"Bob Hobden" wrote
"someone" wrote ...
"Janet Tweedy" wrote
On the "plants for a future" web site they suggest encouraging arbutus
cuttings to strike by

"They are a bit slow to root and you often get a poor percentage take.
To improve this, try soaking some chopped willow twigs in cold water for
24 hours and then watering the cuttings with this water. The willow bark
contains root-promoting hormones and will encourage root formation in
the cuttings. "

Now there's a thought! Would this work with other cuttings? Not being
very scientifically trained I don't know if this theory has a basis of
truth.

I was thinking of trying it on other cuttings!


This brought to mind something I read a few weeks ago about watering a
sickly orchid plant with a small pinch of aspirin in the water.
Apparently it is supposed to get rid of some orchid virus or other.
Aspirin is of course salicylic acid, from willow trees.

I remember reading that someone is/has done research on this and found
spraying plants with "aspirin" stops or controls a number of diseases.
Been meaning to look it up again considering the decline in pest/disease
options we now have. Of course as it won't be tested as a crop chemical we
would never use such a thing would we. :-)

Here are some links I've just found...

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/0...s-aspirin.html

http://www.solutions-site.org/artman...icle_347.shtml

http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/aspirinforplants.htm

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK