Whenever I put a cutting in soil, I sprinkle rooting powder around the little roots
to help them survive...seems to work.

What about putting cuttings in water? Does it help to sprinkle a little rooting powder
in the water? I've never heard anyone recommend it.
David

If the cuttings already have roots, the roots are making their own hormones - no rooting hormone needed.

The best thing you can do to help cuttings root faster in water is keep the water clean and add a drop or 2 or hydrogen peroxide with every water change.

Hmm. Hydrogen peroxide...I'll try it. Thanks.

Just a couple drops. Hydrogen peroxide is an unstable chemical compound - essentially water with an extra oxygen. When added to water, the extra oxygen molecule literally explodes off, leaving water with a little extra oxygen in it. Good for growing plant roots in water.

Too much though, its caustic to living material. Have you ever poured hydrogen peroxide on a cut? Fizzle, fizzle. That little exposition is busy destroying the healthy tissue from around your cut.

I can hear my mother saying, "Not too much, Dave...."

I've always needed to be reminded of moderation!

DaisyI said: Too much though, its caustic to living material. Have you ever poured hydrogen peroxide on a cut? Fizzle, fizzle. That little exposition is busy destroying the healthy tissue from around your cut.

Reminds me of my post in the houseplant forum last night:

Humboldt said:
Going by my own scars I'll probably try vinegar first and peroxide as a backup (highly recommended if diluted, I know).

What I've tried and been happy with was a couple old-school tricks a friend learned from his grandfather.

Instead of rooting hormone use fresh aloe vera.
Slice a leaf open and seal the cuttings with it.

Use willow wood water.
Look for new growth, chop it up and soak a day or so before using.

According to him, both plants have such strong rooting properties they can pass some of those on to the cuttings.

Yes, bar friend, but he's worked with plants for close to 25 years, and what his grandfather advised.tacks on another 50 in my book.

Can't prove it helped but certainly did not hurt.

Not just according to "him," rooting hormone is extracted from willows, if I'm remembering right.

What in particular are you propagating, David?

One of the original rooting hormones was made from willow branch tips (and some still are) but mostly now, its all synthetic. I don't use it but if I did, I'd go hunt down some willows. The warnings on the label scare me.

Sounds like a case of fixing the unbroken to me. *frown*

Here is something I posted to my Facebook group. Its my group & I'm the one who made the file this is in but yet I cannot copy & paste . So, I had to do screenshots, cut those, & then make a collage.

Salicin is a chemical found in willow bark. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a synthetic version of salicin known to relieve pain and used as an anti-inflammatory. I don't think it would work as a natural rooting hormone (unless your cutting has a headache ).

Indolebutyric acid (IBA) is a chemical found concentrated in the growth tips of willows. That is a growth hormone. Willow tips, not willow bark.

Cinnamon is a natural fungicide so could help by preventing disease that would rot a cutting.

Yes, it's the inner bark (not the inner wood) of willow that would give a benefit, if there is any. The proven advantage of aspirin-like compounds is not rooting for plants, but a jump-starting of immune response(s) within the plant, like for a disease. This in itself, could be a beneficial indirect side effect for rooting.