Just some musings based on the little I know about plant physiology: Willow tea has long been used to soak cuttings because after soaking twigs and branches, enough natural auxin remains in the water to promote rooting. I know the plant can assimilate auxin through normal root pathways because I use an auxin preparation to inhibit basal suckering on a couple of plants in the landscape that are prone to the problem, and it works; works well for 1 growth cycle and marginally for the subsequent one, so I apply it every other year.

Auxin and cytokinin, two growth regulators/hormones, maintain a sort of antagonistic relationship in a plant. The auxin tells the plant to extend & its branches to grow longer. Cytokinin wants the branches to back-bud and grow laterally, or make the plant bushier. In apically dominant plants, auxin has its say-so and the plant gets tall & long. In bushes & shrubs, cytokinin shows itself as the dominant player.

You probably run some risk of altering the normal relationship between the two growth regulators by supplying an increased measure of the auxin in the willow water. This, of course, could alter the plant's growth habit. IF you see any difference, it would probably be manifest in a plant that is more determined to grow long and lanky, that resists secondary branching and the accompanying bushiness secondary and tertiary ramification offers.

Al

what a great response....

Thank you so much for your insight. I never even considered that as a possible effect. When you say you used auxin preparations to prevent basal suckering, do you mean that you were able to stop the plant from sending out root suckers? If so that would be immensely helpful on a few invasive bushes that we have creeping around.

The product I used was RTU Sucker Stopper. You dig down to where the basal sprouts originate from roots and prune them flush to the root, or prune them flush to the bole - then apply the auxin product to the fresh cuts.

Yes, it stops basal sprouts (used on Caragana arborescens & Corylus Avellana 'Contorta' - 2 shrubs very prone to basal suckering) for one year and works marginally in the subsequent growth cycle.

Al