Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

1999

Dansville, New York

Variety:  several nursery trees

Vitazyme application:  The tree roots were dipped in a 1% Vitazyme solution and dried, and stored for several days before planting.  Budded trees planted and budded in April, and sprayed with Rapid Gro and Vitazyme (at 0.5 oz/acre) beginning in mid-June; ten aplications were made during the growing season.

Sugar Maples:

Three hundred 3 to 5-year-old branched, bare-root sugar maple trees were purchased the spring of 2000.  Expected losses for these hard-to-transplant trees are 15 to 20%.  When dipped in a 1% Vitazyme solution, and dried and stored for several days before planting, there were no losses during all of 2000!

Budded Apples, Plums, and Ornamentals:

The trees were planted and budded in April, and foliar sprayed with Rapid Gro and Vitazyme (0.5 oz/acre) beginning in mid-June.  Ten applications were made during the summer and early fall, and losses were extremely low.

Fertilization: Rapid Gro as indicated above

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

2000

Tyler, Texas

Variety:  Wintergreen boxwood, Azalea, cv. "Fashion"

Potting soil type: a standard potting soil mix

Initiation date: September 16, 1999, on potted plants of equal size.  Baseline measurements of branch length and branch number were made.

Irrigation: overhead sprinklers, irrigated regularly

Termination date: On May 30, 2000, branch length and branch number were measured, and increases from the first evaluation on September 16, 1999, were made.

Replications: ten (each plant representing a replicate for each treatment)

Vitazyme application:  (1) September 16, 1999, at 16 oz/pot of a 1% Vitazyme solution; (2) January 20, 2000, 4 oz/pot of a 1% Vitazyme solution; (3) March 24, 2000, 4 oz/pot of a 1% Vitazyme solution

Wintergreen Boxwood

Final branch number*:

Untreated: 44.1 b

Vitazyme three times: 58.2 a (+32%)

*Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P=0.10.  Significant at P=0.005.  LSD_0.01=7.5.

Change in branch length*:

Untreated: 7.00 b

Vitazyme three times: 8.63 a (+23%)

*Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P=0.10.  Significant at P=0.046.  LSD_0.01=1.32.

Change in branch number*:

Untreated: 25.1 b

Vitazyme three times: 36.7 a (+46%)

*Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P=0.10.  Significant at P=0.013.  LSD_0.01=7.2.

Azalea, cv. "Fashion"

Final branch number*:

Untreated: 92.6 b

Vitazyme three times: 111.8 a (+21%)

*Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P=0.10.  Significant at P=0.019.  LSD_0.01=10.4.

Change in branch number*:

Untreated: 69.2 b

Vitazyme three times: 83.9 a (+16%)

*Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P=0.10.  Significant at P=0.008.  LSD_0.01=8.5.

Fertilization: standard for the greenhouse, equal for all pots

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

2003

Canton, Texas

Variety:  Candle tree (Cassia alata), banana "basjoo", "banana double" (Musa nana), and Madagascar (Sago) palm (Cycas thouarsii)

Potting soil type: pine bark + Carl Pool growers mix + other components

Planting date: June 15, 2003, for all plants

Irrigation: on-demand, adjusted to the individual plant species

Value collection date: September 26, 2003, 3.5 months after the first application

Vitazyme application:  a soil drench of a 0.2% solution at planting on June 15, and again 30 days later on July 15, for the candle tree, banana "basjoo", and banana "double"; the Sago palms were soaked in a 0.5 tsp/gal (0.1%) solution for a few days before planting

Candle Tree:

Plant height (average of 15 plants):

   Untreated: 15 inches

   Vitazyme: 20 inches  (+33%)

Leaf size (average of 15 plants; largest fully developed crown leaf):

   Untreated: 1.5 X 2.0 inches

   Vitazyme: 2.5 X 4.0 inches  (+88%)

Stem caliper (average of 15 plants):

   Untreated: 0.25 inch

   Vitazyme: 0.50 inch  (+200%)

Leaf number (average of 15 plants):

   Untreated: 9

   Vitazyme: 12  (+33%)

Banana "Basjoo":

Plant height (average of 15 plants):

   Untreated: 21 inches

   Vitazyme: 32 inches  (+52%)

Leaf size (average of 15 plants; largest fully developed crown leaf):

   Untreated: 4.5 X 11.0 inches

   Vitazyme: 5.0 X 15.5 inches  (+32%)

Stem caliper (average of 15 plants):

   Untreated: 0.5 inch

   Vitazyme: 1.5 inches  (+200%)

Banana "Double":

Plant height (average of 15 plants):

   Untreated: 18.5 inches

   Vitazyme: 25.0 inches  (+35%)

Leaf size (average of 15 plants; largest fully developed crown leaf):

   Untreated: 5 X 9 inches

   Vitazyme: 6 X 11 inches  (+21%)

Stem caliper (average of 15 plants):

   Untreated: 0.5 inch

   Vitazyme: 0.9 inch  (+80%)

Leaf number (average of 15 plants):

   Untreated: 7

   Vitazyme: 9  (+29%)

Banana "Double":

Number of seeds treated:  38

Number of seeds germinated by September 26 (3.5 months after a Vitazyme soak):  7

Normal time of germination:  12 months

Size of the largest germinated palm:  9 inches tall, the upper leaf having 16 leaflets and 10 spikes, the lower leaf having 13 leaflets and 8 spikes

Time to germination of the first treated palm:  2 months

Fertilization: All potting soils received a 20-6-11% N-P₂O₅-K₂O fertilizer (5 to 6-month release) mixed in before planting.  Also, a 19-13-6% N-P₂O₅-K₂O topdress fertilizer was in some cases applied, but various fertilizers, amounts, and timing depended on the specific plant and growth conditions.