Cinnamon as Rooting Hormone - Will it propagate cuttings faster?
Cinnamon as a rooting agent is as useful as willow water or hormone rooting powder. A single application to the stem when you plant the cutting will stimulateroot growth in almost every plant variety. Give your cuttings a quick start with the help of cinnamon powder.
No, probably not.
Cinnamon may act as an anti-microbial agent, which can slow the decay of the cutting stem in the presence of pathogens. But, decay is not an especially big problem in stem cuttings of east-to-root plant species rooted in the proper environment.
Among species that are difficult to root, cinnamon is unlikely to be particularly helpful. Difficult-to-root plants have low internal levels of auxin, a classic plant hormone that plays a role in adventitious root formation. Cinnamon has no documented hormonal influence on stem cuttings, so hard-to-root plants will most likely fail to root even with cinnamon applied.
My suggestion is to get a bottle of IBA rooting powder, and just treat your cuttings with it before putting them into a rooting medium. Big box stores and garden centers sell it, and it is easy and safe to use. Most importantly, IBA (a synthetic auxin) is effective!
You’ll notice that I haven’t provided evidence that cinnamon is ineffective to stimulate rooting, but the onus is on anyone claiming that it does to demonstrate the truth of that claim.
Cinnamon as a rooting agent is as useful as willow water or hormone rooting powder. A single application to the stem when you plant the cutting will stimulate root growth in almost every plant variety. Pour a spoonful onto a paper towel and roll damp stem ends in the cinnamon.
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What can you use instead of rooting hormone?
You can use the following ingredients to make your own natural rooting hormone: Cinnamon. Aloe vera. Honey. Willow water. Apple cider vinegar. Aspirin. Saliva.
Can you use cinnamon in water propagation?
Here’s how you can try it at home Take a cutting off one of your plants at home and stick them both in water for a few weeks. Leave it in the water until roots start to form (at least an inch long). Take the next cutting and sprinkle the roots of the plant and the soil with cinnamon, then plant in the nursery pot.
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What is a good homemade rooting hormone?
Making Vinegar Rooting Hormone A teaspoon of vinegar in 5 to 6 cups (1.2-1.4 L.) of water is enough. Any type of apple cider vinegar at your local supermarket is fine. To use your homemade rooting hormone, dip the bottom of the cutting in the solution before “sticking” the cutting in rooting medium.
Cinnamon , Honey or Rooting Powder : Which one is BEST ROOTING AGENT ?
Can you use honey and cinnamon as a rooting hormone?
There’re three ways to do that: Add two tablespoons of honey in two cups of boiled water and let the solution to cool. Wet cuttings in the water and roll them in cinnamon powder. Afterward, turn the cuttings in honey before planting. Addition of cinnamon will increase the potency of this DIY rooting hormone.
Is aspirin a rooting hormone?
Among its many benefits, which I appreciate more the older I get, aspirin is an effective rooting hormone. Dissolve one regular strength aspirin–not one of the fancy new pain killers–in a gallon of warm water. As you trim back the plants, stick the pieces in the aspirin water and let them soak for a few hours.
Is honey a rooting hormone?
Honey contains no rooting hormones so it will not help cuttings produce roots.
What bugs does cinnamon repel?
“You can use cinnamon on any indoor or outdoor space as protection against pest infestations.” Cinnamon doesn’t only scare away ants, but also cockroaches, spiders, fruit flies, rats, wasps, earwigs, silverfish, mosquitoes, and even bed bugs, according to Barrett.
How do I make my own rooting hormone?
Making a DIY Rooting Hormone Boil two cups of water. Add a tablespoon of organic honey (you can use processed if it’s all you have). Mix together and let the solution cool to room temperature. When cool, dip your cuttings into the mixture and continue the propagating process.
What does cinnamon do for plants?
Like sulphur, cinnamon is a natural fungicide that helps most plants root, while inhibiting the spores that cause rot in stem cuttings. Dip prepared plant stems in cinnamon and push them into the soil. It’s an effective rooting hormone that’s easy to use and inexpensive.
Is banana a rooting hormone?
Even though auxins are generally known to promote rooting, NAA inhibited the formation of lateral roots in Banana plants. Key words: Banana (Musa spp.) , in vitro, Lateral roots, Nursery I-Naphtylacetic acid. The use of micropropagation of fruit trees including the banana is spreading throughout the world.
Do you really need rooting hormone?
Rooting hormones increase the chance of your cuttings taking root. While many plants root freely on their own (see below), using a root hormone makes the task of propagating ‘difficult’ plants much easier. However, rooting hormones are rarely essential.
Is aloe vera a rooting hormone?
In many organic gardening circles substances like aloe vera gel, cinnamon powder, turmeric, honey , cow dung, willow juice etc are treated as rooting hormones.
Does saliva work as a rooting hormone?
ANSWER: The best rooting hormone is human saliva. Yes, you read that correctly: Apply saliva to the cut end of the stem before planting. I like to use an organic rooting medium made of 40 percent compost, 40 percent coconut fiber and a 20 percent mixture of lava sand, greensand, expanded shale and alfalfa meal.
Can you water plants with rooting hormone?
With rooting hormone, you should see a better response from your cuttings than if you used water alone, especially if you have more semi-hardwood or hardwood cuttings. Rosemary and thyme, for instance, are unlikely to root in water alone, but with rooting hormone and a dry rooting medium, they can do very well.
How is honey used as a root hormone?
Honey can also be used for water propagation. Just dip the cutting in the honey and it place it straight into the water. Once the root gets to about an inch (2 – 3 cm) in length it can be potted up. I hope this article has inspired you to try honey next time you’re preparing your cuttings.
How To Use Cinnamon For Rooting Hormone ( Magic Roots Hormone )
How much aspirin do I put in water for plants?
The solution is 250 to 500 milligrams (one or two regular aspirin tablets) of aspirin per gallon of water. Treatments are made once every three weeks throughout the growing season.
What is a good rooting medium?
Medium to Root Plant from Cutting A soilless media is the best starting mix for starting plant cuttings. You can start cuttings in perlite, vermiculite, sand, or a combination of peat moss, and any of the previous items.
Can honey be used as a root stimulator?
Honey for cuttings has been found effective using a number of potting mediums, including soil, water and even rockwool. When rooting in water, put your cutting directly into the water immediately following its placement in the honey.
How do you root a rose in a potato?
Prepare the potato by carving out a hole that’s slightly smaller than your cutting. Grab a rose cutting and trim 10mm off the end, cutting diagonally. Dip the end in a hormone gel or dust. Plant the potato and the rose clipping into the ground with at least three inches of good soil covering it.
What happens if you put a rose stalk in a potato?
Rooting roses in potatoes provides not just ample amounts of moisture but also a healthy level of nutrients. This makes the propagation process using potatoes successful. A favorite flower for many gardeners. Rooting roses in potatoes in potatoes allows you to reliably propagate the plants.
What is the best rooting hormone for plant cuttings? Numerous homemade remedies are claimed to work for rooting cuttings, including cinnamon, honey, willow extracts, aspirin, peroxide, coconut water, vitamin C and Aloe vera. Which of these work best?
How do they compare to commercial products? In this post I will review various options promoted on social media and recommend the best ones.
Best Rooting Hormones - Do Homemade Rooting Hormones Work?
Best Rooting Hormones – Do Homemade Rooting Hormones Work?
Antifungal vs Rooting
These two concepts are commonly misunderstood in discussions about rooting cuttings. There are two processes to consider when trying to root cuttings. The main one is to get the cutting to initiate roots and this can only be done by having enough rooting hormone in the plant. It can be natural rooting hormone, or it can be added by the gardener.
The second process is keeping the cutting free of fungal attack so that roots can form. If cuttings get infected before roots form, the cutting may deteriorate to a point where roots won’t form. In this way antifungal agents may help rooting, but they don’t actually cause roots to form.
If cuttings are kept relatively clean, fungal infection is usually not a problem and for this reason most commercial rooting hormones do not contain a fungicide.
Cuttings that have been taken incorrectly, or at the wrong time, or from plants that are hard to root, tend not to root. Consequently, they develop a fungal infection as the plant material dies.
Garden Myths book by Robert Pavlis
More Info on Rooting Hormones: Rooting Hormone – Use Them Correctly
Cuttings Root On Their Own
Many cuttings root on their own without any added rooting hormone because cuttings naturally contain it. Most softwood cuttings from herbaceous plants and houseplants root very easily. Most shrubs are easily propagated from softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings.
CINNAMON IN GARDEN: 7 Hacks and Benefits | Uses of Powdered Cinnamon Or Willow Bark Rooting Hormone
This fact has led to a lot of confusion about homemade rooting hormones. Place some aspirin in water, insert the cutting and it roots. People incorrectly conclude that the aspirin caused the rooting. It didn’t. The water, along with the natural rooting hormones in the plant caused the cutting to root.
To test a rooting hormone, you need to use a plant species that does not root easily and you need to run controls by trying some cuttings with and without the test material. Without a control you can’t claim success with any homemade rooting hormone.
