WILLOW WATER – A SECRET RECIPE for growing plants!
WILLOW WATER – A SECRET RECIPE for growing plants!
WILLOW WATER has become part of our propagation routine. It increases the success rate for propagation by cuttings. It also has been shown to greatly increase rooting. In this video we describe how we make willow water, by pounding the young branches and adding them to steep in water. We let the liquid mixture sit for 24 hours then add our cuttings that we gather for propagation. A simple technique to be added to your repertoire of growing techniques.
Originally seen in Harrowsmith magazine’s Harrowsmith Reader III, a great publication. In an article ‘Productive Pruning’ it mentioned the work of Dr. Makoto Kawase, then at the Agriculture Canada experimental station at Morden Manitoba in the early 60’s. Here is the original journal citation: Kawase, M. (1964), Centrifugation, Rhizocaline and Rooting in Salix alba L.. Physiologia Plantarum, 17: 855-865. doi:10.1111/j.1399-3054.1964.tb08212.x
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Dammit I was told to clean all the leaves off on another channel hahah oh well thanks for the heads up I will just leave the um leaves next time!
Wow
Just ‘Beat it’ 😉
willow or meadowsweet water work well on pruning cuts, preventing canker in the new cuts even on a cankered tree 💚
science, religion, and monetary system all similar and cannot be challenged..
love the rant at the end. so passionate yet so peaceful. usually rant implies some sort of hate. them canadians aye? love it!!
Could putting the willow into a wood shredder work? Because it makes little pieces the interior of the willow is very exposed. Could that work?
Now that I’ve seen two of these videos, I’ve decided I’ll run the little willows branches through my chipper and soak it for 24 hours.
I just had my first experience with willow water. I was rooting some willow in plain water. Roots were coming on well and I decided to put a few cuttings from some red robin and tiny tim tomato plants that I’ve had going in the house for ten years. I could hardly believe how fast they rooted. Even the iffy cuttings rooted like crazy. Very impressive.
Can you use willow water for just watering my plants?
Secret to growing plants: feed them orange juice.
Get youself a professional-type Vitamix. This machine will turn the willow branch to cream in seconds.
Would growing out of willow wood chips work well?
You are so cute! Just had to say it.
Thanks!
I have a black pussy willow bush and am using that. It’s also medicinal on top of the auxins for growth. Thanks for showing the proper method of doing this. I will take note.
What would you recommend for planting bare root saplings? For how long would be advisable to soak the saplings in the willow water?
You’re adorable. Thanks for the info!
you are very smart and knoledgebel and fuuny i like to come and see your farm and buy things for my futuer farm hopefully.thanks for shairing.
I put willow leaves and twigs in my vegetable garden as mulch. You think this is a good idea?
Finally located a weeping willow tree a few days ago. I grabbed a large handful of branches. Crunched them down to fit into a 2 liter plastic bottle (top cut off) and filled it with water. It has been 48 hours now and I’m soaking some nectarine cuttings in the willow water. I also scored the base of the cuttings through the cambium with a razor knife. How long should the cuttings be left in the willow water? I was also thinking of rooting a few of the willow branches so I’d have a willow tree for future willow water.
Basically making a compost tea, yeah? Cool
do you leave the cuttings in willow water until they root? or just dip them. I currently try propagating by leaving cuttings in a glass of water and changing water every 2/3 days. Would this water always need to be willow water? It seems clear how to make the willow tea, but not how to apply it.
Can I put yo much
i call that willow that dont bend down a stick willow
Is this for green cuttings, or dormant cuttings too? Only soak the cuttings in the water 24 hours?
Is it good for growing giant carrots, radish and potatoes?
Whats your thoughts on giving your plants a shot of the tea ?
I saw a video of a guy using germinated beans instead, would it work?
I was taught to remove the leaves and chop up the stems into about 4 – 6 inch pieces. It is the stem that produce the hormone, not the leaves so why let them rot in water? Then you leave the chopped up willow stems in a container of water out in the sunshine for 3-4 days. It doesn’t stink if the leaves are removed and not rotting and contaminating your water. YUCK! Then when you want to root your cutting — Dip the cut in rooting hormone and put it in diluted willow water. Mix your willow water 50/50 with fresh water for your cutting water. We increase our success rate to about 95%. I use willow water on any woody cutting I am trying to propagate. Roses, bushes, trees.
Good luck gardening.
Now i need to go find a willow tree.
Are you familiar with Rural Route magazine? Lots of commonsense and up-to-date info, great shares frm readers, especially the recipes that still get made in Nova Scotia & surrounding Maritime provinces. Not as thick as Harrowsmith, not as flashy but just as important for people who are farming, cheese making, brewing, whatever helps their lives have control & success.
I have also heard aloe vera works well too without any rooting hormone. Another thing: have you tried sprouted seed tea? I think alfalfa was the seed I saw a video about a while ago.
I did a test and I didn’t get a result.
Willow is rich in Salicylic Acid, which is the hormone needed for rooting. I am adding leaves to my compost and to weed tea. I used to use Asprin to promote rooting (Asprin is Acetyl Salicylic Acid) but now I am intending to go 100% natural. After watching your video I will try the willow water also. Thank you
you may like to experiment with aspirin. It is madw from willow tree bark
iF YOU PUT AN AIRSTONE WITH A PUMP, IT WILL LAST LONGER..
Never knew about this. Anxious to try it. I make many grape vine cuttings each year. Getting some to root is always challenging. The ‘America’ cultivar is notoriously difficult to get to root. Now I have a secret weapon! Also have some others from China that seem to be resistant to rooting. Definitely encouraged now.
couldn’t you use a woodchipper (small garden ones) to shred the branches instead of hammering them?
I forgot all about willow water! Thanks!
friend made a willow chair as a woodworking project in a dirt floor basement. when he finished it he left it to dry and it rooted into the cellar and began to sprout.
Sort of like Viagra for plants.
Can freezing it prolong it further?
There’s juice coming out of the pussy willow. Great.
Would this work for tree cuttings? For example, if I have an apple tree and the root stock suckers, could I clip the sucker, root it with this stuff, plant it out, let it get established, then clip a scion from one of my productive trees and graft? That saves me like $25 for the rootstock and $25 for the scion each time it happens…
I am not in position in my life to grow ANYTHING, But… I am from generations of farmers… l will store away this valuable info
Has anyone tried soaking seeds in this water ?
Why some people suggest to take off the leaves?
I just did this with the leaves on as you showed
I’ve gotta try this! I have some haskap, grape, flowering crab, lilac and honeysuckle I’d like to prop. And I definitely remember Harrowsmith 😀
I’ve had good success with houseplants cuttings using pothos or spiderplant in the water as they root readily.
So are you soaking your cuttings in the Willow water to root them or adding it to cuttings in potting soil?
Aspirin tea,awesome Mr Greenman! Have a great day in your snowy paradise