"Dave Hill" wrote
"Bob Hobden"
"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


I have posted previously about using disolved asprin to possibly clear
virus from dahlias and other plants.
It seems that sylasilic acid is a growth hormone to some extent.
Re willow twigs, I have come accross postings of people placing a few
willow twigs in water together with the cuttings they want to root,
the idea being that the will gives of hormones as they start to
produce roots and the other cuttings are helped by it in producing
their roots.
Try it, what have you to loose.

I'm wondering if it could be used on plants that you cannot use Hormone
Rooting Compound on like Pelargoniums. Not that I normally have problems
getting them rooted.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK