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What do people substitute for Cannas boost?

getsome5o

Member
Ok guys so im running the full canna line. I was wondering what people use instead of the extremely expensive canna boost? I like the canna line and the results but is the boost really worth the 500 bucks? what can i use instead with good results? thanks guy
 

jackiee

Member
hi getsome50 i use all canna products including boost but pk13/14 is the tops and also i use molasses on alternative days but you dont have to use anything more than the a+b but i find using the others works well for me as they are all boosts in some form or another stay lucky
 
Manufactures’ Claims

CannaBoost
“CANNABOOST is CANNA’s powerful flowering stimulator… CANNABOOST stimulates the development of newly formed flowers… CANNABOOST increases the plant’s photosynthesis. PK 13/14 provides the plant with extra flowering elements while CANNABOOST assures the plant has the energy to utilize these elements… CANNABOOST contains flowering compounds that assure the plant matures to its full potential. It also holds natural flowering regulators that better distribute both stimulants in the booster itself, as well as flowering substances and energy naturally available in the plant…

Discussion

I’ve read the threads regarding this product, and while some people gladly shell out $100 per liter for this stuff I have yet to see a side by side done.

Canna lists L amino acids as one ingredient and hints at another unnamed agent that “increases the plant’s photosynthesis,” a “flowering regulators that better distribute both stimulants in the booster itself.” Again, which one of these compounds does the trick and which ones are red herrings?

The first thing to catch my eye was Canna’s unusual claim that CannaBoost actually will “increases the plant’s photosynthesis.” An internet search turned up a compound that has been shown for decades to do just that, triacontanol.

Triacontanol is a naturally occurring plant hormone that acts as a growth promoter. Triacontanol raises plant yield by improving photosynthesis and cell division. For about 20 bucks you can order enough triacontanol to make about fifty gallons of CannaBoost:

http://www.super-grow.biz/Triacontanol.jsp#ordering

But doesn’t Canna also make BioBoost, which makes the same claims as regular CannaBoost, but comes in a form derived from “a natural fermented plant extract that stimulates bloom increases, productivity and improves taste.” How can this be?

Well it turns out that triacontanol occurs widely in nature. It is contained in the waxy coating on many plants and is a major component of beeswax. One of the most common sources of triacontanol is alfalfa hay. Here’s how you can make your own BioBoost from alfalfa:

Foliar Spray
Soak 5 tablets (500 to 600mg. of compressed alfalfa purchased from a natural food stores) in one gallon of water for 24 hours. Agitate. Drench plants with mixture as many as five times during a growing season.

Soil additive:
Add a cupful of alfalfa meal (purchased from farm food stores, being careful that meal has not been denatured by high heat), each pot of soil or growing media.

Another ingredient mentioned by Canna as well as manufacturer of similar products are L amino acids. It’s what gives many of these products their distinctive aroma. For around ten bucks you can buy enough L amino acid to fill your bathtub:

http://www.super-grow.biz/Amino.jsp

Questions


Am I right about these secret ingredients being triacontanol and amino acids?

Does triacontanol effect cannabis plants in the same ways it has been shown in studies to effect other plants?

Could someone make their own homemade liter of CannaBoost by combining triacontanol and L amino acids for about twenty-five cents?
 
This was posted by darookie2000 in the above mentioned thread concerning the side-by-side, boost vs. molasses:



Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 379
darookie2000 will become famous soon enough

Just FYI, boost is only really used for a couple of weeks during the flowering period. It's an oligosaccharide (carbohydrate) which, when produced naturally by a plant lets it know that it is under stress, so it ramps up sugar production, etc etc etc. It is basically a way to stimulate the stress reaction without stress, which increases fragrance, color, potency, etc. I am quite sure that you'll get better results with the two used in tandem (boost only through the first couple weeks of flowering, molasses throughout, it's very expensive otherwise and not effective). This information came from one of the technical Canna reps in the US, so as long as I did not screw up my explanation, I have no reason to doubt its validity. Apparently it takes them 6 months to brew the stuff in giant vats, which is why it costs so much. The difference between the bioboost and regular is that the regular boost has a few mineral salts which stabilize it and make it work more effectively, but for all intents and purposes it's organic (the regular boost actually costs more).

I'm using the canna boost right now and I'm about to start supplementing with molasses (just got some last night - I used bud candy throughout my last run and was not impressed).
 
Originally I thought that the active ingredient in Boost was Triacontanol. I no longer am so sure about this.

A post by darookie2000 however, suggested that the agent was a chemical that stimulated the production of oligosaccharides as a stress reaction. The commercially available ag chemical that fits that bill is chitosan, made from crab shells.

Chitosan is readily available. It is an active ingredient in many agricultural products, all of which are MUCH cheaper than Boost.

Check some out:

http://www.yeacrops.com/yeatrees.htm

http://www.super-grow.biz/Chitosan.jsp

I’d bet a hundred bucks that chitosan is the ticket.
 

~Shhh~

JETS
Veteran
Can't help with a substitute, but Canna boost can be applied as a foliar spray at 2ml per L, if I recall correctly... This would drastically reduce the cost of using it... I intend to use it for at least a couple weeks that way to save a few $£$£
 

turbolaser4528

Active member
Veteran
Never saw the Chi by GH before, ur right thats probably what it is. that, and amino acids, etc.. I must research more...
 
D

dongle69

GH Chi looks pretty cheap to use compared to the stuff in those links.
ODC Colloidal Chitosan is $30/oz for .25% concentration and GH Chi is $50/gallon for 2.5% concentration.
 
GH Chi looks pretty cheap to use compared to the stuff in those links.
ODC Colloidal Chitosan is $30/oz for .25% concentration and GH Chi is $50/gallon for 2.5% concentration.

Good point.

But look at the suggested application rate for Chi vs. Colloidal Chitosan. Is there a difference? Am I even on the right track?

Moreover, Colloidal Chitosan is a product whose research was sponsored by NASA, which may or may not speak to its effectiveness.

Having grown up on a farm, I’m skeptical of a lot of hydro-store hype. In my experience, if it’s been proven effective, it’s probably got a cheaper formulation in the mainstream agriculture market, but without the fancy package.

Thanks for the thoughtful post.
 
D

dongle69

But look at the suggested application rate for Chi vs. Colloidal Chitosan. Is there a difference? Am I even on the right track?
Factoring in usage rates, the GH stuff is cheaper.
Not that I have used any of them, though..:dunno:
 

getsome5o

Member
thanks for everyones input. i read everything on the molasses vs boost and in the end boost helps and molasses AND boost seems to be the best. Anyone tried gh floranectar with any good results? how bout botanicares sweet anyone like this stuff? thanks again
 

Joaltman88

New member
Golden Tree seems like the new substitute for Canna Boost it costs $220 a gallon compared to Canna Boost's $400 a gallon. I have used it, as well as CannaBoost, and Golden Tree and I did not notice any difference between the two. http://HumboldtsSecret.comand it seems to be the best price for what I got.
 
Molasses for compost tea
Alfalfa sprouts for triacontanol in a seed sprout tea
Kelp and crab composted for aminos and organic sulphur compounds
 

Snow Crash

Active member
Veteran
Cutting Edge Solutions' Uncle John's Blend. Easily as effective, especially as a foliar spray, and it runs about $70 a gallon.
 

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