How to Make Your Own Rooting Hormone

Willow water is a traditional rooting hormone.

Many perennials and shrubs can be easily propagated from cuttings. Even some of the more difficult plants can be increased through root cuttings if you follow a few simple guidelines. To encourage the rooting of plant cuttings, gardeners use rooting hormone. If you want to avoid chemical, commercial rooting hormone, you can use willow water, which contains a natural rooting hormone, called indolebutyric acid.

Things You'll Need

• Willow stems
• Knife
• Bucket
• Plant cuttings
• Pots with rooting medium

Instructions

1. Cut willow branches into 1-inch to 2-inch pieces, and split each piece vertically. Drop all the willow pieces into a clean bucket.

2. Bring water to boil and pour enough of the boiled water into the bucket to cover the willow branches by at least 1 inch. Let the willow stems steep in the water for at least 24 hours. Steeping the willow pieces in the water allows the hormone to infuse the water and make an excellent rooting aid for your cuttings.

3. Remove the willow from the bucket and soak your plant cuttings in the willow water overnight. The new cuttings will soak up the willow water natural rooting aid and be prepared to root very easily.

4. Remove the cuttings from the bucket and plant them in rooting medium.

Tips & Warnings

• Make certain that newly planted rooted cuttings do not dry out.

• Feed with a diluted fertilizer solution, following the manufacturer's directions.

References

• University of Washington Botanic Gardens: Gardening Answers Knowledgebase
• Ohio State University Extension: Gardening Folklore