Soil Science for Gardeners book by Robert Pavlis
Honey Rooting Hormone
Honey contains no rooting hormones so it will not help cuttings produce roots. Cuttings of Queen of Philippines (Mussaenda philippica), showed no improvement over controls. Honey also did not significantly increase rooting on Parkia biglobosa. There was some improvement in rooting when pre-soaked in honey before IBM (a rooting hormone) is applied, for Ricinodendron heudelotti.
A few online citizen science projects compare honey to a control or a rooting hormone. These usually show that both the control and honey work, but they don’t have enough samples and repetitions to reach any statistical conclusion.
It does have antifungal properties and may reduce fungal infections, but as stated above this is usually not a problem with healthy cuttings.
Building Natural Ponds book, by Robert Pavlis
The reason honey does not spoil is that it only contains 17% water. At this low level, it sucks the water out of bacteria and fungi, killing them. I can only assume that dipping a cutting in whole honey would do the same to the cutting and harm it. Many people suggest a honey solution, which would be better.
Cinnamon Rooting Hormone
We talk about cinnamon as being one product, but in fact it is many, and the so-called cinnamon available from grocery stores in North America is not even the real cinnamon. Anecdotal comments about cinnamon working are of little use since they never specify which cinnamon is being used.
Cinnamon, real or fake, does not contain rooting hormones. It does have some antimicrobial properties and may help keep fungal growth down, but it does not cause roots to form.
Coconut Water Rooting Hormone
Fresh coconut water contains growth hormones and regulators; after all a coconut is a seed. These chemicals are very unstable and variable. Some have suggested that coconut water might work as a rooting hormone but few tests have been done.
In one test, fresh green coconuts were used but there was no increase in rooting. Another study using semi-hardwood cuttings found more rooting with coconut milk but the study does not provide details of the milk used, nor does it provide adequate statistical analysis.
Coconut water from fresh green coconuts may contain rooting hormone, and may work as a rooting hormone, but this is not a common source of coconut milk for most gardeners. It is unlikely that coconut water from a jar or can will work.
Peroxide Rooting Hormone
Peroxide is a common name for hydrogen peroxide, that is normally supplied as a 3% solution. Higher concentrations are available.
Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant and contains no rooting hormone. It is a signalling molecule in a wide range of reactions during plant growth so its presence may improve the normal rooting process.
Garden Fundamentals Facebook Group
Peroxide produced quicker rooting in semi-hardwood olive cuttings (which are hard to root) when it was used as a pretreatment before applying IBA rooting hormone. There is also evidence that peroxide is involved in the function of IBA in mung bean seedlings and that it helps with root growth in sweet potato seedlings.
A simple citizen science experiment compared cuttings in water with and without hydrogen peroxide. Rooting only occurred without peroxide.
There may be some value in treating cuttings with peroxide before applying rooting hormones, but there is no evidence that hydrogen peroxide on its own causes roots to develop.
Aspirin Rooting Hormone
Aspirin is not a rooting hormone and it probably has limited if any positive effect on rooting. For more on this see, Aspirin Rooting Hormone – Does it Work?
Willow Water Rooting Hormone
I have discussed this option in detail in another post called; Willow Water Rooting Hormone – Does It Work?
8 POWERFUL HOMEMADE ROOTING HORMONES| Natural Rooting Stimulants for Gardening
Willows contain natural IBA and so it is claimed by soaking the bark, you create a solution of IBA that will work as a rooting hormone. The problem is that the solubility of IBA is low in water and even if the extraction is as complete as possible, the resulting solution is lower than any recommended commercial product. Not only that, but most recipes suggest diluting this, which makes it even less effective.
The concentration of IAA may be high enough but the science does not support the idea that willow water is a good rooting hormone solution.
Other Homemade Rooting Hormones
There are a number of other homemade rooting hormones that are promoted on social media, but they are not taken seriously by most people and they probably don’t work. These include:
Aloe vera juice
Vitamin C
Apple cider vinegar
If you disagree, post a link to a scientific study in the comments below.
Rooting Hormones – What Are They?
What Should Gardeners Do?
Many plants root easily without any rooting hormone. If you do not have a commercial product, try rooting the cutting without it.
If you plan to do more difficult cuttings, buy a commercial powder. It will last at least 10 years and be worth the money. Fooling around with home remedies that either don’t work, or don’t work very well is not worth your time.
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Making your own homemade rooting hormone is easy and we'll show you how to do it using three different all-natural ingredients you might even already have on hand!
Homemade Rooting Hormone - 3 ways - close up of a strawberry plant in a terra cotta pot, a hand holds the pot while a small trowel adds soil
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Rooting hormone is something you can easily buy online or in the store, but you can easily make your own homemade version without ever leaving your house. This can come in handy when you need it in a pinch or live far from the stores.
If you happen to be planting something you want to consume later like strawberries for example, this is a more natural alternative that is safe to eat. Making your own natural rooting hormone can make sure that you know what your plants have been exposed to while they grow instead of having to look up the ingredients.
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By the way, these Mini DIY Dollar Tree Planters are perfect for potting small shoots and succulent plants! You can also dress up any size planter pot with this Decoupage Flower Pot Project.
close up of a Decoupage Flower Pot
WHAT IS A ROOTING HORMONE?
Rooting hormone is simply something you put on the stem to help stimulate the roots and help increase your chance of successfully plant rooting. When hormones are used, the root will develop more quickly and be higher quality than the plants who don’t have rooting hormone added.
However, many store-bought products use various chemicals. The good news is that there are three awesome all-natural items you can use that are simple and inexpensive.
DIY ROOTING HORMONE
There are three common ways to make rooting hormone - cinnamon, aloe vera and honey. While I use the cinnamon method myself, the other options work quite well also.
CINNAMON HOMEMADE ROOTING HORMONE
Cinnamon works great as a rooting agent and works just as well as your typical hormone rooting powder. With the help of a little cinnamon powder, you can give your plants a quick start!
BENEFITS OF CINNAMON TO PLANTS | AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE ROOTING HORMONE | KITCHEN NETTEWORK
Here is how to make your own homemade rooting hormone:
First, take about a tablespoon of cinnamon powder and put it onto a paper towel. Make sure that you are using pure cinnamon.
Next, get the stems wet (this will make it easier for them to stick to the cinnamon).
After that, roll damp stem ends in the cinnamon, coating them on both sides.
Finally, plant the stems into fresh potting soil.
The cinnamon powder will help your plants produce more stems and prevent fungi from growing on your plants! Pretty simple, right?
Cinnamon can be used as a homemade rooting hormone -
close up of a bowl of ground cinnamon with cinnamon sticks
ALOE VERA HOMEMADE ROOTING HORMONE
First, take a leaf of aloe vera, and place the leaf on your cutting board.
Next, using the smallest end of the leaf, point it in your direct. Cut into your aloe vera from the opposite end.
Using a kitchen spoon, push from the end of the leaf and move the spoon toward where you cut it. The pressure from the spoon will force out the gel.
After that, put your gel into a cup, and stir the aloe vera until the chunks start to become more uniform.
Lastly, dip your stems into the cup.
Plant your cuttings!
Aloe Vera can be used as a homemade rooting hormone -
close up of aloe vera gel on a wooden spoon with a jar in the background
HONEY HOMEMADE ROOTING HORMONE
To start, bring a pot over to the stove and boil two cups of water.
Let the water fully come to a boil, then add a tablespoon or enough to fill a large spoon with the water.
Stir until your honey becomes integrated with the water.
Take the pot of honey and water off the heat to cool for a few minutes.
Then transfer to a canning jar or a container with a tight cover.
Coat the bottom of your stems with the honey liquid .
Lastly, plant the stem.
Sublime Succulents may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.
In the journey of a succulent enthusiast, learning propagation comes early. After all, it’s the best way to get more plants. And, for the most part, our fat plant friends do an excellent job at propagating themselves.
But some plants are tough to propagate. It’s already painful enough to pluck the leaves and ruin that beautiful symmetry – if you’re not certain that leaf will successfully become another plant, the process can be daunting.
And so the use of rooting aids has arisen. But which one to use? Sublime Succulents is on a quest to find out.
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Experimental Set-Up
The Plant:
A friend gave me an Echeveria he didn’t want. It was a fairly large specimen, and in good health, but it was quite etiolated. Lacking proper sun stress it was difficult to tell what species it was, but I hazard a guess at Echeveria agavoides.
rooting experiment
Left: GardenTags.com Right: Sublime Succulents
You can see an un-etiolated (but not sun-stressed) Echeveria agavoides on the left, and my specimen on the right. Regardless, as mine was healthy but etiolated, it was a prime candidate for disassembling for propagation.
How to use Cinnamon in Garden / Amazing Benefits of using Cinnamon in your Garden
Materials Used:
propagation experiment
Leaf and Clay
An Echeveria agavoides like this one from Leaf and Clay.
roting experiment
Amazon
Some regular rooting hormone, easily purchasable online or at your local home improvement store.
rooting aid
Amazon
I literally just used the honey that was in my cabinet. Honey is often touted as a miracle substance and used for all sorts of things. I don’t often buy into that kinda stuff, but it is pretty great. The reason we use it for a rooting aid is that it has antiseptic and anti-fungal properties, which help to protect the propagations.
