General Information

Cycocel should be used on healthy plants grown under proper conditions and is not a replacement for good cultural practices. Cycocel contains a wetting agent; therefore, additional wetting agents are not needed. An additional wetting agent can be added is desired. If any adjuvants or other chemicals are applied with Cycocel, small test areas should be treated first to insure that no crop injury will occur. Plants treated with Cycocel may use less water, and irrigation schedules may need to be adjusted to prevent over irrigation.

Growth Regulation:

Cycocel will normally reduce internode elongation for a period of 1 to 3 weeks following spray treatment, depending on crop culture, environmental conditions and plant growth habit. Multiple applications can be applied as needed. Cycocel has greatest effect on final plant height when applied at the beginning of rapid stem elongating or at the end of an elongation phase. Cycocel application rate, timing, and frequency should be adjusted depending on individual grower preferences for crop development.

Use Sites:

Poinsettias: Cycocel can be used to reduce stem elongation of all poinsettia varieties. It can be applied as needed to stock plants, cuttings during propagation, and before or after pinching plants grown for flowering. Spray applications range from 800 to 1500 ppm, and drench applications range from 3000 to 4000 ppm. Multiple applications may be made as needed at intervals between 3 and 14 days.

Geraniums: Cycocel controls plant size of seed and vegetatively propagated geraniums and induces early flowering of seed geraniums. Rates range from 800 to 1,500 ppm, and generally, first applications are made after stems have started elongating.

Bedding Plants: Cycocel controls stem elongation of a wide variety of bedding plant crops grown in packs, pots, hanging baskets, and plug trays. Spray application rates range from 800 to 1,500 ppm, but may be increased to 3,000 ppm after extensive trials.

Other Herbaceous Crops: Cycocel reduces stem elongation in other herbaceous crops such as flowering potted plants, tropical and temperate perennials, and foliage plants. The optimum Cycocel rate, timing of application and frequency will vary for different crops and amount of height control desired by individual users. See label for specific rate recommendations on herbaceous plants and perennials.

Hibiscus: Cycocel improves flowering and promotes more uniform shoot growth in hibiscus. Spray application rates range from 200 to 600 ppm depending on variety and amount of control desired. First application should be made when laterals are 0.5 to 1.0 inch long and 3 to 4 applications after last pinch may be required.

Azaleas: Cycocel produces earlier budded plants with multiple buds per shoot. Treated azaleas also have more compact, symmetrical heads. Spray applications rates range from 1,000 to 2,000 ppm, but may range to 4,000 ppm in some cases.

Other Woody Flowering Crops: Other woody flowering crops can be treated with Cycocel to produce more compact growth and earlier flower bud initiation. Users should evaluate Cycocel in small-scale trials to determine how best to apply it under their individual situations.

Determining Optimal Cycocel Usage: The optimum usage of Cycocel varies depending on the crop, the individual user’s production situation and the desired final plant height and appearance. Users should determine the optimum Cycocel rate, timing, and frequency under their individual production situations.

Users should obtain experience in small-scale trials under the different conditions where Cycocel is to be used. The Cycocel rates recommended are general guidelines to be used by growers in trials to determine specific, optimum usage appropriate for their operation.

Cycocel/B-Nine Tank Mix: A tank mix combination of B-Nine plus Cycocel has been shown to provide optimum retardation and reduce marginal chlorosis. The tank mix may be targeted to those plants less responsive to Cycocel used alone. The tank mix of Cycocel and B-Nine is more active than using either product alone.