Root Stimulator Products for Trees
- Hormone-based root stimulators are most often used in the propagation of trees and other plants and are simply called rooting hormones. The bottom tip of the cutting is dipped into the hormone then placed in the soil. Rooting hormone comes in liquid, gel and powder forms and contains a synthetic form of auxin, a hormone that naturally occurs in plants. Some experiments have shown that rooting hormone increases chances of success when grafting as well.
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine) has long been recommended for increasing root growth and reducing transplant shock, although scientific experiments show few root benefits. Claims of root growth probably originate from early experiments with auxin, the rooting hormone, because the auxin was mixed with vitamin B1 in the experiments. Many manufacturers may use antiquated data to support the claims of their products. Despite these findings, some people have had success with vitamin B1 solutions designed for plants, possibly because mixes often contain fertilizer.
- Mycorrhizae is a fungus that naturally occurs in soils, and it has a symbiotic relationship with tree roots. The fungi colonize on the roots, and they take glucose from them. In return, they make minerals and water more accessible to the tree's roots. Experiments conducted using mycorrhizae as a root stimulant have had mixed results. Some experiments show root volume increased on certain trees but not others, while some have found that the initial state of the soil affected mycorrhizae colonization.
- In cases where trees can't extract enough energy from the sun to develop a strong root system, electric stimulation of the roots has shown positive results. Experiments conducted at the University of Maryland showed that treated plants grew nearly twice as much as the control plants. Other experiments have shown that sickly plants grow better and plants can be induced into early bloom as a result of the stimulation.
