HOW TO KEEP HERB CUTTINGS ALIVE WITH ROOTING HORMONE

You may find that cuttings alone won’t make their roots. So, how do expert plant growers do it? The secret is in rooting hormones. Rooting hormones take various forms, including root hormone powder, which allows plants to grow roots where they would otherwise grow stems or leaves. This sounds like a mystical idea at first, but it’s not as complicated as one may initially think. It’s quite simple.

If you’re unsure about how to keep your plants well, alive, and even how to start with the whole plant cloning process, here are a few tips on using plant rooting hormones to maximize your green thumb’s expertise:

The Origins of Plant Rooting Hormones

All plants have natural hormones that allow them to take root. These hormones, called auxins, are not inherent in cuttings, because the part you’re extracting cuttings from is near the leaf and stem area. If left alone, a cutting would only grow a leaf and stem at best, or would usually die. Rooting hormones are there to augment nature and facilitate the rooting process for your cuttings. This will also make them more identical to the mother plant where you initially took the sample cutting from.

Extracting the Cutting

Don’t take cuttings from stems that are already old and hard. You will need to take a cutting from a stem that is still young, bendable, and green. These still have plenty of moisture in them and are easy to apply a root planting hormone into. In the case of herbs, because these stems, called “softwood”, have plenty of moisture in them, you won’t even need to apply a rooting hormone. Such softwood cuttings include milt, cilantro, and balm.

However, if for some reason you insist on taking a cutting from an older stem, then you will definitely need to apply a rooting hormone into that one. There are also herbs that become hardwood quicker, like rosemary and thyme. In this case, a rooting hormone will really be necessary.

Applying the Rooting Hormone

Apart from the rooting hormone, you’ll need a mixture made of peat and other materials placed in a separate clean plastic pot. This mixture will serve as your cuttings’ soil for the next few months. Remember that you can put in as many cuttings as you want, as long as you leave space for root growth. Taking note of this is essential in ensuring a healthy and strong plant grows from the cutting.

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Created on Mar 25th 2019 12:49. Viewed 242 times.

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