For plant roots to grow faster, it requires nutrients, sufficient water, well-aerated soil, enough light, the right range of temperature and proper amendments. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the three essential nutrients that a plant requires for its growth.
The two main nutrients that support excellent root growth in plants are phosphorous and potassium. These two ingredients are extremely helpful in any fertiliser mix that needs to encourage a thick, healthy collection of brand-new roots, or to strengthen and stimulate existing systems.
Add a Pothos! I'd heard of using willow as a natural rooting hormone (no idea where to source that however), but didn't know Pothos has this 'super power' too! Just pop a Pothos cutting in with the water with your slow-to-grow cuttings and it helps speed up root development.
Sufficient oxygen, water, soil and nutrients are essential for healthy root growth and therefore healthy trees. If soil gets too wet, the voids between soil particles become filled with water and the root hairs cannot absorb oxygen.
Root growth is controlled by actively photosynthesizing leaves. When energy is in short supply, it is used by plant tissue nearest to the site of photosynthesis. Therefore, roots receive energy when more energy is produced by photosynthesis than is being used by top growth.
Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are the two main nutrients that stimulate root growth. Organic fertilisers often display the relative quantities of each, as well as nitrogen (N), in the form of the NPK ratio. In particular, phosphorus allows new root systems to spread through the soil or another growing medium.
Auxin is the major growth-promoting hormone for the initiation of lateral and adventitious root growth.
Willow is good for rooting cuttings because it contains high concentrations of Indolebutyric acid (IBA), and also salicylic acid, from which aspirin is derived and which protects against fungi and other pathogens. To make willow water, simply gather around 2 cups of fresh willow growth chopped up into short lengths.
Water is vital to root growth thus watering must be effective at the root level. Too much water is as harmful to plants as too little water. Water plants infrequently but water them deeply – to the roots. Wind conditions, humidity, soil structure, and heat all affect water absorption.
This is one of the most regularly used root stimulants. First, add 25 g of cinnamon (three spoonfuls) to a litre of water and leave for an hour. Then filter it and keep it in the fridge. Once ready, soak the stems for a few minutes.
Epsom salt promotes deep root growth for plants so during times of drought or little rainfall, Epsom salt plants will have deep roots to seek out moisture and nutrients. Plants with deep roots thrive when other plants with shallow roots shrivel up and die if water is not constantly provide to them.
For plant roots to grow faster, it requires nutrients, sufficient water, well-aerated soil, enough light, the right range of temperature and proper amendments.
Root stimulators support healthy root growth primarily through the use of a hormone – auxin – found in young plants. The best root stimulator for plants will often contain other beneficial ingredients and can be used with plant cuttings as well. However, rooting hormones are best for plant propagation.
Success factors for rooting your cuttings
They'll root faster with plenty of sunlight, but avoid setting them in direct sun. Temperature is also important, the warmer the better to speed things up. For cuttings that are more valuable or difficult, adding a little aquarium pump to oxygenate the water will help a lot.
Auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA), produced in young shoot organs, promotes root development and induces vascular differentiation.
Using apple cider vinegar as a rooting hormone is a safe and natural way to weaken the outer coating of seeds, making for faster germination.
Oxygen. The roots greatly benefit from available oxygen. To speed things up, you can try to use a small aquarium pump to constantly add oxygen to the water your cuttings are growing in.
CloneX is one of those rooting hormones with the active ingredient Indole 3 butyric acid.
You can encourage growth in cuttings by using rooting powder and peat-and-pumice potting mixtures. For planted trees and shrubs, try root stimulators, willow water, and potassium-rich fertilizer.
Cinnamon as a rooting agent is as useful as willow water or hormone rooting powder. A single application to the stem when you plant the cutting will stimulate root growth in almost every plant variety. Pour a spoonful onto a paper towel and roll damp stem ends in the cinnamon.
For growth, blue light is essential to help plants produce healthy stems, increased density, and established roots – all which occur in the early vegetative growth stages. Growth then continues with increased red light absorption, resulting in longer stems, increased leaf and fruit/flowering etc.
Hormone rooting powders often also contain cytokinins (another plant growth hormone), fungicides and other chemicals, which reduce the risk of the plants succumbing to fungal infections. Rooting hormones increase the chance of your cuttings taking root.
Aloe Vera Rooting Hormone
Just extract the fresh gel from a mature plant's leaves and mix it with a bit of water in a blender. Soak the cuttings in the mixture and add them to the growing medium. Spray the growing medium and plants with the remaining mix of aloe vera gel and water.
Applying too much rooting hormone can damage the cutting. Just as taking too much medicine doesn't cure you any faster, overdosing on rooting hormone harms the cutting rather than helps it.