Willow Water to Strengthen Plant Roots

Looking for a natural rooting agent for your plants? Using willow water is a great idea. We'll tell you how.

Getting cuttings from plants or making seeds germinate effectively isn’t always an easy process. However, there are certain tricks and products that make it easier. In this article, well share how to use willow water to strengthen your plants.

A rooting agent is a product that stimulates growth and strengthens the roots of plants. It can be homemade or purchased in a commercial version at a plant or farm store.

Natural rooting products offer the advantage of not using artificial chemicals that can be harmful. They also allow you to save money and have more autonomy in the management of gardens and orchards.

How does willow water work?

Willow water has been used since ancient times to strengthen the roots of plants. This knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation in folk knowledge.

The best part is that it can be produced from any type of willow tree. The rooting agent comes out from the cooking of the branches which are then removed. This is why it also gets the name “water.”

According to a publication by the organization The Horticulturist, willow water is a natural rooting hormone that can increase the speed of root growth of cuttings. It works because of the presence of indolbutyric acid and salicylic acid.

Thanks to these growth-enhancing components, plants develop faster, but also with better characteristics. In addition to stimulating growth, willow water acts as an antibiotic for plants and prevents the formation of buds.

How to make a willow water rooting agent

Making a willow water rooting agent is not a complicated process. In fact, it can be made at home without the need for very special tools.

In addition, there are two methods of extraction that work well. First, it can be made by soaking its leaves in simple soaking. On the other hand, it’s also possible to do it with a cooking process.

In either case, the raw material is the willow branches. For this reason, you must first cut a couple of branches from a tree. Do this with scissors or pruning pliers.

The branches must be green so that the growth hormone component is better extracted. You can also take a couple of branches from the ground if they’re still fresh and in good condition.

1. Soaking

To make willow water from soaking, just collect several branches of this tree and soak them in distilled water for about two weeks. After this time, the mixture should be strained and bottled.

In this process, it’s important to keep the water with the branches in a cool space. Otherwise, the leaves can quickly go into a state of putrefaction and spoil the mixture.

2. By cooking

This is a slightly more difficult process, but it’s also very simple and offers better results. First of all, you must take the branches and prepare them – that is, you need to remove the leaves and leave only the branches or stems. The more tender they are, the better they will be.

After preparing the branches, you must immerse them in a pot with enough water to cover them. Then, you should put the water with the branches to cook over low heat until it boils.

However, you shouldn’t remove the leaves immediately, but let them stand overnight. The next morning, strain the preparation.

How to use willow water in plants

As already mentioned, willow water is ideal for strengthening cuttings. In this way, you should take the ones you’re reproducing and submerge the stems for a couple of hours.

Do not leave them all day or allow the leaves to get wet, because you could ruin the cuttings, which are delicate. After this, plant them in the ground.

You can also use the willow water to water the plants, as you would regularly. However, it works best when the plants are small and in full root development.

Take advantage of other qualities of willow

Now you know how to make your own willow water rooter easily! However, these aren’t the only properties of willow.

This tree is known to have multiple health benefits. For example, an infusion made from its leaves is ideal to help with muscle aches, headaches, or menstrual pains, since it acts as an analgesic.