Is it worth using Hormone Rooting Powder?

I'm interested in taking some cuttings of plants, pear tree and ivy mostly but possibly any interesting plants I encounter on my travels.

I've searched Google and people seem to be split on whether hormone rooting powder is necessary and some even think it can hinder the production of roots! It's hard to know who to listen to but one thing I think most of us can agree on is that it depends on the plant, the season and possibly the age of the wood you're cutting.

So, to conclude, if I, or anybody else, want to take cuttings with a great deal of success should we use hormone rooting powder or not?

 

this is a tough one, I used to use it because it contained Captan, a fungicide.
I think Captan has been banned, (might be wrong), but anyway I cant see it mentioned on the container any more.
So, I'm sceptical as to how much use it is.

I remember years ago that dipping cuttings in dilute vinegar acted as a rooting hormone, but never tried it myself.

 

I never use it and my cuttings do OK.
Maybe it does depend on the plant - I've never made a scientific study of it.
Everything I've ever wanted to take cuttings from worked OK so I'm giving it a No - with reservations. Maybe it does work in situations I haven't tried.

 

I used to use it but don't any longer. I think the main determinants of successful propagation are - a good growing medium, the right amount of heat and humidity and a good well trimmed cutting.

 

Stronger variety for hardwood cuttings in the Winter, I think ... which maybe means that they have greater need.

I read somewhere that you should not get it on the stem, only on the cut face (which must be quite difficult to achieve, in practice) ... because if it is on the stem that will not be adsorbed [to hasten rooting] and will then linger in the proximity and hinter root growth as the cutting "takes".

Hopefully I have remembered what I read correctly ... but I have no idea whether that is Piffle and Bunkhum

Either way, as it is a hormone I expect its important to have fresh compound as I imagine it loses its efficacy.

 

I haven't used Hormone rooting powder as I have only had to grow bedding plants but as I now have to produce a couple of thousand shrubs from cuttings over the next two years (along with the bedding) and checking other growers I decided to use it. It is early days yet to see if it has any advantage, I'll be doing a number of the same plant with and without to see what happens, I'll let you know but don't hold your breath.

 

Now that would be a scientific trial Strongylodon - 50% with, 50% without.
We're a patient bunch - do let us know.

 

"I now have to produce a couple of thousand shrubs from cuttings over the next two years"

Is this work related? or are you, like me, building & stocking a garden?

 

Interesting question, for which I have no answer.

I bought an old book of Amazon about taking cuttings. The book says use rooting compound on just about any type of cutting.

Other things I have read are rather dismissive of rooting compound. I tried my first cuttings with a hardy Fuschia that was growing among the jungle that was my garden. All of them went into a glass jar of water about 10 days ago. No rooting compound. Two of them have already got strong roots. The six others are all looking healthy but no sign of actual roots yet.

It is something I really want to learn about, but have had conflicting advice and tips from various sources.

Oh the joy of being a novice!!! :dh::dh::dh:

Chopper.

 

Fuchsias are amongst the easiest of things to root, so a good place to start Chopper (although I think they are less easy to get to root at this time of the year).

"It is something I really want to learn about, but have had conflicting advice and tips from various sources"

Best not to ask here then! Rule 1 of gardening: Ask 2 people and get 3 opinions

 

That made me chuckle :D:D:D

Chopper.

 

Strongy - we will all be very interested in your results. I think it is almost impossible for most people to know unless they have a lot of experience both with and without. For most of us we can only read what other people have written. I tend to use it myself, partly as I have a pot and there is no point in wasting it - not very scientific. However I have also read it goes off after a couple of years - and mine is now 7 years old. :D

I feel that it probably doesn't do any harm, and that the antifungal agent might just do some good. Though I have also read that you can use 'athlete's foot ' powder, which has a similar antifungal.

I think as Dave W said - they key thing is to get the conditions right, and also to do them at a suitable time of year. I take cuttings mainly of Salvias, which are very easy to do. I take them in late October, as I want to leave the plants looking good in the garden as long as I can. Salvias root very easily. Late October is late for Salvia cuttings, but they root well in a light box, however when I take later batches in November they seem to struggle more, even in a light box. I think that by this time the mother plant is shutting down.

One of the most useful pieces of advice given to me was to remember that all cuttings want to root (its in their nature) but its a race between making roots and dyeing from dehydration because of the lack of roots. This emphasises the need to keep most cuttings moist, to get that balance.

 

Yes Kristen, half of Weymouth's seafront flower beds are to go over to permanent planting i.e shrubs as part of severe budget cuts.:(
Three of our (planted) roundabouts have just been removed for traffic lights.
Our town will no longer be known for it's flowers.:(
Fortunately I won't be growing all of them as I only have a year to go, then I'm off