Beener

In my travels through thousands of pages, Botanical studies, and Organic experts. I found this Tea Recipe. Where I live, wild Willows are over abundant. If you use Organic Tea Recipes in your Organic grow technique, you don't want to miss this one.

Willow tea is a good source of auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins (all growth regulators/Hormones, and natural plant stress protectors).

In spring, cut six-inch (15-centimetre) lengths of willow tips with swollen buds (the buds contain the hormones), crushing them slightly with a hammer, and soak them in boiling water. When the water has cooled, strain out the twigs and use the tea to soak seeds and water plants into their new holes.

Use the willow tea immediately or freeze for future use.Try working with a ratio of one thick handful of willow tips to two quarts (two litres) of boiling water. Any specie of willow has the same strong rooting hormones.

This is the way I found this tea recipe. Though it says "use immediately", I will be brewing some as soon as the wild willows show up. I plan on aerating some, and brewing up to 10 days or so, as I do with other teas.

The key "may" be the aeration (as it usually is Aerobic Microbes we're dealing with in these teas). When I find that this is or isn't a problem, I will post back to this thread.

I will most likely use this tea as a base solution to add my Kelp or Alfalfa. I bought a little $5 aquarium pump for aeration.

Give it a shot. These Organic hormones can really be a powerful addition. I've seen a large difference in my clones since I've been using many of these natural organic hormone providers, and the cost is minimal.

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Beener

Lizzie Borden

I've read about using willow trees for natural rooting hormone, but thought the water was not supposed to be boiled. If boiling does not destroy the hormone it would kill any microbes at least.

Here is a recipe I found:

Willow trees produce a natural rooting hormone.

Cut willow branches into 2-4" long pieces. Put the willow cuttings into a pot and cover with water. Place lid on pot and heat on low (do not boil) for two hours. Turn off heat, keeping pot covered and allowing to steep for at least 12 hours. The solution should now be dark brown. Strain and discard the branches.

Insert the base of fresh cuttings into the liquid and leave them there for 12-24 hours to absorb the hormone, then plant into your medium.

Store unused hormone in the refrigerator. It will keep for years.

cranky

shall be looking out for willow trees....for def want to give this one ago...

nice bit of info there beener & brindie...

cranky

Beener

An absolutely good point...I've seen a few tea recipes that call for boiling. I've made those with great success with warm/hot water (hot, but still able to hold my hand underneath).

This is exactly how I found this tea recipe. Brindie - your version by all means makes much more sense from a microbial standpoint.

One thing that I'm discovering during my travels for info is, that we MJ growers are awfully good at what we do. I've gotten into some conversations with long time farmers and serious organic growers, to find that many of my questions go unanswered, and leave them looking at me like... "I have no clue what this guy is talking about".

I've really started to play around with some clones. I'm looking forward to the wild willows showing up. The auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins in the recipe should actually be a good addition at anytime (without over doing it), not just rooting...we'll see.

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Beener

Galgos

I've been looking for a natural rooting compound. I did a search on the boards and nothing came up, but here it is.

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Cultivator#420

I know this is a old thread but thought I might add somthing to it that might help out. Apical Dominance tell us that the majority of Auxin is in the apex of the stem or branch of plants and trees (It also explains why topping causes lateral growth of the branches underneath the top). So it would probally be a stronger mix if you use just the Apical buds( buds on the end of the branch that add length) to brew the tea. Lateral buds have a lower abundance of auxin witch partly prevents them from branching and growing.

And as far as the recipe go's if low heats better no heats best no? I found a no heat method that may preserve even more microbes.

1.Gather a handful of willow branch tips
2.Chop or mash into smaller pieces
3.Fill small container with pieces
4.Fill container with water & allow to sit 24-48 hours
5.Remove willow pieces
6.Dip cutting into the water, covering the stem
7.Put cutting into your medium

The place I found that at also mentions using asprin disolved in water since it is made of willow bark. But after reading up on apical dominance I think the best way to get a high concentration of auxin would be the apical dominant sprouts only.

Peace
C420

MoJo

I'm just gonna bump this thread because it is a wounderfull DIY rooting hormone thread.
I will make me some willow tea next spring for sure. From reading the above threads the only thing I'm unsure of is for how long to soak the clones/ cuttings. A semi quick dip followed by a little watering with the tea when the clone is settled in its medium.

Great thread, I love DIY