cycl
beginner’s corner
Understanding
Plant
HoRmOnes
Thankfully, plants employ
a fraction of the hormones
your unruly teenagers have,
but the ones they do have
play an important role in
how they function and
grow. Chris Bond takes a
closer look at how these
chemicals interact and how
they affect your plants.
by Chris Bond
94
grow cycle
P
lants, just like humans and
all other living things, make
hormones to fulfill their natural
functions. Unlike humans, who
produce about 50 different types of
hormones, plants only produce five.
These five classes of hormones—
known as the classical five—are
produced in various parts of a plant
to serve either at the site of their
production or elsewhere in the
plant. Naturally occurring plant
hormones and hormone types are:
auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins,
ethylene, and asbscisic acid. Some
of their functions overlap, and some
are quite unique. All, however,
are needed for a plant to maintain
health and produce viable flowers,
seeds, or fruits.