Using Willow as a Root Stimulator

Any of you who have worked with willows (Salix) before know that they root very easily.  In fact many people who have Globe Willows in their yard got them from friends who handed them a stick and told them to stick it in a bucket of water.  There is a reason that they root so easily - they contain a natural chemical called indolebutyric acid (IBA).  IBA is a natural growth regulator.

The offshoot of this is that you can use willow as a root stimulator when taking cuttings.  I know I am a little early in the season to be talking about cuttings (Unless you are in Australia!), but I thought it was a good topic to get us all excited for the upcoming spring!

When taking cuttings you generally dip the bottom end of the cutting in a rooting hormone.  I am not as wealthy as I would like to be, and always looking for a way to be self-sustaining, this is an inexpensive (free) and self-sustaining way to give my cuttings a head start on life.

Here's what you do: