I am presently using Rootone powder for propagation.

Are there better choices? At one nursery where I worked, Dip-n-Grow was
the choice.

rootone is really good. I've used it for years and the nursery I
worked at had it by the box loads. the only thing as good that is
liquid might be willow water, so stick with the rootone.........
madgardener

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 11:12:23 -0600, WiGard wrote:

I am presently using Rootone powder for propagation.

Are there better choices? At one nursery where I worked, Dip-n-Grow was
the choice.

"WiGard" wrote in message
news
I am presently using Rootone powder for propagation.

Are there better choices? At one nursery where I worked, Dip-n-Grow was
the choice.

It all depends on what you are rooting. Many plants will root just fine
without it and many plants will develop a fungus from it's use. Most "quick
stick" plants should never have it. "Quick Stick", by the way, means that
you can usually just stick a growing piece of limb or trunk in moist soil
and have it root. The Euphorbiacea are a prime example, most of your
succulents as well will not work with rooting hormones.

WiGard wrote:

I am presently using Rootone powder for propagation.
Are there better choices?

Some rhododendron and azalea propagators use Hormodin rooting powders.
It is made by Olympic Horticultural Products (www.hormodin.com).

It comes in 3 strengths:

Hormodin 1: 1% Indole-3-butyric Acid
Hormodin 2: 3% Indole-3-butyric Acid
Hormodin 3: 8% Indole-3-butyric Acid

Rootone has 4.24% Indole-3-butyric Acid

Rooting hormones seem to work by retarding top growth while the callus
and roots are forming on the wound. Too strong of a hormone will cause
residual retardation of the top growth after the roots form and may
interfere with the early development of the cutting into a plant.

Stronger powders do better with hard to root cuttings but may retard
growth of easy to root cuttings. Weaker powders work best with easy to
root cuttings and have less of an effect in retarding the growth of
plant after rooting.

By using the Hormodin powders commercial growers can optimize their
results. Rootone is more for the home hobbyist where production is not
critical.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhody.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhodybooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

Or if you are really keen on trying to root everything then you can make
your own rooting liquid by buying Indole-3-butyric Acid crystals, dissolving
them in Methyl alcohol then diluting down to the concentration you want,
helps to have access to laboratory chemical scales and to be very good at
Maths,as you are working down to solutions of around 10'000 to 1

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

"Stephen M. Henning" wrote in message
news
WiGard wrote:

I am presently using Rootone powder for propagation.
Are there better choices?

Some rhododendron and azalea propagators use Hormodin rooting
powders.
It is made by Olympic Horticultural Products
(www.hormodin.com).

It comes in 3 strengths:

Hormodin 1: 1% Indole-3-butyric Acid
Hormodin 2: 3% Indole-3-butyric Acid
Hormodin 3: 8% Indole-3-butyric Acid

Rootone has 4.24% Indole-3-butyric Acid


The shelf-life of these materials is quite short -- especially
the liquid formulations. Use them up as soon as they're mixed
and use a jar of powdered rootone in a single season.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Only where
people have learned to appreciate and cherish the landscape and
its living cover will they treat it with the care and respect it
should have - Paul Bigelow Sears.