Anyway, make sure you have real, natural honey. We need those mysterious, magic parts of honey to make this work – not the sugar syrup from artificial honey.
rooting aid
Amazon
Again, your standard over-the-counter cinnamon. We’ve all got it on our spice rack. It works for much the same reason as honey – it keeps bacteria and fungus away.
If that’s the only criteria we could use hand-soap, right? I don’t know, probably not. I didn’t come up with this stuff, I’m just testing it.
Amazon
A grow light was used to standardize the light received. I used this one, in particular, a T5 full-spectrum tube light. Indirect sunlight works for propagating too. If you need help pick a grow light, check out this article.
Additional Materials:
Some soil to place your propagations on. If you need help choosing a pre-made soil, look at our roundup of the best succulent soils. If you want to make your own, read this guide on everything you need to know about soil.
A regular old spray bottle. I just used an empty cleaner-spray bottle that I had rinsed with vinegar and isopropyl alcohol to clean.
A place to put your dirt. I used biodegradable planters, but it doesn’t matter. Use a plate or some cardboard.
The Treatment Groups:
Now, this experiment isn’t so thorough that it’s publish-worthy – there is far too little data. However, the results are noteworthy because it was tightly controlled.
When conducting an experiment, you only want to test one variable at a time. That way, you know nothing is influencing anything else. In this experiment, we wanted to test which rooting aid was most effective at encouraging successful propagation.
Our variable here was which rooting aid we were using. So we use a different one for each “treatment group”. We’re testing 3 rooting aids: honey, cinnamon, and rooting hormone. However, we have 4 groups. That fourth group is called the “control”. The control is the baseline that we measure everything else to. It’s an example of normal propagation without anything added.
I said this experiment was “tightly controlled”. What that means is we’ve eliminated every possible variable other than the one we’re testing. All the leaves came from the same plant, they were all under the same light, they all got misted at the same time. You see where I’m going with this? Everything is the exact same – except for the rooting aid. It makes sense, right? That way we can’t attribute the difference to, say, some of the leaves coming from a different Echeveria.
Methods:
All leaves were plucked from the mother plant at the same time using the proper technique. Leaves that weren’t separated well were discarded.
Leaves were divided into the 4 treatment groups (control, honey, cinnamon, rooting hormone) randomly.
Treatment was applied immediately upon being sorted. It’s important that rooting aids be applied before the callus forms. The callus is like a scab – it keeps things out. Rooting aids are much less effective if applied after the callus forms. Application is as simple as dipping the open “wound” of the leaf into whatever substance you’re using.
Four small, biodegradable planters were filled with soil. Each treatment’s leaves shared a cup. Leaves were placed on top of the soil.
A grow light was suspended above the leaves at a distance of two feet. It was hooked up to a timer set to be on 12 hours per day.
All leaves were misted every 2 days with a spray bottle.
Ran experiment for 54 days, then ended and collected data.
rooting aids
Experiment Results
The results were inconclusive.
rooting aid experiment
You can see that there’s been little progress – even after 54 days. Succulent propagations take a long time to reach maturity, it’s true. However, they usually get started pretty fast. There’s a dead leaf, and a couple that are on their way out. That’s normal. Propagation is hardly a guaranteed thing.
Let’s zoom in.
rooting aid experiment
This is the control. It’s our baseline because it is a natural propagation with no additives.
3 MOST EFFECTIVE Homemade Rooting Hormones | UNBELIEVABLE results with proof
And it seems to be about what you would expect. 4/5 leaves have got some roots. Slow growth, but normal.
Let’s check out cinnamon next.
rooting aid experiment
This one is pretty interesting. You can see that there are fewer roots than in the control. However, this group has 2 small plantlets on the right two leaves. That’s more important than roots, I’d say. Almost every leaf prop will grow roots, but not all of them manage to get leaves going.
Next is the rooting hormone.
rooting aid experiment
Right off the bat, it’s easy to see that this group has significantly more developed roots than the other groups! It also has two small plantlets, but that last leaf is dead. One can only wonder if it would have been fruitful, had it not withered. Alas, cruel fate.
Last is honey.
rooting aid experiment
Interesting. It has, by far, the least roots of any group. It does have the most developed plantlet though! I’m inclined to believe that is a fluke – that leaf was particularly plucky; the honey had little do with it. Of course, we can’t really say for sure because we didn’t test enough leaves.
Discussion
Unfortunately, the results were not so clear that we can immediately decide which substance best helps your propagations succeed. The results were a mixed bag.
It was pretty clear that rooting hormone powder promoted healthy, well-developed roots. Honey seemed to slow the process, actually. When compared to the control, the difference is stark. The jury is still out on cinnamon though!
To improve this experiment (and every experiment), we could have gathered more data. We’d need more plants than just one, though. That would loosen our control, so we’d need even more data to make up for the discrepancy. See where I’m going with this? That’s why real research is expensive and time-consuming. However, these simple home experiments work great for informing our own opinion.
For some tasty irony, check this out:
rooting aid experiment
What you see there is the mother plant, post-plucking.
I actually plucked more than the 20 leaves used in this experiment. I pulled about 30. The ones I decided didn’t look as healthy, or I didn’t get a clean break, I just threw back in the pot with their mom.
But look at that! Those plantlets are CLEARLY much better developed. It’s hard to distinguish the roots from the other junk in the pot, but the ones you can see are really nice.
What does this mean? Is it better to propagate them with other plants? Do they prefer the same soil as their mother? Is natural sun better? Do they really thrive off neglect, growing just to spite me? Who knows, that’s a whooole ‘nother experiment.
Maybe we should just let nature do its thing, huh?
Bonus
I enjoyed this experiment so much (and you all did too!), that I decided to run it again with a different plant! It’s currently in progress, but here’s a sneak peek!
rooting aid experiment
Rooting Aid FAQ:
Not everyone thinks about using rooting hormones or natural rooting aids to help their plant form strong, healthy roots. If you are new to the idea, you will find the following frequently asked questions section along with the answers very useful.
Q: Is Cinnamon a good rooting aid?
A: Yes, cinnamon is a brilliant rooting aid. Cinnamon does help plants form roots, but the most impressive thing about using cinnamon as a rooting aid is that it also aids the production of new leaves. New, strong leaves and offsets are often more desired by plant growers than excessively large roots.
Q: Do natural rooting hormones work?
A: Yes, cinnamon and honey are natural rooting aids that work rather well. Natural solutions will be more effective on some plants than others, so it really is trial and error. It certainly is worth trying a natural rooting hormone before moving onto chemical solutions first.
Q: Is using a rooting hormone dangerous?
A: Natural rooting hormones are harmless, but chemical rooting aids may be bad for other plants and animals sharing the soil. If you need to use a rooting aid, try to repot the plant into separate containers so that the chemicals aren’t transferred to plants that don’t need them.
Q: When should I use rooting hormones for my plants?
A: You should use a rooting hormone immediately after removing an offset or clipping. This needs to be done before you place the clipping into the new soil.
How to use Cinnamon Powder as a Rooting Agent
Q: Is honey a rooting hormone?
A: Honey is a natural antiseptic that also has anti-fungal properties. Using one tablespoon of honey mixed with two cups of boiling water will help the roots and other plant areas grow.
Q: Is saliva a good rooting hormone?
A: Yes, strangely enough, saliva is a brilliant rooting hormone! That doesn’t mean that you should use it every time to propagate your plant cuttings, but if you are curious and want to try a free way of getting the cuttings to form strong roots, you can use saliva.
Q: Do you need to add water to rooting hormones?
A: Artificial rooting hormones are often sold in powder form. Not all of them need to be mixed with water to work. Natural rooting aids, on the other hand, are often mixed with boiling water to help disperse the solution through the soil.
What rooting hormones do you usually use? We would love to hear about your experiences using rooting aids and what has and hasn’t worked for you in the past. Any tips, tricks, and methods are always welcome; drop them in the comments section below!
Is banana a rooting hormone?
Everyone has their own way. Potting mixes, pure DE, direct planting, etc. I don't think there's a shortage of ways people have used to root cuttings. Well, this was an interesting video to watch...
For those who don't want to watch the video, the person basically stuck a lemon cutting into half of a banana (with the peel), placed it into a potting mix and perlite combination, watered it (too much if you ask me), and within 25 days (according to the video), the cutting had roots. When you consider 25 days is near 4 weeks, I don't see how that's much different from other methods. And the roots weren't very long or vigorous. However, it did raise some questions for me.
Ever since I was a little kid I've always heard that bananas were a great source of potassium. Well, knowing that potassium (or potash) is one of the nutrients that is suggested for good root growth, a banana seems like a good thing for rooting a cutting. Also, putting a banana in soil promotes decomposition (i.e. a compost pile), which many people use to fertilize plants. So it all seems to add up. However, is it really a "rooting hormone" as the video title suggests? Or are there other nutrients in the banana that are ideal, or bad, for a cutting? Wouldn't the banana provide a source of hydration for the cutting rather than needing to water it? What kind of shock would the cutting go through when moved from the banana to a pure soil when being up-pot?
