I can find a lot of information on making and using willow water for rooting plants. I can find a lot of information about medicinal uses of willow water by earlier civilizations. What I can't find is when willow water was first used for rooting plants.

Apparently the Egyptians noted that willow trees rooted easily but does anyone have a reference to when willow branches were first used to root other plants?

Thanks.

Ardesia: This one does talk about the history of the willow, but not specifically about the history of willow water.

https://deepgreenpermaculture....

Given that willow seems to have been everywhere and used as medicine, I think finding the first use of willow water would be an exceptionally hard question to answer.

Yes thank you, I had seen that one too. It seems strange that while there is a lot in the literature about how easily willows root, no one ever mentions who or how they noted that willow water aided root development of other plant material.

My father used willow water to water seedlings and transplants for one month after planting every year he would win biggest veg. That he focused on that year. I use it the same way i also add some powdered kelp to each transplant. Every willow has the same qualities.

How is this for an ancient black willow? It is massive half the tree was hit by tornado but doesnt really


Bother it much its very tall and still strong .

Willow water contains a gibraltic acid as well as silicate which is found in rooting hormones you can buy. I havent had luck with that i use willow water. Everything i cut goes directly into willow water and stays till it roots. I change the water after 3-5 days with fresh.

With fresh willow water? Here we use River Willow http://plants.usda.gov/core/pr...

All willows possess same qualities. I take a big handfull seperate into three to a gallon i use the water in 3 days refill it . its a perpetual rooting hormone for quite some time