How to Use Rooting Hormone: 3 Types of Rooting Hormone

Rooting hormone, also called rooting powder, is a chemical you can apply to plant cuttings to encourage root growth and increase the propagation success rate. Otherwise, to create new plants from parent plants, you must wait for a stem cutting to grow a new root system unaided before you can plant the stem cuttings in potting soil.

Some plants, like ivy, develop new roots quickly after you place them in a vase of water. Other plants are harder to root and require the addition of chemicals that mimic a root hormone. These commercially available products typically contain indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), a chemical form of the plant hormone auxin. Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) is a synthetic rooting hormone that also helps prevent rotting. Both of these chemicals help stimulate root growth.

Retailers sell rooting hormone under several different brand names. These formulas typically come in different mediums, including powder, liquid, and gel. Powder and gel are easier rooting hormone products to use, as they require less precision. Learn more about the different forms of rooting hormone:

1. 1. Powder rooting hormone: This is the most common product available at gardening stores. Rooting hormone powder is typically the most effective and best rooting hormone for hobbyists or home gardeners who propagate houseplants or other common plants.
2. 2. Liquid rooting hormone: You can use some liquid products as is, while others take the form of a concentrate, requiring you to dilute them first. Read the instructions carefully—if you leave the cutting in the liquid too long or use a concentration level that’s too high, you risk damaging or killing the plant cuttings.
3. 3. Rooting gel: A gel is similar to a rooting liquid but thicker. If you can't find powder, you should use gel as it is generally easier to use than a liquid.

You can use rooting hormone if you want to propagate new plants from a parent plant. While stem cuttings are the most common way to propagate plants, some plants will grow new plants from root cuttings or leaf cuttings. For all methods, keep the potting medium moist but not wet, and don't place the cuttings in direct sunlight until the rooting process is complete. You can use rooting hormone with the following types of cuttings:

1. 1. Stem cuttings: Take a cutting between four and eight inches long from the new growth of a healthy stem. Remove the bottom leaves. Dip the cut end of the stem in rooting hormone powder, shake off the excess powder, and place the stem in a soilless potting medium, such as perlite, or another rooting medium.
2. 2. Leaf cuttings: Using leaf cuttings can be an especially effective method for succulents that don't have woody stems. Snap the leaf off close to the base, dust the exposed end in powder, and plant the leaf in a soilless potting medium. This is also the best method for propagating African violets—use medium-sized leaves, snapping off each healthy leaf close to the plant’s stem.
3. 3. Root cuttings: You can typically propagate fruit-bearing plants using root cuttings. This plant propagation method requires the most knowledge and skill. You need to trim a large portion of root near the stem, lay the root or roots horizontally in the potting medium, then store the cutting or cuttings inside a plastic bag until further root development occurs and new plant growth appears.

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