It did seem like a clean way to expose the roots from the early stages of rooting into an up-pot. I'm just wondering if it's really a cheap and easy way to start cuttings. Buying a bundle of 8 bananas for $1.50, put them into cups with gravel (that can be rinsed and reused), and in 4 weeks up-pot it into a bigger contain with the ideal mix. And shoot, if you have banana trees, then it's actually free.
Anyways, thoughts?
Can I use turmeric as rooting hormone?
Here is a guide to using stimulants for better propagation of your plants — some synthetically produced and others natural ingredients put together to achieve the desired effect
Agrouse many gardening enthusiasts have about propagation is that their cuttings don’t take off. “Hibiscus and rose are said to be plants that can be multiplied by cuttings. But my experience of the cutting method yielded no results. The stalks (cuttings) just rot away. Whereas the same plants are propagated via cuttings in all the nurseries,” complains Nidhi Agarwal, a Magarpatta-based garden lover. There could be various reasons why the cuttings didn’t work — from bacterial or fungal infections to too much moisture. But, what can help is the use of a rooting hormone before sticking the cutting into the soil.
What is rooting hormone?
Technically, rooting hormones are naturally occurring chemicals in a plant that signal it to produce roots (as a surviving mechanism) when the wood is cut or exposed. The same hormones are also synthetically developed in labs, using the same chemical composition as it’s a naturally available variant. There are different types of plant hormones that help the plant in growing roots and shoots, like auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins.
For rooting, however, auxins are preferred. Chinmay Lokare, a city-based horticulturist, explains, “Auxins help promote roots in a plant cutting. But thinking that it is an external substance is wrong. Primarily, these auxins are produced by the plant itself to stimulate root formation. However, they are also developed in labs to aid plant propagation. Most of the commercially available rooting hormones are derived from plants.”
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Hormone types and beneficiary plants
There are different types of rooting hormones found in the markets and garden centres, including Indole Butyric Acid (IBA), Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) and more. These are available in powdered or gel form.
Rooting Hormone For Propagation, Does It Work?
Lokare recommends the use of IBA for its balanced stimulation of roots. “IAA is good, but it is very reactive upon coming in contact with air. NAA is a softer auxin, not very aggressive in rooting,” he says before adding, “Even if you don’t apply any external hormone, a plant will root because of its naturally present hormones. But the application of the hormone will help root hardwood plants that are difficult to root naturally.”
While softwood plants like portulaca, pothos (money plant), basil, coleus, kalanchoe and more grow roots without any external help, hardwood plants like roses, ixoras, bougainvillea, hibiscus, benefit most from a rooting hormone.
In many organic gardening circles substances like aloe vera gel, cinnamon powder, turmeric, honey, cow dung, willow juice etc are treated as rooting hormones. But it is a misconception, as they are not hormones, says Lokare. “They don’t have anything to do with root ‘formation’. The roots start forming because of the naturally present auxins. But there are pluses of using such substances on the cuttings, for they have antiseptic properties and protect the cutting from fungal or bacterial disease,” he elaborates.
Usage and application
All rooting agents, hormones or natural, are applied in the same manner with the only difference being their concentration. “You apply the powder or gel at the base of the cutting and stick it into soil beds or nursery. Depending on the season and the plant’s natural pace, the roots will start forming anywhere between two to 12 weeks. It takes longer for hardwoods,” informs Lokare, underscoring that these are safe to use. For every five grams of IBA, one needs a kilogram of talc to dilute.
Sunil Gahtori, a Bengaluru-based garden lover, swears by a organic paste he used to multiply mulberry trees for his farmhouse. “I made a paste of honey and raw turmeric diluting it with some water. Then I dipped the mulberry cuttings in the paste and allowed it to dry for a while. It was then planted in soil, the new stalks developed between 10-30 days. Now I have around 40 new trees,” says Gahtori.
Another garden-proud person, Mamta Dutt, is happy to note the results after using a combination of honey and aloe vera. “It was even better than using the store-bought rooting hormone, which was only 50 per cent successful. Whereas I used the honey-aloe vera mix for rose, hibiscus and grapes and scored a 90 percent success rate,” she claims.
As it emerges, depending on what is easily available one can use the rooting agents by dipping the cut end of the cutting, drying and then planting.
The cinnamon doesn't actually act as the plant's auxin hormone (rooting hormone), rather, it's a natural antibacterial, antimicrobial agent, that works as a fungicide. This allows the natural rooting auxins that are found in the green growth of your cuttings to thrive without competition. The potato provides nutrients and moisture early on, and then later as it decays, works as a fertilizer. These two combine to function as a natural root hormone (increasing the root growth over a case where these ingredients were not used). this is not a reliable source.
We left out much of the scientific terms in our article, as it's geared towards helping new people get started without being intimidated by the more complex terms used by professional gardeners. We also wanted to foster as much of that 'spark' for new people trying this out for the first time, letting them grow and experience it for themselves.
For your purposes, keep in mind that our article is specific to roses. There are times where you will want to add a rooting hormone for other types of plants, but in the case of these roses, you shouldn't need to. Also, most old world roses thrive on their own roots. It's only the newer roses that are less hardy, but you can follow the steps in our article with store bought roses or old world roses, as the cinnamon and potato protect and nurture the rose as it develops new roots.
You can also use willow as a natural rooting hormone. Just strip off any leaves from new willow shoots, and cut them into little one inch or so sized pieces. Cover them in a bowl of fresh water for 24 hours or more (one to two nights, depending on when you start). Then you'll have a natural rooting hormone. It's not as strong as commercial hormones, but it does work well. You'll just want to soak the stem of whatever you're planning to root in the mixture for a day or so, rather than just dipping it, as you would with a commercial hormone.
Again, great as natural rooting hormones are, there is a reason certain plants thrive more on commercial hormones. However, the roses described in our article will be a great start for the kids and don't require any other ingredients. Now is a great time of year too, as they'll make great Valentine's day gifts for mom.
We'd love to hear back from you on how things go!
Honey vs Rooting Powder: A Propagation Trial
I have got a problem not in Roses but in Stevia, can you find a solution for this?
I try to propagate Stevia plants with cloning/cutting, but it has developed roots as rot and dry, so what can I do to propagate Stevia plant?
VisiHow QnA. This section is not written yet. Want to join in? Click EDIT to write this answer.
The above questions are from the following wiki...
Propagate Roses Using Organic Materials as Root Hormone Which Everyone Has In Their Cupboards: Cinnamon and Potatoes
Meme Propagate Roses.jpg
The best time to propagate roses is Spring, generally in May and early June. The light is sufficient and warm but not scorching. Roses enjoy humid temperate environments and require both to achieve successful propagation. Creating new roses from cuttings is quite simple. In fact the materials in this tutorial are within your kitchen.
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What does propagate mean?
Propagation basically means to reproduce. Within the gardening and plant sphere, propagation can be accomplished through plant cuttings, root division, grafting, and natural reproductive means.
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Why is propagating necessary or useful?
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Propagation is an excellent way to continue developing stronger plants. Eventually your best rose will die of natural processes. Propagating cutting from the rose before it dies allows you to continue the best roses without insect pollination, fertilization, or growing from seed. Propagation can be faster than growing from seed. Growing from your own bushes and trees also saves money on purchasing new roses or seeds.
Propagate Roses Using Potatoes and Cinnamon
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Potatoes are the perfect environment for propagating roses. The potato provides moisture consistently allowing the roots to grow in an ideal environment. When the potato eventually rots, it acts as a fertilizer. Subsequently, roses grow up strong and brightly colored. The cinnamon is a natural anti-bacterial agent that prevents root rot from growing in the constant moisture. Be sure not to skip this step.
Instructions
1
Cut about 8 to 9 inches of new growth from an existing rose bush.
Remove the stem at a 45-degree angle. You can also do this with a long stem rose from the flower market. Remove any spent blooms, leaves, or rose hips, which are also known as rose haws or yeps, and are the seed pods containing the fruit of the rose.
Does honey work as rooting hormone?
There are many synthetic rooting hormones available including liquids, powders and gels that can promote rapid root growth in cuttings, but if you’re an organic gardener or you’d just prefer a natural, chemical-free option, you should definitely consider honey as a natural rooting stimulant.
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honey rooting hormone for cuttings
The reason honey works well as a natural rooting hormone is because it has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
Honey protects the cuttings from pathogens and allows the natural rooting hormones in the cutting to stimulate root growth.
Banana Natural Rooting Hormone|How To Grow Lemon Tree Cutting In A Banana
Some plants will root well on their own without the need of rooting hormones, whereas other plants need a little help.
It’s rare to achieve a 100% success rate when propagating cuttings, but rooting hormones can help to increase your chances of success.
Honey vs Synthetic Rooting Hormones
A study by the University of Hawaii’i found that honey does demonstrate an ability to root plant cuttings but it wasn’t as effective as synthetic rooting hormones. [1]
This is just one small study and although honey doesn’t have the same fast results as synthetic hormones, it can increase the success rate when propagating plants and you’ll see more consistent results than using nothing at all.
