You Can Use Willow Tips to Make a DIY Rooting Hormone

Yesterday I set about taking cuttings of Flowering Current, Rambling Rose, Jostaberry and Azalea. Did you know that you can make your own rooting hormone from the tips of Willow branches? I wasn't surprised when I learned this because you can literally throw a leafless stick of Willow onto bare concrete, totally forget about it, drive over it a couple of times, and two weeks later return to find its sprouted some roots

 

Just snip off a couple of cups, cover with boiling water and leave to steep overnight. This draws out the two naturally occurring rooting hormones into the water. Stand the cuttings in the cool liquid the next day and leave for 24h before potting. You can use the liquid to water the cuttings too.

 

If anyone locally has cuttings they'd like to swap pop me a message. I'm after Wysteria, Clematis, anything bee friendly and anything edible

 

#willow #rootinghormone #cuttings #permaculture #plantswap #barter