6 Ways to Make Natural Rooting Hormone

by Pathlie Lee Business consultant

Propagation can be a tricky bit of business. There are plenty of things that could go wrong and mess up the development and formation of your cuttings. One way to protect against these things is to use a rooting hormone. A rooting hormone can boost plant growth. Here are six ways you can make your own.

Use willow

You can use willow to create a rooting hormone, Thrifty Fun says. Collect Willow twigs or stems. Make sure these are about one-year old stems and twigs. Remove all the leaves and soak them in a few inches of water. Do that for two days. You can also soak them in boiling water. Allow that to stand overnight. Remove the twigs the following day and put the liquid into an airtight bottle. Put it in your fridge and use it for the next two months.

Mix honey with water

You can also use honey as a rooting agent. It doesn’t have any hormones that encourage root development, but it does come with antibacterial properties and enzymes. These substances can help improve the speed of root formation. Honey also keeps bacteria and fungi away from your cuttings. Just boil a cup of water and add honey. Once it cools down, you can start using it, My Kitchen Garden says.

Create with aspirin

You can make a rooting hormone with aspirin. Dissolve a tablet in one cup of water and use that. Just soak the end of the cutting into the water. Some people have reported success with this method so it’s worth a try. Make sure you soak the cutting for several hours before you put it in the soil.

Look for cinnamon

Another natural way to create a rooting hormone is to use cinnamon. Create a dilute mixture of cinnamon. You can also try adding a pinch of cinnamon powder into a hole before you put the cutting into the soil.

Add aloe vera

Aloe vera is another natural rooting hormone agent that you can use. Cut the leaves open to reveal the gel inside. Move the end of the cutting over the gel before you put it into the soil. That will help improve propagation success.

Shop for commercial products

If you don’t have the time to make your own rooting hormone, no worries. You can always shop for commercial products. Research your options and make up a list of topnotch rooting hormone brands. That should help you shop for the best rooting hormone for your cuttings.

Important reminders

Make sure you wear rubber gloves and a face mask while you use the rooting hormone. Don’t reuse the leftovers or put them back into the bottle. That will ruin the rest. Also, chemicals have an expiry date so make sure you take note of that. If you touch the hormone accidentally, don’t forget to wash your hands with water right away. And if you’re going to put the rooting hormone in your fridge, label it carefully to warn others. Don’t store it in the same place where you keep your food.