Preparation of DIY rooting hormone
Preparation of DIY rooting hormone
Rooting hormones are substances, often of chemical synthesis, belonging to the category of phytohormones, which facilitate the reproduction of roots from herbaceous or woody cuttings.
Some of these hormones are, indol-3-butyric acid (IBA), or naphthylacetic acid (NAA) which facilitate the accumulation of natural plant auxins in the basal region of the incision or cutting and therefore the emission of first roots.
As always, nature, which is the largest laboratory in the world, we can find the materials and substances from which we naturally get what we need.
For the preparation of a DIY rooting hormone we must start from finding the raw material. In this case the raw material is composed of water and new and soft twigs (they are of a yellowish-green color) of weeping Willow (Salix babylonica L.); Here is a reason to keep one of these plants in your garden or your company.
At this point, to obtain this radicone hormone you can follow two different procedures, starting from picking up 5 branches of weeping Willow and obtaining 1 liter of water:
- With the first procedure where start by severing some twigs from the willow plant; at this point you have to remove the leaves and you have to cut them into pieces a couple of centimeters long. Place these small parts in a container covered with boiling water and leave them to infuse for a day. After 24 hours the infusion is filtered, poured into a dark glass bottle and goes well. This infusion should be labeled with the date, stored in the fridge away from the reach of children and can be used within two months.
- With the second procedure it is possible to operate in cold water; as usual, you must cut some branches from the willow plant, remove the leaves and always reduce them into small pieces a couple of centimeters. At this point, leave the sprigs in cold water for a period of 7-10 days. After this period the infusion is filtered as usual, always pouring it into dark bottles, labeled and dated; always make sure that they are well capped. As in the previous case it should be placed in the fridge, away from children and used within two months.
This DIY rooting hormone can be used for both woody and herbaceous cuttings and is very similar to the hormones that you find on the market but much more ecological and economical.