There are lots of fertilisers suitable for water propagation. My favourite is called GT CCS, made by the same company who make Clonex. You can get CCS from Amazon also. It's a complete root fertiliser, gentle enough for cuttings and seedlings, and also formulated for use in water, not just in soil.
Plants produce rooting hormone on their own. When you dump the water and straight change it every time, it has to start over to reach the previous levels that were in the water. Putting a fast rooting plant in with it can help increase the hormone naturally.
This has been answered by others and I agree with them. Basically, take the cutting, put it into a media, either water or soil, make sure the media is free from fungi/pest. To increase/promote root growth, make a slice to expose more of the plant's part to the media.
The fresh cuts probably aid in uptake of sugar water by the cuttings. No rooting hormone or other treatments were made. Overall, the rooting success was fairly poor but the tray of cuttings treated with sugar water (lower left of photo) appears to be quite successful.
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.
Larger plants and shrubs will also benefit from an application of this natural fertilizer. Apply one cup of Epsom salt around the drip line of the plant or shrub in spring to promote new and deep root growth.
Liquid and gel forms of root stimulators tend to be the most effective, safest, and easiest to use. BAC's Root Stimulator is one of the best root stimulator for plants. It is a high concentration solution that can be given at every watering and is available in various size bottles.
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.
Distilled water: Distilled water is a good choice for houseplant propagation because it has had all impurities removed through a distillation process. This means that it is free from minerals, chlorine, and other chemicals that can harm or hinder the growth of the cutting or the new plant.
Although it is not considered a fertilizer, you can use sugar if your plants aren't doing so well. Sugar water in plants can help the microorganisms in the soil break down all the nutrients. It is vastly not recommended, though, to use just the sugar as plant food to save them.
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.
Missing the Nodes
Certain plants will not grow new roots from anywhere except the nodes, so if you place a cutting in the water without any nodes submerged, it will just rot and eventually die. However, some plants will root from any area of the stem, not just the nodes.
Warm growing medium temperatures accelerate cell division which leads to faster callusing, root initial development and subsequent root growth. It also speeds up the dry-down rate of the growing medium, which also helps encourage better rooting. The best way to warm the growing medium is through bottom heat.
Auxin, a naturally occurring plant hormone, stimulates root formation. Several synthetic forms of auxin are sold as “rooting hormone.” Though some plants will root readily without treatment, application of rooting hormone to the base of the cutting will often improve your chance for success.
White vinegar. Because of white vinegar's high level of acidity, it makes an effective acid plant feed. Mix a tablespoon of vinegar into a gallon of water and use the concoction to feed your roses and hydrangeas once a season.
While fertilizer isn't necessary in the early stages, adding it later can boost growth for long-term water propagation. Using a highly diluted solution ensures that the new roots get the nutrients they need without the risk of over-fertilization.
PRO TIP If you have a Pothos in your collection, another tip to speed up root growth is to add a pothos cutting to the same water as the cutting you're waiting to root. Pothos release a natural rooting hormone into the water that helps trigger root growth in other cuttings sharing the same water.
After weeks of giving each plant different liquids(water, carbonated water, mango juice and pineapple soda), the conclusion is carbonated water grows plants the fastest and the healthiest.
Distilled water is the best water for germinating seeds, sprouting, and plants of all kinds. One main reason why distilled water is preferred over tap water is that tap water contains salt, chlorine, and other chemicals that can build up in the plant's soil.
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.
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. Give your cuttings a quick start with the help of cinnamon powder.
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.
For plant roots to grow faster, it requires nutrients, sufficient water, well-aerated soil, enough light, the right range of temperature and proper amendments.
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.