Cleanliness is also an important factor when propagating. Cleaning and sterilizing your equipment is essential for creating healthy new plants.
using honey to propagate plants
Honey rooting hormone recipes
Most recipes for honey rooting hormone say to mix one tablespoon of honey into two cups of boiling water, but I prefer to use the honey straight out of the jar.
The natural antibacterial and antifungal properties in honey are destroyed when honey is heated, which is why it’s best to use raw honey. (Regular honey from the grocery store has been heat treated, so it won’t help with propagation).
You can also add a pinch of cinnamon to the raw honey.
Cinnamon has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that help to protect the cutting and allows the natural rooting hormones that are found in the green growth of the cuttings to produce roots.
Which plants can be propagated with honey?
You can use honey for just about any type of cuttings including soft-wood, green-wood and hard-wood cuttings including rose, camellia, hydrangea and geranium. Even succulent cuttings can benefit from honey.
Cinnamon provides dozens of benefits to plants, including its natural antifungal and antibacterial properties.
You can use cinnamon to propagate and grow plants in water or soil to promote healthy root growth.
To use cinnamon as a rooting hormone, start by grinding fresh cinnamon sticks into powder to ensure they bind to the stems. Use scissors to cut the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle, then dip the stems into cinnamon, so they have a half-inch layer at the tip.
In this post, I’ll cover the step-by-step process of using cinnamon as a rooting hormone. Enjoy!
Grind Fresh Cinnamon Sticks into Powder
Grinded Cinnamon Powder and Sticks
Grinded Cinnamon Powder and Sticks
You can use pre-ground cinnamon powder, but ensure it’s fine and smooth. Also, don’t forget to check the ingredients to prevent any additives from reaching the stems.
Many companies use sugar to thicken the cinnamon, which could cause adverse effects to your plants.
Use a mortar and pestle to achieve a perfect cinnamon consistency. Fresh cinnamon sticks don’t contain traces of other seasonings as you might find in pre-ground bottles and jars.
Grind it about as fine and soft as powdered sugar, then get ready to prepare your plant’s stems.
Cut the Stems to a 45-Degree Angle and Trim Them
Trimming your plant’s stems will allow them to soak up all of the water and cinnamon nearby.
A flat cut is decent, but cutting the stem at a 45-degree angle allows for maximum absorption Use sharp scissors or an Exacto knife to cut the stems to prevent uneven edges.
Aloe Vera Cuttings
Aloe Vera Cuttings
Once you’re done cutting the stems at the perfect angle, follow these steps:
Snip off every flower or budding flower from the plant. Flowers demand a lot of nutrients and energy from the plant, which takes away some of the much-needed attention from the roots.
Cut all of the leaves that might dip into the water or soil. Again, they’re not the best for promoting a healthy growing environment for the roots. Always cut the flowers and extra leaves at the base closest to the stem to prevent further growth.
Remove excess dead leaves and other extensions. The plant will naturally try to revitalize these limbs, which removes the nutrients from the roots. The water, nutrients, and cinnamon can focus on root growth rather than bringing back the leaves.
Grow Avocado from cuttings using natural rooting hormone aloe vera - 100% Growth for Beginners
Trimming your plants before adding the cinnamon is a crucial and irreplaceable step.
Without it, your plant might never grow roots. I’ve noticed plants grow much faster when they have fewer limbs to focus on!
Consider Adding Honey to Hold the Cinnamon
Honey is an integral part of using cinnamon as a rooting hormone for many people. I’ve successfully used honey because it packs a double punch as a bonding agent and natural nutrient booster.
So, how can you use honey with cinnamon to grow plants?
Honey Holds Cinnamon to the Exposed Stem
Dip the base in water and cinnamon to keep it stuck to the exposed stem. If you want to prevent the cinnamon from flaking off when placing it in the water, dip it in honey before the cinnamon.
Honey is thick and holds the cinnamon to the stem without dripping or crumbling.
Honey Provides Antibacterial Properties and Nutrients
Honey is loaded with more than enough nutrients to make it worthwhile. Plenty of minerals make honey the perfect addition to your cinnamon-coated stems. There’s no need to worry about fungus flies, spiders, and other pests, too. (Source)
Note: Dip the stems into half of an inch of cinnamon. You can dip them straight into the jar or pour a mound of cinnamon on a paper towel and roll the stem tips in it.
Submerge the Cinnamon-Coated Stem Halfway in Water
Whether or not you use honey, you’ll have to submerge the stem in water about halfway up the stem. Ensure none of the limbs are under the water.
Use an enclosed container for the water, then place it close to the window or outside for maximum sunlight.
Submerge the Cinnamon-Coated Stem Halfway in Water
Keep these tips in mind:
Submerge the stems slowly. You don’t want to break the cinnamon off or mix it into the water. The goal is to keep as much of it on the exposed tip of the stem as possible.
You can purify the water through a filter to prevent chlorine and other contaminants found in tap water from entering the stem. This step will drastically increase the root’s growth.
Dip the Roots in Cinnamon Powder and Plant Them in the Soil
Wait until the roots grow a couple of inches before removing the plant from the water. Gently brush the cinnamon (and honey, if applicable) off of the stems and roots.
At this point, you can transfer the propagated plant to a pot or into the ground. However, I always enjoy dipping the roots in water and cinnamon before the transfer.
This process prevents fungus and bacteria from growing on the roots.
The rest of the growth process remains the same. Use your preferred fertilizer and provide enough sunlight and water for the plant.
Use Cinnamon as an Antifungal Agent
Cinnamon helps plants grow by preventing infections and root rot. That being said, it doesn’t contain hormones to grow stems; It simply accelerates the growth by limiting external factors from causing issues.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the soil to prevent pests from coming near your plants.
It’s perfectly safe to combine cinnamon with other store-bought or natural rooting hormones, as long as everything makes contact with the exposed part of the stem.
Key Takeaways
Now that you know how to properly use cinnamon to guard the growth of your plants and prevent them from growing fungus or bacteria, you’ll enjoy healthy, lively roots.
Remember, you can combine other root hormones with cinnamon since it’s primarily a protector, not a growing ingredient.
What is the best root hormone?
Gardeners use multiple methods for growing new plants, including starting them from seeds, bulbs, and rhizomes. However, when the goal is to produce a plant identical to an existing plant, taking a cutting is usually the simplest way. A cutting is a 4- to 8-inch section of stem taken from a healthy plant and then put in water or a growing medium to root. Propagating by cutting is suitable for many types of plants, including some species of trees and bushes, but it’s especially well suited to the indoor gardening plants that tend to grow well from cuttings. Even those who aren’t familiar with advanced gardening concepts and are just trying to clone a favorite plant from a planter can often be successful with cuttings.
Cuttings from some plants, such as ivy and Dieffenbachia, root easily in plain water. Others need a little encouragement, and that’s where rooting hormone comes in. Rooting hormones are chemicals that stimulate the growth of new roots on cuttings. For example, the odds of growing a plant from a cutting taken from a cascading plant in a hanging planter increase when a rooting hormone is used. Finding the best rooting hormone is somewhat a matter of personal preference because most rooting hormone products are very similar. Ahead, learn what to look for in a rooting hormone product and find out why the following five are among the top choices of home gardeners.
You'll Be Amazed With What Cinnamon Can Do To Your Garden
BEST OVERALL: Clonex HydroDynamics Rooting Gel
RUNNER UP: Hormex Rooting Hormone Powder #3
BEST CONCENTRATE: Hormex Vitamin B1 Rooting Hormone Concentrate
ALSO CONSIDER: Bonide 925 Bontone Rooting Powder
ALSO CONSIDER: Hormex Rooting Hormone Powder #8
Best Rooting Hormone Options
Photo: amazon.com
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Rooting Hormone
Rooting hormone products are relatively inexpensive and range from around $13 for a bottle that will treat up to 50 cuttings to $25 (or more) for a large container that will treat more than 100 cuttings. The most significant difference is in the type of product and whether it contains added ingredients, such as nutrients or fertilizers intended to help the plant grow and thrive once the cutting develops roots.
Form
Rooting hormone products come in three main types: liquid, gel, and powder. No matter the type, all three are used in a similar manner: the gardener dips the end of the cutting in the hormone product and then puts the cutting in a moist, growing medium.
Liquid: Bottles of liquid rooting hormone come in either ready-to-use formulations or concentrated formulations that require mixing with water. Some gardeners feel liquid offers the best coverage since it can seep into tiny pores in the cutting.
Gel: This rooting hormone adheres well to cuttings and provides a slightly thicker coating of the hormone than liquid varieties, which may offer more root-boosting stimulus.
Powder: One of the most common types of root hormone products available, powder is simple to use and offers a thick layer of root-stimulating chemical. Before dipping the cutting in the powder, many gardeners will dip the cutting in water, so the root hormone adheres better.
Ingredients
The majority of rooting hormone products on the market today contain one of two common chemicals, IBA or NAA, both of which are synthetic forms of natural plant hormones known to stimulate root growth.
Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA): A chemical form of the plant hormone, auxin, IBA triggers root growth and is found in many commercial rooting hormone products of all types.
Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA): Similar to IBA, NAA is a synthetic chemical formulation that stimulates root growth and retards rotting. It is often found in all three types of rooting products.
Added nutrients: While IBA and NAA are the active ingredients in rooting compounds, some products contain additional nutrients, such as nitrogen, to boost leafy green growth or have various vitamins to help bolster floral production. These added ingredients can be helpful, but some gardeners prefer to use only rooting compound, so they can add the exact nutrients they choose to the soil later.
Application
The information necessary for propagating cuttings is available in gardening books, but, for the most part, the process is straightforward and simple enough for even newbie gardeners. The following offers an idea of the basic techniques used for taking cuttings and applying rooting hormone. Before proceeding, do a little research on the intended plant. While cuttings can successfully propagate many plants, others require different methods. Some cuttings should be from greenwood (new, supple growth), while others should be taken from the older, hardwood portions of a stem. Knowing the best method of propagation for a specific plant will increase the odds of success.
Take a 4- to 8-inch stem cutting from a healthy plant.
Strip all but one or two top leaves from the stem.
Bruise the end of the stem by slightly crushing it or take a sharp knife and scrape away some of the stem’s outer covering. This step helps the rooting hormone penetrate more efficiently.
Dip about 2 inches of the stem in the rooting compound. If you’re using a powdered mixture, dip the cutting in water first, so the powder adheres well.
With a pencil or stick, make a hole about 2 inches deep in the growing medium and insert the treated end of the cutting.
Press the growing medium around the cutting and cover the whole pot or tray with plastic to keep moisture in while the cutting takes root. By keeping the cutting in an enclosed container, the soil will stay moist, which is a requirement for roots to develop. Alternately, consider starting the cutting in a self-watering planter where it will receive a consistent amount of moisture.
Our Top Picks
To qualify as a Top Pick, a rooting hormone should be simple to apply, the instructions should be easy to understand, and the product should contain either IBA or NAA to promote root growth. The following five products feature different types of rooting hormone—including liquid, powder, and gel—but all are top performers popular with experienced gardeners. Any one of the products in the lineup will be an asset for propagating plants from cuttings.
BEST OVERALL
1
Clonex HydroDynamics Rooting Gel
The Best Rooting Hormone Options: HydroDynamics Clonex Rooting Gel
Photo: amazon.com
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Looking for the sticking power of an easy-to-use gel? Consider this option from Clonex that contains the active ingredient IBA for stimulating root growth. The gel seals the cut tissue around the stem, helping to protect it from rot while encouraging strong root development. The gel is suitable for use on different types of cuttings, including flowering species, woody plants, and fruit tree cuttings, among others. The jar contains 3.4 fluid ounces, plenty for rooting dozens of cuttings. There’s no mixing or mess, just dip the stem in the gel and insert it into a moist growing medium.
Pros
Gel formula seals cut tissue around stem
Suitable for starting variety of cuttings
Contains IBA to stimulate root growth
Requires no mixing or mess
Cons
More expensive than some rooting hormones
RUNNER UP
2
Hormex Rooting Hormone Powder #3
The Best Rooting Hormone Options: Hormex Rooting Hormone Powder #3
Photo: amazon.com
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To propagate new cuttings, consider this rooting powder from Hormex that helps prevent stem rot while stimulating new root development. The powder, which can also help strengthen and bolster sagging cuttings, is suitable for use on most plants that can be propagated from cuttings. The active ingredient is IDA. The Hormex powder does not contain added chemicals, dyes, or preservatives, making it desirable for use on vegetables and fruit plants used in food production. In addition to treating cuttings, it is also beneficial for helping transplants adapt to a new location. Hormex #3 comes in a ¾-ounce jar.
honey and cinnamon rooting paste for roses
Pros
Powder form that can bolster sagging cuttings
IBA as active ingredient
Contains no added chemicals, dyes, or preservatives
Also can boost root growth in transplants
Cons
Small quantity of powder
Adheres better by dipping cutting in water first
BEST CONCENTRATE
3
Hormex Vitamin B1 Rooting Hormone Concentrate
The Best Rooting Hormone Options: Hormex Vitamin B1 Rooting Hormone Concentrate
Photo: amazon.com
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Also from Hormex, this rooting hormone features the active ingredient NAA and comes in a concentrated liquid form that will treat dozens of cuttings. To use, dip a fresh cutting into the undiluted rooting hormone and insert the cutting in a moist growing medium. For an added root-boosting effect, mix 1 teaspoon of Hormex concentrate in 1 gallon of water and use the solution to saturate the soil around the new cutting. When transplanting newly rooted plants, use the same liquid solution for watering to reduce transplant shock. The inclusion of Vitamin B in the Hormex product adds a vital nutrient to the soil for robust plant growth. Best of all, the rooting hormone is available at an attractive price point.
Pros
Affordable concentrated liquid
Active ingredient of NAA
Includes vitamin B1 to add nutrients
Can dilute for use on transplants
Cons
Strong concentrate might require mixing with water
NAA is a synthetic chemical
ALSO CONSIDER
4
Bonide 925 Bontone Rooting Powder
The Best Rooting Hormone Options: Bonide (BND925 - Bontone II Rooting Powder, Hormone Root Fertilizer (1.25 oz.)
Photo: amazon.com
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Bonide’s rooting powder is well suited for helping establish healthy, robust roots on stem cuttings, but it’s also useful for encouraging strong growth when planting seeds and bulbs. The active ingredient, IBA, stimulates root growth on most cuttings, including softwoods, hardwoods, vegetables, and flowering varieties. It comes in powder form and can also be used to coat seeds and bulbs by sprinkling it directly on them before planting. When transplanting a plant to a new location, users can also mix a teaspoon, or so, of the powder in the growing medium to reduce transplant shock and help the plant adapt. Each jar contains 1.25 ounces, enough for a few dozen cuttings or transplants.
Pros
Versatile rooting hormone for many cutting types
Also boosts growth of seeds and bulbs
Can ease transplant shock
Active ingredient of IBA
Cons
Powder works best if cutting dipped in water first
Package of four might be more than needed
ALSO CONSIDER
5
Hormex Rooting Hormone Powder #8
The Best Rooting Hormone Options: Hormex Rooting Hormone Powder #8
Photo: amazon.com
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For quick rooting of most cuttings, opt for a rooting hormone like this one that contains the active chemical IBA. Suitable for use in most plants, including greenwood and softwood cuttings, this Hormex option is formulated to promote the development of healthy roots. The product comes in powder form for easy application. A singe jar contains 2 ounces of powder—plenty for rooting many dozens of cuttings. For best results, take cuttings only from the current season’s growth from a healthy mother plant. Dip the end of the cutting in water before dipping it in the powdered rooting hormone.
Pros
ASPIRIN HACKS ON PLANTS and GARDENING: Top 6 Benefits of Aspirin as Rooting Hormone + Others
Quick-adding formula with IBA
Suitable for cuttings from most plants
Package contains 2 ounces of powder
Free of dyes and preservatives
Cons
Requires dipping cutting in water before powder
Our Verdict
The best rooting hormone can protect and boost growth of cuttings to propagate new plants. Our top pick, Clonex HydroDynamics Rooting Gel, seals cut tissue and boosts root development. Those who prefer a powder might prefer Hormex Rooting Hormone Powder #3, which can strengthen and protect sagging cuttings while boosting root growth.
How We Chose the Best Rooting Hormones
Use of a rooting hormone can help gardeners duplicate favorite plants from cuttings. Although most rooting products are similar, we looked at types and some features of products to help buyers choose based on personal preference. This list includes liquid, gel, and powder formulas and a choice of the two most common active ingredients. We also considered application methods and ease of use.
FAQs
The application of rooting hormone increases the odds of success when propagating with cuttings. The product stimulates root growth and reduces the risk of stem rot. For gardeners new to the product, a few questions are to be expected.
Q. How does a rooting hormone work?
A rooting hormone stimulates root growth at the cut end of a stem.
Q. Is rooting hormone necessary for cuttings?
Not always, but it’s handy to have around. Some plants, especially indoor plants, can root in just plain water.
Q. How long will my rooting hormone take to work?
Depending on the plant, roots should start to develop within two to six weeks. Research the plant you’re trying to propagate for a specific timeline.
Q. Do rooting hormone solutions work for hydroponic plants?
Rooting hormones are often used in hydroponic systems to stimulate plant growth.
How do I make my own rooting hormone?
Have you tried to propagate plants but not had much success?
Have you excitedly taken cuttings from your garden and placed them lovingly in your nursery, only to see them wilting and drooping?
Well, you might be missing out on a key element of propagating cuttings successfully – using rooting hormone. If you’ve never experimented with rooting hormone, you’re missing out on a big boost in the success rate of your plant propagation.
