Best rooting hormone?

[kmdesigns]

I'm already making my plans for propagation for this next season and have picked up a few new rooting hormones. I used the cheap Bonide brand rooting hormone you can get at Home Depot last year and had some success. My teacher swears by Dyna Gro gel so I've purchased that. With suggestions from different nurseries and propagators I've also picked up K-L-N rooting concentrate as well as Dip-N-Gro. I figured they weren't super expensive so I'd give them all a try and see what does better on the different things I'm propagating.

I wanted to see what others have used with good results and possibly see if there were any other suggestions out there.

Thanks

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

I don't have enough experience to give you a solid answer, but I believe it may depend on the species and maybe even environmental factors...

Jkl suggested this book to me about a year ago and I'm still using it as a guide (and probably will for a long time):

The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture, Second Edition

 

[jk_lewis]

Yes. I recommend that book to one and all.

That said, I use good ol' simple Rootone powder for cuttings and air layers.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Using a generic rooting hormone for propagation of woody plants (trees) is very hit or miss. Most rooting hormones that you will find in big box retail are designed for propagation of landscape plants and are very low strength. You have to use the proper strength for the species you are trying to propagate - too low and you will get zero benefit; too high and you will burn the tree. Get a good reference guide (or find a good online reference site) and then purchase the proper strength rooting hormone from a professional source and you will get much better results. I use Hormodin (in various strengths) but there are other brands available. If you are chemically inclined, you can even mix your own...

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

For what it's worth, I use Clonex gel rooting hormone. However, I've only ever used this on air and ground layers, but I've had a 100% success rate with it.

I tried cuttings before but was completely uninformed (my own fault, of course) and haven't tried again since. I still have to do much more research on propagating cuttings before I actually feel comfortable doing it, so probably next year.

 

[Mike423]

I prefer the Gel form Hormone when using it for cuttings. I was going to try Dyna-gro since they seem to be a good brand name but the store I went to (Brew & Gro) sold their own brand for cheaper and it seems to work fine.

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

I was told that the main benefit of using gel over powder is that the gel makes complete contact with the wood whereas the powder may or may not.

 

[Smoke]

Good ole saliva....works every time.


I don't use any and get the same results. With the exception of Hormex and dip and gro, all the others are derivitives of vitimen b-1 so I don't see the need for most plants I clone. Elms, hornbeams, pyracanthas and tridents all have issued roots dependably without hormone.

 

[fore]

I've used Clonex for propagation, as a root stimulator when needed, on air layers...all to great success.