Willow Water
Willow water can be used to help root plants; not for human consumption.
Preparation Time:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of fresh, young willow twigs, none wider than a pencil, trimmed of leaves and cut into 1 inch pieces. Any species of willow will do.
- 1 gallon of boiling water.
Tools
- Hedge trimmers or clippers
- A gallon sized jar with a tight fitting lid
- A label for your jar & a sharpie
Directions:
- Use the clippers to trim the willow branches to size and place them in a large, heat proof container.
- Pour the boiling water over the willow bits.
- Allow the water and the willow bits to sit overnight.
- Strain and store your rooting tonic in a sealed, labelled container in the refrigerator for up to two months.
To Use
- To use the willow rooting tonic, pour a little tonic into a small container and place the end of your cutting in the container. Allow it to rest there for 24 hours before placing it in its rooting medium to continue the rooting process.
- You can also use willow rooting tonic to water young plants to encourage vigorous growth and kick start their immune systems.
Additional Comments:
Willow water is used as a rooting tonic, that is, a homemade rooting hormone. Rooting hormone can easily be purchased at most nurseries and garden centers. This product is usually made from a synthetic form of indolebutyric acid, a plant growth regulator, usually dissolved in alcohol and diluted with water. However, this chemical is also found in the flexible branches of the willow and you can use this to make your own rooting tonic. In addition, the salicylic acid in the willow branches stimulates a plant's own defense system against bacteria, viruses and fungi, giving young plants a boost. Bonus. (Adding aspirin to your plant's water will do this as well, since that's (sort of) what aspirin is made out of.)
This dish is best served on the following occasions:
This dish carries energies for the following magical purposes:
Attribution:
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