WI>>Willow twigs, soaked in water for half-hour, or so!  On
WI>>your walks ...
( I suppose I should be more specific, as the Salix family is
not a small one... I was refering to White or River Willow, as
the *tree* branch is what we use...    :)
 CG> Willow twigs contain the same hormone? They have a
 CG> reputation for being easy to strike, presumably because
 CG> thay are high in the hormone.
Yes, but they strike easily, whether in water or good moist soil
(soil being a superior medium for effective rooting, as a cutting
is able to develope a complete root system, and your transplant
'take' (success) is far better...  *I* don't know if it has anything
to do with the presence of the  hormone... (not being a bio-chemist,
I can't say for certain   :)
 CG> This being so, might I not dry and crush the twigs and
 CG> add them to batches of compost soil to make a special
 CG> blend of potting medium, or would the effect be
 CG> negligible?
Like I said, I'm not a bio-chemist, so I don't have a definitive
answer for you (tho I'm certain we'll hear from some who *will*!  :)
You could have some insight on this score, tho.  We use it only
as I described... in (soaked in) water, then soaking the cuttings in
that water...   I'm quite sure it would not be  harmful tho,... (one of
the few commonly occurring plant materials that I've been
cautioned against using for composting, etc., in my gardening
history, is Maple, as it produces a gas that can kill other plants...
I think God, in His infinite wisdom, gives us many clues... If you
look under trees, growing in their natural state,  you will notice
those friendly to their under growth, and those not...  and there
isn't much that grows under Maples... well, not like Oakes   :)
Willows, tho, give every appearance that they are friendly (it
would seem to depend on your perspective, tho, I guess   :)
WI>>(I'm just kidding, calling you names!  Okay, okay!  I'm
WI>>shamed, I'm
 CG> No sweat. I do it all the time behind your back in the
 CG> CapCanada BBS Main(0) conference (vbg!)
Hey, wait a minute!  What are you *talking* about!
cheers,
(& may your willows produce *many* roots!  :)
WL Sakowski
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