In this article, we’ll cover the following:
Modular Metal Garden Bed
Why gardeners use rooting hormone
The different types of rooting hormone
How to make natural rooting hormone
Some of the best rooting hormone products on the market
Top Picks From Amazon:
Gel Rooting Hormone: HydroDynamics Clonex Rooting Gel
Liquid: Dip ‘N Grow Liquid Rooting Hormone
Powder: Garden Safe Take Root Rooting Hormone
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What Is Rooting Hormone?
When gardeners want to propagate plants, they’re often impatient and want to increase the likelihood that a plant will root successfully. This makes sense — we all want our plant babies to thrive!
If you’re taking cuttings, root hormone helps a cutting develop strong roots quicker instead of struggling to survive.
It doesn’t matter what type of rooting hormone you use, only that you use one in general. It’s far more effective than trying to propagate with traditional soil or water techniques.
Best Rooting Hormone for your plants
The long and short of it is this: rooting hormones will never decrease the chance that a plant propagates, they will only increase it.
So why not try them?
Types of Rooting Hormones
From left to right: liquid, gel, and powdered rooting hormones. All work, but you may want to choose one over the other depending on what you're trying to root.
From left to right: liquid, gel, and powdered rooting hormones.
Liquid
Liquid is by far the most common type of rooting hormone, but there are two different formats it’s sold in. The first is standard-strength rooting hormone that can be used right out of the bottle. The second is a concentrated rooting hormone that must be diluted in order to properly apply it.
When using a ready-to-go liquid rooting hormone, you should pour it into a different container instead of dipping it directly into the bottle. This prevents any disease from contaminating your cuttings.
If you’re using the concentrated form, you must dilute it before you can use it. You may think it’s a hassle to dilute your rooting hormone, but it tends to be cheaper than the ready-to-go format. It also allows you to more closely calibrate the dilution to the plant that you are trying to propagate.
Recommended: Dip ‘N Grow Liquid Rooting Hormone
Check Current Price On Amazon
Powder
If you want a more shelf-stable rooting hormone, opt for the powdered version. Hobbyist and commercial gardeners alike are fans of powdered rooting hormone because it lasts longer.
When using powder rooting hormone, dip your cuttings into water first so the powder will adhere to and seal the cut area. Then, pour some powder into a separate bowl or plate so as to avoid contamination. Finally, dip your wet cuttings into the powder and shake off any excess.
Recommended: Garden Safe Take Root Rooting Hormone
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Gel
The most popular of the three types of rooting hormone is the gel form. This is my personal choice because I like the most convenient rooting process possible, so powder and liquid are out for me.
All you need to do when using gel rooting hormones is to place the gel in a small container and then dip your cuttings in them. The gel will stick to the cutting so you do not need to do anything else. Then, place your cutting in a growing medium and You’re good to go.
Recommended: HydroDynamics Clonex Rooting Gel
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How to Use Rooting Hormone Properly
Using rooting hormone is extremely simple, but there are a couple of steps to make sure you get right to make sure your cuttings root successfully.
Here’s a video on how I clone basil using a powdered rooting hormone, along with a step-by-step process below:
Step 1: Gather Your Cuttings
The first thing to do is gather cuttings. Taking good cuttings is the subject of another article, but in general you’ll want to strip off a couple of leaves at the bottom and make a 45-degree cut with a sterilized knife. Then, place them in the same area and prepare for step two.
Rooting Hormone vs. Homemade DIY Alternatives
Step 2: Preparing Your Rooting Hormone
You’ll need to properly prepare your rooting hormone based on the type you purchase.
If you are using a liquid, non-concentrated solution, pour that into a separate container to avoid contamination. If you’re using a concentrated liquid, you’ll need to dilute it and pour it into a separate container.
If you’re using a powdered or gel solution, pour it into a separate container as well.
Step 3: Apply the Rooting Hormone
If you’re using a liquid rooting hormone, all you need to do is dip your cuttings into the solution and set aside.
Powdered rooting hormone will require you to dip your cuttings in water, then roll in the powder, then shake off any excess.
The gel rooting hormone is the easiest to use, because all you have to do is dip it and the gel will adhere to your cutting.
Step 4: Planting Your Cuttings
Now that your rooting hormone is applied, you need to plant your cuttings in a growing medium. I have an entire article on the best types of growing media, but you can use organic peat moss, soil, or rockwool cubes and they should do just fine.
Once you place your cuttings in your growing media, cover them with a humidity dome or plastic bag and place in an area where they get bright light.
Step 5: Wait For Your Cuttings To Root
While your cuttings are establishing their root systems, make sure that you give them enough moisture. Because they do not have a root system, they will dehydrate quickly unless they live in a high humidity environment. This is what the humidity dome and daily misting solve.
Once you see new root and leaf development, you can move them to an area with lower humidity as they will be able to sustain themselves.
Making a DIY Rooting Hormone
If you’re more of a DIY type, you can make a homemade rooting hormone with a few different ingredients. The main two ways to make your own rooting hormone are with either honey or willow. Most people do not have access to willow trees, but can get a hold of some honey.
Honey Rooting Hormone Recipe
Boil two cups of water.
Add a tablespoon of organic honey (you can use processed if it’s all you have).
Mix together and let the solution cool to room temperature.
When cool, dip your cuttings into the mixture and continue the propagating process.
Many gardeners report that this recipe produces healthy and vigorous root growth that’s equal or better than commercial rooting hormones on the market.
I have yet to try it myself, but if you do definitely let me know in the comments!
The Best Rooting Hormones To Buy
Best Rooting Gel
HydroDynamics Clonex Rooting Gel
SALEHydroDynamics Clonex Rooting Gel, 100 ml
HydroDynamics Clonex Rooting Gel, 100 ml
Clonex is a high performance, water-based, rooting...
Contains a full spectrum of mineral nutrients and...
Supplies hormones to promote root cell development
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Clonex is my choice for the best rooting gel on the market. Not only is it affordable, but I’ve never had any problems using it with any plant that I have propagated.
As it is a gel, it will remain in contact with the stem and seal off the cut area. It includes a full spectrum of all the nutrients and trace elements that a plant needs to stimulate new root growth.
The shelf life can be a concern, but I’ve never had any problems using it for up to 4 years after purchasing. In fact, I usually run out of it before a year’s time, so the shelf life has never been a problem for me.
Another good option: General Hydroponics Rapid Start for Root Branching
Succulent Rooting Powder Hormone using Cinnamon / Prevent Mealybugs for succulent propagation
General Hydroponics Rapid Start for Root Branching, 125ml
General Hydroponics Rapid Start for Root Branching, 125ml
Using RapidStart stimulates prolific root...
Use during the entire growing cycle in all types...
RapidStart strong finish bigger is always better.
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I recommend a lot of General Hydroponics products, because they are great for beginners and often priced well. This rooting hormone is no exception. If you use it in conjunction with their Rapid Rooter Starter Plugs, you have a powerful one-two punch for propagating cuttings successfully and quickly.
Rapid Start is a gel rooting hormone and offers a blend of plant extracts, amino acids, and nutrients all designed to stimulate massive root growth and branching. The goal with this product is not only to speed up the rooting process, but to create better roots and a stronger root structure.
Best Liquid Rooting Hormone
Dip ‘N Grow Liquid Rooting Hormone
DIP N Grow DG00201 Liquid Hormone Concentrate Hydroponic Rooting Solution, 2-Ounce
DIP N Grow DG00201 Liquid Hormone Concentrate Hydroponic Rooting Solution, 2-Ounce
Rooting hormone
Liquid concentrate
Contains both rooting auxins
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This is a fantastic product for two reasons: it comes with a separate container to pour your rooting concentrate into, and also eliminates cross-contamination problems because it contains ethyl and isopropyl alcohol. This means that it sanitizes itself!
One thing to keep in mind is that this is a concentrated rooting hormone, so you will need to dilute it before use. However, it is quite inexpensive, so it is a good pick for a budget-conscious gardener.
Best Powdered Rooting Hormone
Garden Safe Take Root Rooting Hormone
Garden Safe Take Root Rooting Hormone, 2-Ounce(2Pack)
Garden Safe Take Root Rooting Hormone, 2-Ounce(2Pack)
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If you’re looking for a powdered solution, go with Garden Safe TakeRoot. It’s a super cheap way to propagate plants, because the powdered format is by far the cheapest. However, you’ll need to make sure to avoid cross-contamination. You’ll also need to dip your cuttings in water before you dip them in the powder.
I prefer gel rooting hormones, but if you’re set on getting a powdered one, this is the one to go with.
Go Forth and Propagate Successfully!
No matter which rooting product you go with, know that you are doing right by your cuttings. Because we put so much time and care into our gardens, it’s always heartbreaking when something doesn’t go right.
Why would you want to hamper your chances of success just to save a little money?
If you have any comments or questions about rooting hormones, as always leave them in the comments and I’d be happy to tackle them for you. Happy gardening!
What can I use instead of rooting hormone?
