Plagron - Seedbooster Plus

A highly concentrated enzyme-based germination accelerator. A 10 ml bottle, dosed at 7 drops per litre of water.

Note: this is not the bottle from the Seedbox

Plagron sell two germination products with almost the same name, and their dosing differs by roughly a factor of two thousand. The Seedbox contains Seedbooster: a 250 ml bottle you mix one to one with water. This is Seedbooster Plus: 10 ml, of which seven drops go into a litre of water.

If you have had a Seedbox and want to reuse the tray, this is indeed the product you buy alongside it. But follow the dose on this bottle rather than the instruction from the Seedbox, because that one was written for the other product.

What the enzymes do

The active components are cellulase and pectinase. Those are enzymes that break down cell wall material, which is exactly what a seed coat is. Softening that coat lets the seed take up water sooner and means the germ has less to push through. That is where the effect comes from, and it is also why it still does something with older seed whose coat has hardened.

Plagron state that it accelerates the germination cycle by up to 40 percent. That is their figure; no measurement method comes with it, so read it as a direction rather than a guarantee.

Once mixed into water the solution keeps for about a day. So make up what you will use that day rather than a stock.

Technical Specifications:

• Type: liquid enzyme-based germination accelerator
• Manufacturer: Plagron
• Contents: 10 ml bottle
• Composition: water, sorbitol, sugar, cellulase enzymes and pectinase enzymes
• Enzyme activity: declared at 125 BPU and 100 FBG
• Dose: 7 drops per litre of water, roughly 1 in 2000
• Use: at every watering from the start of germination until the start of the growth phase
• Keeps after mixing: about 24 hours
• Storage: upright and dark, between 0 and 30 degrees
• Safety: irritating to eyes and skin, rinse thoroughly on contact

Frequently asked questions

Can I use this the way I used the bottle from my Seedbox?
No. That one was mixed one to one; this goes at seven drops per litre. Stick to the dose on this bottle.

Does it work with old seed?
That is exactly what it is for. The enzymes soften the seed coat, which has hardened in older seed.

How much solution can I make from it?
At seven drops per litre a 10 ml bottle lasts a good number of rounds. Mix only what you will use that day.

Which substrate does it work on?
Any. It acts on the seed, not on the medium.