Don't need to boil anything.

Find lots of info with a search for "rooting cuttings with willow extract" but without the quote marks.

I'd google "willow water". Also there's a few threads about this topic on Gardenweb, especially in the Plant Propagation Forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Willow Water Search in the Plant Propagation Forum

The primary hormone is salicylic acid, a natural compound found in willows (botanical name = Salix) that is also a chemcial component of asprin. Willows also contain IBA (indolebutyric acid), the common ingredient of most commercial rooting hormones and rhizocaline. All of these growth enhancing hormones are present in ALL willow species.

The IBU is not soluble in water and shuld be distilled with a 70% solution of alcohol. The other two are easily extracted in water. The popular method is to concoct a tea by chopping up willow twigs into small sections and cover with hot water and allow to steep for several days.

Here is a link that might be useful: willow water how-to

Somewhere in a box in a garage I've an old textbook that says willow from above 8000 feet or the best. OP from OR may have access to such willows.




BTW, asprin is acetylsalicylic acid not salicylic acid -- now, having said that, they both might work just equally well.

I know what aspirin is......I said salicylic acid is a compound found in aspirin......I didn't say it was aspirin!

"A French chemist, Charles Frederic Gerhardt, was the first to prepare acetylsalicylic acid in 1853. In the course of his work on the synthesis and properties of various acid anhydrides, he mixed acetyl chloride with a sodium salt of salicylic acid...The name Aspirin is derived from A = Acetyl and "Spirsäure" = an old (German) name for salicylic acid."

Aspirin may have some benefits to encourage rooting - it has been used anecdotally for that purpose for years - but it is unlikely to have the same effect as the willow water due to the lack of the other growth hormones willow water contains.

And I'd have to question the alleged greater value of willows grown above 8000'...first, that is above the tree line in most parts of the country, limiting both the types of willows available as well as their access. And I doubt gathering willow stems from natural mountainous areas is an approved activity. It may well be possible that high altitude willows may contain higher levels of these growth hormones than their lower altitude cousins but for practical purposes, I doubt there is any significant difference.

gardengal48 is correct, USP 'aspirin' may contain up to 0.3% salicylic acid. As the aspirin ages on the shelf the concentration of salicylic acid will increase.

Salix arctica (Arctic Willow) is reported to be found up to 4000 meters, about 12,000 feet. The USDA shows it as far south a Oregon, some sources say California.

I first learned of it on the Alaskan tundra where it thrives far beyond the tree line.

I don't know where Gardengal48 dug up such erroneous information! Salicylic acid is NOT a hormone. The actual hormone found in plant tissue is Indole acetic acid...not indole butyric acid(which today is Indolebutanoic acid). The hormone may be extracted quite easily by crushing the entire twig in cold methyl alcohol(now Methanol). And as far as I know,there are no other hormones in Salix tissue.

taxonomist, you seem to be quite keen on hormones (auxins, growth substances). I would like to see your comments on ethylene and potato sprouting, a controversy near the bottom of this thread potatoes....

Salicylic acid is NOT a hormone.

Wrong. You should do a Google search before sticking your foot in your mouth. Googling ' "Salicylic acid" "plant hormone" ' gives 13,800 hits and third from the top is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicylic_acid.

The truly amazing thing to me is that web forums, such as this one, allow people to profusely lie and otherwise spread disinformation as long as it is done civilly. I regard such placement of political correctness ahead of truth is a very sick cultural phenomenon.

struwwelpeter, how do you feel about ethylene and potato sprouting?

struwwelpeter, how do you feel about ethylene and potato sprouting?

I don't know much about potatoes but here is some useful information regarding ethylene that you can use to do experiments on potatoes.

1. Ethephon, brand Florel, simulates the activity of ethylene and is labeled for use on some food crops.

2. Aminoethoxyvinylglycine, brand Retain, is an ethylene antagonist that is labeled for use on some food crops.

3. Silver salts are ethylene antagonists that should not be used on food crops. They are used to extend the life of cut flowers in a vase.

According to http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4069/is_200509/ai_n15743013/.

"Salicylic acid is NOT a hormone"
"Wrong ..."

No idea myself on this particular question, but . . .

"and third from the top is http://en.wikipedia.org";

. . . wikipedia is also very often wrong, too.

Resin

ØØ

Apparently Salicylic acid is a hormone or it is not a hormone.

I rather suspect that it could be a "plant growth regulator". like Ethylene It seem to find its way into lists like: Abscisic acid - Auxins - Cytokinins - Ethylene - Gibberellins - Brassinosteroids - Jasmonates - Polyamine - Salicylic acid .

Apparently Salicylic acid is a hormone or it is not a hormone.

Also, salicylic acid is bananas or it is not bananas.

All plant hormones are plant growth regulators, but not all plant growth regulators are hormones. If a plant growth regulator can be naturally produced inside a plant, it is a hormone even when externally applied.

. . . wikipedia is also very often wrong, too.

Yes, but not nearly as often as the general population. Furthermore, Wikipedia has an official policy against usage of weasel words, whereas society, in general, and these forums, in particular, have an unofficial policy of promoting the usage of weasel words.

For Struwelpeter and albert135

This is becomming somewhat silly. All one has to do to answer the questions is to avail oneself of a fairly current text on plant physiology. I believe most of your queries will be answered quite well!!!

All one has to do to answer the questions is to avail oneself of a fairly current text on plant physiology.

This is becomming somewhat silly. All one has to do to answer the questions is to avail oneself of a fairly current text on plant physiology. I believe most of your queries will be answered quite well!!!

Dear Prolific Affectation User,

In proper scientific communities, it is inappropriate to give vague references.

Here is something else to ponder. Salicylic acid is not too expensive. Two kilos could be purchased for $42 a couple of weeks ago.

So if salicylic acid is an active root promoting ingredient in willow water than why is salicylic acid not sold in the bottles along with IBA and labeled as rooting compound?

And yet another thing to ponder: this Encyclopedia, not Wikipedia, says "The most important member of the auxin family is indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). It generates the majority of auxin effects in intact plants, and is the most potent native auxin. However, molecules of IAA are chemically labile in aqueous solution, so IAA is not used commercially as a plant growth regulator."

The most potent native auxin is chemically labile in aqueous solution, so is not used commercially.

The Annual Review of Phytopathology calls salicylic acid a "hormone" then goes on to state "This review surveys how SA in plants regulates both local disease resistance mechanisms, including host cell death and defense gene expression, and systemic acquired resistance (SAR)." I interpret this to mean that any rooting effect is secondary or tertiary i.e. it does not act as an Auxin.

My Botany teacher taught us that any naturally occurring compound found in a plant that regulates its growth, be it inhibit or spur, should be considered a hormone. BTW