There are many surprising ways to use apple cider vinegar in gardens, and rooting plants with vinegar is one of the most popular. Read on for more information about making homemade rooting hormone with apple cider vinegar for cuttings. Apple Cider Vinegar as Rooting Hormone Propagating plants by “starting” root cuttings is a simple way to add to your indoor or outdoor plant collection with little expense. Dipping the stems in rooting hormones get cuttings off to a healthy start and increases the chance of success. Many gardeners believe rooting hormones are an unnecessary expense, and that cuttings will root just fine on their own. It’s true that some plants, such as English ivy, will root freely without help, but many others enjoy the boost that hormones can provide. Commercial rooting compounds are convenient products available in gel, liquid and powder form. They are made of auxins, which are naturally occurring plant hormones. Although auxins are produced naturally, most commercial products contain auxins made in labs. These products are deemed safe when used in small amounts, but organic gardeners often prefer to avoid chemicals in the garden. Instead, they opt for propagating plants with organic rooting hormone such as a vinegar solution. Making Vinegar Rooting Hormone A small amount of apple cider vinegar is all you need to create this organic rooting hormone, and too much may prevent rooting. (Vinegar for garden use actually includes using apple cider vinegar to kill weeds.) A teaspoon of vinegar in 5 to 6 cups (1.2-1.4 L.) of water is enough. Any type of apple cider vinegar at your local supermarket is fine. To use your homemade rooting hormone, dip the bottom of the cutting in the solution before “sticking” the cutting in rooting medium. Using apple cider vinegar as rooting hormone is a great way to give your cuttings that extra jump they need to grow roots.
Read more at Gardening Know How: Vinegar For Garden Use: Making Homemade Vinegar Rooting Hormone https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/vinegar-rooting-hormone.htm
Will cinnamon powder hurt plants?
Did you know that plain old kitchen cinnamon is an amazing fungicide? Not only that, but cinnamon can be used in the garden so many different ways. I've discovered 8 different ways to use cinnamon for plants. From fungus killer to rooting hormone, cinnamon has got ya covered!
Using cinnamon in the garden
Cinnamon Powder for Succulent. Effective!
There are 2 things that I'm sure you know about me by now.
1) I'm frugal
2) I prefer to do things as natural as possible.
Pretty simple right? I try to do things the way my great-grandma did. She lived on a farm in the 1920's, and raised 6 kids on 1 income! Everything did double duty and it was done the cheapest way possible. I'm just like her!
So I'm often looking for simple solutions instead of the expensive commercial crap the media tries to convince us we need now.
That type of search is exactly what led me to cinnamon as a remedy for what ails my plants. I mostly use cinnamon for seedlings since cinnamon prevents dampening off disease, but it can be used several other ways.
Here are my most common uses for cinnamon in the home & garden.
How to use cinnamon in your garden
1) Cinnamon saves seedlings.
The term dampening off covers a range of diseases that attack a seed/seedling either before or after germination and cause the seedling to die. They can be caused by several different fungus and soil conditions.
A few years back I read that if you dust the soil of seedlings with cinnamon, it will prevent dampening off. I've been doing it since with great results! This makes a lot of sense too, since cinnamon has antifungal properties.
This also gets rid of those little fungus gnats that somehow appear around seedling trays. Cinnamon kills the fungus they feed off of.
Cinnamon dusted on seedlings
2) Prevent wild mushrooms.
Grow Hibiscus Cutting By Cinnamon Powder | Natural Rooting Hormone
Nothing worse then having to waste a beautiful day pulling mushrooms from the mulch in my flower beds. Mushrooms are fungus and luckily cinnamon has antifungal properties.
By dusting cinnamon all over the garden mulch, it helps to control mushroom growth. Don't worry, it won't hurt your plants.
3) Cinnamon as rooting hormone.
Cinnamon is much cheaper than the chemical rooting hormone they sell in the big box store and just as effective! Just allow the cutting to dry slightly then apply cinnamon powder to the stem before you plant the cutting.
cinnamon in the garden
4) Cinnamon as ant deterrent.
Ants do not like cinnamon! Sprinkle cinnamon in your greenhouse or around your garden beds to deter garden pests. It will not kill the ants, but they will stay away from it.
Sprinkle a line of it in front of your doors if ants are coming into your house. They really hate to cross a line of cinnamon!
5) Cinnamon heals plant wounds.
Overzealous pruning or a slip of the weed whacker and you'll have a plant with a wound that needs fixed up. Simply dust cinnamon on the wound to encourage healing and prevent fungal infection at the same time.
6) Deters furry pests.
Dust cinnamon along the outside of the garden to deter rabbits, squirrels and even moles. Small critters are close enough to the ground that as they walk through the cinnamon they will get it on their face and breathe it in.
Cinnamon will irritate the mucous membranes of their nose and mouth without causing permanent harm, but will deter them from visiting again.
7) Flying bug deterrent.
Cinnamon oil is known to be a deterrent for flying bugs like mosquitoes. When dusted around the garden, cinnamon powder can have the same effect. Also see #8 for more flying bug info...
8) Cinnamon for house plants.
Cinnamon gets rid of molds and mildew in house plants too. Simply sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on the soil. Fungus shows up as discolored spots on the soil.
It will also get rid of gnats if you happen to have them buzzing around your house plants. These are the same gnats seedlings get. The cinnamon destroys the fungus they feed on and the gnats will die.
Cinnamon for plant rust?
I've also read that cinnamon may help to control rust in plants, but since I've never experienced it I'm not positive. It certainly won't hurt to try.
CAN YOU USE CINNAMON STICKS IN THE GARDEN?
As much as I want to be able to use cinnamon sticks in my garden it has a very low effectiveness. Powdered cinnamon is best. The only things cinnamon sticks help with is to prevent mushrooms and in that case they need to be broken up into smaller pieces and scattered among the mulch.
I used a rubber mallet to break them up, as they are pretty hard.
disclosure
OTHER USES FOR CINNAMON
Cinnamon also has some amazing health benefits for us so it's great to have on hand and best of all, I always find it at the dollar store! Check out these 13 Proven health benefits of cinnamon! from Dr Axe and these 9 Things you didn't know cinnamon could do from Readers Digest.
If your dollar store doesn't carry it or you just use a whole lot, you can get the 'restaurant sized' jar of it here for about $5. (cheapest I've found it online) At that price and with these uses, what's not to love about cinnamon?
MAGIC ROOTING HORMONE -ALOE VERA GEL for CLONING Plants vs Costly Powders
Oh, and don't worry about buying 'true' cinnamon, it makes no difference at all for these uses. Either one will work just fine.
Late winter is the time to start looking forward to spring and all its promise. Winter yard chores are important to pave the way for fresh new greenery and healthy growth. End of winter garden maintenance can help give you a jump start on the growing season and give you time in spring to just watch the flowers bloom. Sometimes the amount of work needed after a season of storms and previous seasons’ debris can become overwhelming. It helps to have a list of late winter gardening tips to help focus on the most necessary tasks to promote a vigorous garden. Why Start End of Winter Garden Maintenance? The weather may still be frigid or drizzly or just plain stormy, but late winter gardens still need a little TLC to give them a good start for spring. Beginning in late winter to maintain and repair yard damage and debris clears the way for all the spring activity that will soon burst upon the garden. Removing storm waste, raking and amending beds where you can provides open avenues for the next season’s greenery. Pruning, fixing outbuildings, maintaining yard tools and other winter yard chores frees you up in spring to do the fun stuff like starting seeds and planting flower pots and beds. You can take advantage of plant dormancy in late winter gardens and minimize damage with winter pruning. Few things are actively growing in winter, so it is the perfect time to use doing preparatory tasks. 10 Late Winter Garden Tips Mid-winter yard chores may include general cleanup but also: Potting forced bulbs Starting your Allium crops, such as garlic and leeks Planning the vegetable garden and purchasing seeds Spreading organic mulch over perennial fruit and vegetable gardens Trimming off broken and dead branches and stems from trees/shrubs A bit later in the winter, you may be able to begin turning over beds and adding compost. Garden tasks for end of winter on dry days may include: Cleaning lawn furniture Fixing and painting window boxes Sharpening and oiling garden tools Plotting the vegetable garden Late Winter Gardening Tips for Pruning Almost every plant is best pruned at the end of winter when they are dormant. The largest exceptions are those plants that bloom and fruit off of old wood. These should be pruned after they produce in spring. Pruning when the plant is dormant reduces the loss of life-giving sap from the wounds and cuts tend to heal more quickly than when the tree is actively growing. Pruning is one of the most important gardening tasks for end of winter because it helps promote a strong scaffold, removes impediments to new growth and supports overall good health for the tree. Proper pruning technique requires clean, sharp implements. Cut just outside of branch collars and not into parent wood. Use a slightly angled cut that allows excess moisture to fall of the cut and reduce the chance of rot investing the wound. Remove water sprouts and suckers and open the canopy of thickly branched trees. Take out dead wood and anything that is rubbing against other wood. Try to keep the tree or bush in as natural a habit as possible for best health. End of winter maintenance gives you a chance to get outside and breathe fresh air. It promotes the gardener’s dreams of what will be and the potential of the landscape. Dress warmly and enjoy.
Read more at Gardening Know How: Late Winter Gardening Tips: End Of Winter Garden Maintenance https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/late-winter-gardening-tips.htm
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