How To Use Rooting Hormones Properly

A rooting hormone is used in plant reproduction to grow new plants from cuttings. The key to getting good growth is using root hormones properly. You can get root hormone (powder and liquid) at your local tree care store or online.

Cutting

In plant reproduction, a cutting is any part of a plant that doesn’t have roots. It can be a piece of a stem or a leaf. The cutting is removed from the mother plant, given root hormone and then put in the soil. The cutting will develop roots.

Many plants will develop roots without rooting hormone. For instance, you can take a leaf or piece of the stem off most plants, and they will root. Most flowers will root very easily without hormone too. Some trees root easily, some just with rooting hormone, and some will never root with or without rooting hormone.

Diseases

When it comes to a rooting hormone, it’s best to take a small amount out of the pot you purchased and put it in another small pot.

After using the rooting hormone on all your cuttings, throw away any remaining amount. This will reduce the chance for spreading diseases to other cuttings.

Rooting Hormones-Powder

Rooting hormones that are sold as powders usually have a fine powder in them along with the hormone. Put the bottom of the cutting into the rooting hormone and rap it gently on a hard surface. This will remove any excess leaving a very thin layer of powder on the cutting.

Rooting Hormones-Liquid

Liquid rooting hormone is available as a concentrate or ready-to-use solution. If it is a concentrate, you must dilute it before you use it. Once diluted it is only good for 24 hours. Throw any unused solution away.

The liquids rooting hormone carries the hormone to the cutting quicker than powders. Thus, it is critical to managing the amount of time the cutting remains in the liquid. Follow the instructions, but it is typically no longer than a couple of seconds. Longer submission may result in too much hormone being absorbed into the cutting which could hinder rooting. This timing problem is one reason that powders are more straightforward to use.

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