Nurserymen and plant propagation specialists have long used the Rootone root hormone as a “secret weapon” in rooting cuttings.
When rooting cuttings, the famous “one dip” Rootone powder rooting compound gives cuttings a faster start, helps them to put out stronger, healthier root growth and development and growth of roots than ever before.
Because Rootone (often misspelled as root tone powder) includes an added fungicide it helps prevent “damping off“, root rot and other soil-borne diseases.
You can pick up a bottle of dry rooting powder Rootone or other brands of plant root hormone at most major garden center or online at Amazon. It costs pennies to treat 100’s of plant cuttings! Try it yourself and see the results!
Quick Propagation Tips On Cuttings And Using A Rooting Hormone
Here’s how to use rooting hormone.
When it’s time to propagate your favorite plants, hardwood cuttings and softwood cuttings are usually what we think of.
A cutting may be a single leaf used for the propagation of African violets, Fuchsia plant cuttings or a terminal “slip” from a begonia, geranium or similar plant.
Using a sharp knife or razor blade to remove cuttings from the parent plant.
The leaf cuttings need one-half to one inch of stem (called the “petiole”); do a quick dip of the “cutting” into the hormone powder. Knock off the excess powder before inserting the base of the leaf in the rooting medium.
Stem cuttings are usually three to six inches long; cut them from the stem at about one-fourth to one-half inch below a node (leaf joint).
Remove enough lower leaves so 1/3 to 1/2 of the stem can be inserted into the rooting medium.
Cuttings root well in sterile soilless medium potting mix such as coarse horticultural vermiculite.
Many backyard growers use a mixture of equal parts peatmoss and vermiculite. Many old-timers still rely on clean, sharp sand kept nicely moist.
READ: Perlite vs Vermiculite – What is the Difference?
Once rooted depending on the variety, transplant and grow as normal for that plant variety.
The video below shows the steps taken to root a hibiscus tree.
Note: Discovered in 1935, indole-3-butyric-acid and naphthalene acetic acid are found to be effective in rooting stem cuttings.
Both are the active ingredients in most commercially available rooting hormone products.
