A rooting hormone or tonic promotes root growth in plant cuttings. You can buy rooting hormone at nurseries but if you have willow trees nearby, you also can brew up your own.
Instructions
1. Gather a handful of chopstick-size willow twigs. Fresh branches work best; avoid deadfall. Any variety of willow (salix) will work since they all contain the natural chemical IBA (indolebutyric acid) - a natural plant growth regulator.
2. Chop the willow stems into 3-4 inch pieces with clippers or a cleaver. You should have about 2 cups of clippings to make a one gallon batch of willow bark rooting hormone.
3. Place the chopped willow pieces in a large container and cover with 1 gallon of boiling water.
4. Allow the prepared willow bark tea to stand overnight. The longer it steeps, the more IBA will be released into the water.
5. Store the willow bark rooting hormone in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Label the container.
6. Soak tip cuttings into the willow bark rooting hormone overnight prior to planting in soil. The IBA will infuse into the bark and stems encouraging rooting and inhibiting fungus, bacteria and viral disease.
Tags: rooting hormone, willow bark, bark rooting, bark rooting hormone, willow bark rooting