I am looking to try starts from cuttings from my bay tree-let and a couple of lavenders. I bought a small jar of Bontone Rooting Powder (Bonide brand). In checking the instructions saw it said not to use for plants for food or commercial use. Food? Is there something horribly toxic that stays with the plant for months?! Not to use on plants for sale/commercial may be to protect certain hybrids legally.
I was planning to play with venture yesterday afternoon, but got de-railed when LilDan, 4 yr old g-son was dropped off for awhile. I was up potting a few things to 4" pots and gave him a qt sprayer with water. He misted the baby plants, then other plants, me, Kitty hid, he found his Uncle Jed on the porch working on his 'puter. Spraying Jed (not 'puter) was entertaining as well as the car etc. 2 hrs of entertainment with a water spray bottle!
OK, back to rooting hormone. Horribly toxic to use on food plants? Or is that something to protect commercial growers?
In researching this topic, I found more questions than answers. My label talks about rooting woody and ornamental plants and does not mention fruits and vegetables.
I have been using it for years on 'edibles' and have had no real issues. I rarely clone food plants and the ones I do are not usually edible for some time.
To back up hormex and other rooting compounds contain auxins or growth stimulators. Auxins are found in nature, just not in the same concentration at the hormone powders. The auxin in most rooting hormone products is indole-3 butyric acid. It functions like the naturally occurring indole-3-acetic acid
Indole 3- butyric acid was interestingly enough an ingredient in agent orange. The other part of agent orange was 2,4D . 2,4D is still in use today. Indole-3 butryric acid is registered by the epa as a pesticide.
In 1992, through strong nursery industry lobbying the product was kept on the market. Some products were reformulated and most now contain either IBA or NAA (weaker root stimulant).
Initially indole-3 butyric acid (IBA) was thought to be a synthetic version of indole-3 acetic acid and would not remain active in the plant. However, small amounts of IBA could be isolated from Maize and Salix (willow) species and other plants in seeds and leaves. The levels that could be measured were negligible.
Rooting hormones containing IBA are listed by the EPA as a pesticide because it mimics the naturally occuring plant hormone indole-3 acetic acid. It has been used according to the EPA by the agricultural industry on vegetables and fruits.
The toxicology showed there was very low risk (negligible). In 1990 some of the hormone makers reformulated their products and re-registered them for use on fruits and vegetables.
So, if you want to, you can look for the 31 hormone products that re-registered in 1990. Sorry, the fact sheet does not list the company names. Those formulations have been approved for use on fruits and vegetables.
https://www.hormex.com/msds_sheets/msds-3.pdf
https://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsh ... 30fact.pdf
I have been using it for years on 'edibles' and have had no real issues. I rarely clone food plants and the ones I do are not usually edible for some time.
To back up hormex and other rooting compounds contain auxins or growth stimulators. Auxins are found in nature, just not in the same concentration at the hormone powders. The auxin in most rooting hormone products is indole-3 butyric acid. It functions like the naturally occurring indole-3-acetic acid
Indole 3- butyric acid was interestingly enough an ingredient in agent orange. The other part of agent orange was 2,4D . 2,4D is still in use today. Indole-3 butryric acid is registered by the epa as a pesticide.
In 1992, through strong nursery industry lobbying the product was kept on the market. Some products were reformulated and most now contain either IBA or NAA (weaker root stimulant).
Initially indole-3 butyric acid (IBA) was thought to be a synthetic version of indole-3 acetic acid and would not remain active in the plant. However, small amounts of IBA could be isolated from Maize and Salix (willow) species and other plants in seeds and leaves. The levels that could be measured were negligible.
Rooting hormones containing IBA are listed by the EPA as a pesticide because it mimics the naturally occuring plant hormone indole-3 acetic acid. It has been used according to the EPA by the agricultural industry on vegetables and fruits.
The toxicology showed there was very low risk (negligible). In 1990 some of the hormone makers reformulated their products and re-registered them for use on fruits and vegetables.
So, if you want to, you can look for the 31 hormone products that re-registered in 1990. Sorry, the fact sheet does not list the company names. Those formulations have been approved for use on fruits and vegetables.
https://www.hormex.com/msds_sheets/msds-3.pdf
https://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsh ... 30fact.pdf
Last edited by imafan26 on Tue Jun 25, 2013 12:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
You could make your own hormone if you have access to a willow tree.
An old method of plant propagation used honey (for its antibacterial qualities) and willow stems steeped in water for a few days.
https://pioneerthinking.com/gardening/ho ... ng-hormone
Most herbs will root without hormones and some plants need to be callused off first or they rot.
Most vegetables are annuals and are not propagated by cuttings. Most any fast growing plants will strike readily without hormones.
Water rooting works for a lot of plants and you may try that.
Bay leaves takes five months to root with rooting hormone. And a year or two before it has enough leaves to harvest. I have not tried rooting without anything. If I would try it, I would at least apply a fungicide or hydrogen peroxide to stave off the fungi.
An old method of plant propagation used honey (for its antibacterial qualities) and willow stems steeped in water for a few days.
https://pioneerthinking.com/gardening/ho ... ng-hormone
Most herbs will root without hormones and some plants need to be callused off first or they rot.
Most vegetables are annuals and are not propagated by cuttings. Most any fast growing plants will strike readily without hormones.
Water rooting works for a lot of plants and you may try that.
Bay leaves takes five months to root with rooting hormone. And a year or two before it has enough leaves to harvest. I have not tried rooting without anything. If I would try it, I would at least apply a fungicide or hydrogen peroxide to stave off the fungi.
Last edited by imafan26 on Tue Jun 25, 2013 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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rainbowgardener
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Nice post, but 2.4D (2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid ) is not RoundUp, which is glyphosate. 2.4D has more potential for human toxicity and is mutagenic. It was an ingredient in Agent Orange and is part of the reason why so many Vietnam vets suffered from Agent Orange exposure. 2,4D was actually developed in WWII, when they were working on finding chemical warfare agents. It was only an accident that it turned out to be herbicidal.
It is a synthetic auxin (plant growth hormone), which kills plants by forcing uncontrolled and unsustainable growth.
2,4, D does cause a lot of negative effects AND it is still in use today, the third most popular herbicide in the US.
It is a synthetic auxin (plant growth hormone), which kills plants by forcing uncontrolled and unsustainable growth.
2,4, D does cause a lot of negative effects AND it is still in use today, the third most popular herbicide in the US.
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rainbowgardener
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