

 

[vintner]

If you think vitamins/medicine for humans affects plants like people, try feeding your plant a Big Mac and tell us what happens.

No offence RD, but have to beg to differ here. It's been proven that when all other factors are excluded, plants that are treated to Boroake clasical music, and/or plants that are "talked to", amoung other things are healthier and produce better than those that are not. Things that effect us, and enrich us, can influence our plants.
Including asprin. The person refered to in the article used a very small consentration of asprin. Im not sure I would use it to induce a hermi, because it's chemical make up is a bit too close to that of colchesien for my liking. (sorry if I spelled that wrong). I water my vegi garden and house plants w/asprin at least once a month, but only one tablet per gallon. It helps a lot. Especially if you know they're root bound. Bonsai!
Q for MC: was that 81 grains, or 81 mg, which is a baby asprin.?

 

[Bagzgroove]

No offence RD, but have to beg to differ here. It's been proven that when all other factors are excluded, plants that are treated to Boroake clasical music, and/or plants that are "talked to", amoung other things are healthier and produce better than those that are not. Things that effect us, and enrich us, can influence our plants.
Including asprin. The person refered to in the article used a very small consentration of asprin. Im not sure I would use it to induce a hermi, because it's chemical make up is a bit too close to that of colchesien for my liking. (sorry if I spelled that wrong). I water my vegi garden and house plants w/asprin at least once a month, but only one tablet per gallon. It helps a lot. Especially if you know they're root bound. Bonsai!
Q for MC: was that 81 grains, or 81 mg, which is a baby asprin.?

Its funny how these things go, but I had just read something, will have to find now, that music does not effect plants in any condusive way. Talking, does little more than provide Co2. LOL, actually I remember something Mythbusters had awhile back, they were testing the music to plant theory, but they used music genres. . . I think they came to the same conclusions, with the exception of one, the plant that was listening to some speed metal seemed to respond somehow, but I don't remember what.

I talk to my ladies anyway, and I always have Jazz playing when I'm with them. . . LOL

 

[Gorillabuds]

Forcing a female plant to produce male flowers to seed itself (hermpahroditic reproduction) results in seeds that will be predominately female. BUT those plants will carry the herm. gene, not good

I don't think you use the seeds from the hermie plant. Those would be bad seeds since what it did is impregnate itself. That's where the small gene pool problem comes into play and for sure would produce hermies. You use the pollen from the "forced" hermie to pollinate other females of the same strain or crossbreed it with another. You forced the plant to produce flowers by using aspirin which to the plant acted as a hormone. You haven't changed the genes of the plant at all by forcing it to produce flowers. That's like saying your genes changed just because you got hormone shots and grew breasts. It doesn't happen that way. All you did was give it a way to pass along its genes and since both parents were actually female, there you have it. This is why feminized seeds are at a premium price. A grower has to sacrifice at least 2 plants to make this all happen and has to make sure that the entire grow doesn't get pollinated. It's a lot of extra work. Here's a bonus..after you pop all the seeds out of the buds for your own stock or to..cough...sell...you have some great shake to roll and smoke.

 

[Ronnie]

i'm just interested in the part on helping boost the immunity of my plants; and resistance to insects. fuck a bunch of manipulating them into hermies for feminization....
i know a lot of growers try to "improve" their plants to the point of becoming counterproductive. i personally believe the more hermie gene we breed out of this plant, the better we all are. nothing is as heartbreaking as discovering male flowers in what you thought was a pure virgin garden.
i still keep it all as simple as possible...

 

[Gorillabuds]

i'm just interested in the part on helping boost the immunity of my plants; and resistance to insects. fuck a bunch of manipulating them into hermies for feminization....
i know a lot of growers try to "improve" their plants to the point of becoming counterproductive. i personally believe the more hermie gene we breed out of this plant, the better we all are. nothing is as heartbreaking as discovering male flowers in what you thought was a pure virgin garden.
i still keep it all as simple as possible...

Feminizing seeds does not promote the hermaphrodite gene, period. All breeders try to breed disease resistance into their strains but the most important parts of breeding are potency and yield. Some strains are more potent while others grow baseball bat sized buds. It's up to the grower to know what to do when disease or infestation sets in. I've never heard of a grower creating a strain that's counterproductive (whatever that means) and then trying to market it. Can you name the breeder you're referring to so that we know what you're talking about? You did say you know a lot of breeders. Speecees, got anything to add to this? We need input from an actual breeder here to end this nonsense about feminized seeds promoting hermaphrodites.

 

[4iLLEsT2bTCH0]

^^ gorrillabuds is right... if u have a plant that started out female, but turned hermie for whatever reason, and it pollinates the rest of your females, those seeds dont "carry" the hermie trait bc genetically it is a female. thats like saying that if a girl gets a sex change, she is genetically male. she has the male parts, but her DNA still says she is a female.

 

[Urdedpal]

Breeders are working hard to create all female seed. These seeds are not feminized seeds. They are now just cracking the code when it comes to using certain methods to create female seed. Feminized seeds are trash because you always have to worry about your plants herming. Female seeds should be replacing the fem seeds within the next few years I hope.
Lets get back to the subject though. There are so many myths when it comes to aspiren, I find it hard to seperate myth from truth.
Water soaked in willow bark or wood (which is a ingredient in aspirin) is also used as rooting hormone for clippings to make clones.

 

[highlifeisdalif]

so... in the end, nobodys tested the effect of aspirin producing better health and roots in marijuana?
damn,.
it sounded interesting...
what about pinching balls off a hermie, can it change into a full female? or will it constantly produce balls to pinch?

 

[hecatefollower333]

I advise you to be very careful with the strength you test this aspirin at. I used aspirin to induce male flowers for feminized seeds several years ago. I had mixed results but it did force male flowers to show. Take 3 aspirin and break them up into one glass of water. When it's dissolved saturate whatever nodes you want to produce the balls or bananas. If that didn't work I would dissolve 2 aspirin in a cup of water then actually feed though whole cup via the roots to the plant (and a aspirin misting of the same ratios wouldn't hurt but aren't necessary).

I am trying to grow a plant from the seed and it is very young right now. Is it ok to give it aspirin to speed up the process or is it too early?

 

[BeanTownFan420]

I am trying to grow a plant from the seed and it is very young right now. Is it ok to give it aspirin to speed up the process or is it too early?

This is an old post and no one I know adds human drugs to plant food!