It all started with a student named Brent – an adventurous and savvy indoor grower of basil and other crops. He spoke of pupping cream and sent me a link. I went down the hole. The timing was fortuitous because we had all just read an essay by orchid master Tom Perlite about the various plant hormones and the role they play in development. We were about to make cuttings and use auxins in products like rootone, dip & grow, and clonex. The topic of discussion was the synthetic versions we apply to plants in cultivation. Most folks do not recognize or understand the overall importance of hormones in plants, animals, humans. So here then is a quick primer of pictures for an overview that brings it closer to home.

We talk about the old time sources of hormones and why we sought after them. Perhaps a male eager for that boost to be the alpha, or a female in menopause hoping for the return of coolness, skin and lubrication. We touch upon triiodothyronine, thyroxine, estrogen, adrenaline, cortisol, growth hormone, insulin, testosterone, and erythropoietin. Then we circle back to plants and cytokinins, the ingredient in the pupping cream. More another day about the other plant hormones like gibberellins, ethylene, and abscisic acid.