Treadwell

Wondering if anyone else has ever headr tell of a willow tea? There is an old farmer here in the town i live that swears by this. He doesnt grow herb (to my knowledge). He just speaks to me on occasion because i have a vegetable garden that i use as a front for probing for more knowledge on ferts. and seasonal grow tips.
He says one of his teas is an old homegrown cocktail. He puts ground eggshell and small dried willow branches in a womans nylon stocking and steeps it in a 5 gal. bucket of water for a month. He then uses this to water in addition to the manure, worm castings, ect. that he tills into his soil before hand.
Im questioning what the chemical benefits of that might be. Are ther available organic nutes in this stuff when soaked that way? Or might it somehow be affecting his soil pH and aiding in the plants nutrient uptake? Any theories on this one guys??

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If a pot plant grows in the woods, and no one is around to smell it, does it make a scent?

2009 OUTDOOR - failed lunar grow

BREEDING AUTOS - hempy style

MoJo

Long story short, it is a well know organic rooting supplement. Google it an you will find a few recipes on how to make it.
Any tree of the willow family will do you. Young branches and leaf/branch sprouts in spring are according to the lore, quite saturated with the common rooting hormone found and used by plants. I forget what it's called, starts with an a...

Hope that helps. Google it, you'll find it right away. A few threads on this forum too I guess ;-)

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Treadwell

Appretiated! That was some of the info i gathered on it while looking into it too. "Old MacDonald" doesnt use it for rooting i dont think, as hes growing a field of veggies from seed each year but perhaps it just helps him with overall root development. Thus, helping his plants to be able to absorb more available nutes.
Either way.. thanks for confirming the myth.

__________________
If a pot plant grows in the woods, and no one is around to smell it, does it make a scent?

2009 OUTDOOR - failed lunar grow

BREEDING AUTOS - hempy style

vhj23

I've used that willow tea solution to root clones with good success.Best price of any rooting hormone,free.

L8tr

happy growgirl

Treadwell greetings!
what an interesting additive, I know that the willow has salicylic acid (like aspirin) and while I have never looked into it as a nute I have used aspirin in water for floral arrangements with barky stems ( like lilac) that need to be split or crushed to keep the water intake going so it doesn't seal up. It has helped the cut arrangents that I have used it in and think a tea would be an interesting try, I am off to google that myself.

JUNGLEOFEDEN1

i have a good freind of mine that swares buy that stuff he is always trying to get me to try it ,and i know that he has had very good success with it as a rooting hormone i have also herd it is great for the plant emune system like scorpion juice it is supposed to be very simulare or the same ,i got that info from icmag and out of a organic gardening web site .....peace