"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Sue" contains these words:


"michael adams" wrote


When this question was asked on Gardeners Question Time in 2002 two
of the panellists admitted they'd stopped using it years ago
with they claimed, no appreciable difference.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gqt/fshe...heetsq12.shtml

On the link you quote, the third panellist, John Cushnie, said

"I use it, great stuff! And so cheap it won't cost a fortune to
re-stock."

....

Indeed.

But the two panellists I cited, Nigel Colborn and Bunny Guinness
had previously used rooting powder, and then stopped. In the case
of Nigel Colborn 12 years ago. And both claimed they found no
difference in the results they obtained.

John Cushnie on the other hand, gives no indication that there has
ever been a time when he didn't use rooting powder. In which case
if he's always used it, he has no way of knowing whether it's really
effective or not.

That's why I only cited the first two.


michael adams

....

I can also remember reading an article by Geoffrey Smith, who mentioned
trying two trays of similar cuttings, one using rooting powder as per
the
instructions, and one tray without. IIRC he found no appreciable
difference
and concluded it was a waste of money.

Some plants like forsythia, blackcurrant, buddleja, willow, root so
easily and fast it barely matters how you trim them, what you plant them
in or how much care they get. Ram untrimmed prunings in the garden soil
where they fell, drop them in a puddle, and many will root. Others such
as roses and clematis need more preparation and care.

I use hormone rooting powder on any cuttings which are tricky enough to
be going into a pot, an enclosed atmosphere, and any growing medium
better than a shovel of neat garden soil. The smallest possible pot of
powder (about the height of a green thumb) costs a couple of pounds in
any GC, and will "do" many hundreds of cuttings over several
seasons....trivial outlay and effort.

Janet.