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Should you use root hormone or not?????

18 years ago

I recently killed a number of cuttings by accident (unrelated to this discussion; yes I am a fig killer ... after a number of days of cloudy weather we had a bright, sunny, day ... I neglected to pull the blinds in front of my cuttings this day --- they cooked :^( --- the bags covering the cuttings heated up pretty good.) I took the opportunity to do an autopsy on other aspects of the plants (i.e. rooting, etc.) and found something very interesting.

Out of five cuttings that I looked at, I did not see any rooting from areas of the cutting in contact with root hormone! All roots for the cuttings came from above the hormone line. In fact, I found that the root hormone was very damp against the cuttings and the cuttings were rotting where it touched the hormone ... the areas w/o hormone were not rotting and very healthy.

Has anyone seen similar cases of this? I am wondering if I should ignore the directions to dampen the cutting prior to dipping in the hormone & maybe just apply it dry to reduce the amount that sticks to the cutting. In my case, use of the hormone was counter productive.

-Steve

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Comments (5)

radovan
18 years ago
Stevo, I did have identical experience like you did, long time ago.
I never, never use rooting hormone again and I have excellent results in fig rooting. Radovan
dangsr
18 years ago
I never have a problem rooting figs. I just cut the cutting about 12 inches long and stick it into a 1 gal pot full of garden soil water good and keep it in good light and temp. above 70 degres root about 9 out of 10.
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Cuttings are done differently depending on type of plant, so no one-size-fits-all tutorial is available. You can either look up correct propagation methods for the specific plant online or get something like the AHS's text on Plant Propagation or Ken Druse's Making More Plants. Most commercial rooting powders contain the same product - a long scientific term usually shortened to IBA. And they are used similarly, most often as a dipping powder but sometimes as a liquid. It's just the concentrations that change. And you can make your own rooting hormone out of willow water - very inexpensive and just as effective. FWIW, I would not use a rooting hormone on an established plant - that is not what it was designed for. There are some starter fertilizers that do have root stimulators incorporated but they are different form the rooting hormones.
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Of course! Why wouldn't they be? If you're worried about it, however, next time just use pure honey instead of rooting hormone. To make rooting hormone soak the yellow-tipped shoots of a weeping willow tree in water. A tea made from the bark of a willow tree is also effective. When using the shoots or bark soak them for 24 hours prior to using. Rooting hormone is usually sold as indole butyric acid (IBA). It simply encourages the cuttings to form new roots.
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Hi Plant Nut - look at the beautiful claws on that cutting!! And from what you are describing about your cutting...I really think it will root. I've had similar experiences. I do get triple digit temperature where I live and so I root all my cutting in shaded area. Otherwise it will get sunburn from heat radiating from the top of the soil. Good luck on your large cutting. Don't give up. ~Kasie
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Rooting hormone is butyric acid ( labeled a bioactive chemical ) and as a cutting stimulate is ideal. But this acid can damage mature roots or even plants nearby. It is actually considered a hazardous material and you are cautioned not to place it near water supplies. Might just me a "don't sue us if your child gets sick on it' warning but I wouldn't use it on a mature plant. Alfalfa meal is what many gardeners use to help the roots mature. Alfalfa has a hormone that stimulates growth.
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chills71
18 years ago
I have noticed that powdered rooting hormone does increase chances of rotting when trying to root figs. I have not noticed a similar effect if liquid rooting hormone is used. Then again, as has been mentioned previously, figs will root pretty well without hormones.

~Chills
axier - Z10, Basque Country (Spain)
18 years ago
I have read several trials where rooting hormones have proved efficacy. But it was in all cases liquid hormone, not powdered. According these studies, the best method was a long soak (24 hours) in a IBA solution of 100 to 200 ppm.

I haven't done an scientific trial comparing hormone / not hormone application, but I have gotten good results with this method.

In the photo a "Ronde Precoce de Bordeaux" after 3 weeks with a 100 ppm/24 hours hormone soaking. You can observe a lot of roots initiating:
sergnic
18 years ago
I think there is a good way: first do NOT use hormones if not necessary.
If you have some problem of rooting (no rooting) THEN may be necessary try to use forced ways, but taking attention on time of treatment, concentration, treatment material, CONSISTENCE OF WOOD.
I've personally never had any problem for rooting figs, in simple soil in garden.
Avoid only flooding.
Sergio

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