Principles of Application of Succulent Rooting Powder
Today's tip sharing: experience in the field of succulents, principles of application of succulent rooting powder, with the following specific introduction:
When friends are propagating succulents, they think of using rooting powder for succulents. This article mainly elaborates on the principles of application of succulent rooting powder. The rooting characteristics of succulents are different from other plants, as they generally have higher endogenous auxins and are rich in water. This physiological feature may be related to their special photosynthesis (Crassulacean acid metabolism pathway) and there is ample evidence in vitro cell culture to support this.
When succulent cuttings are left exposed, as water evaporates and body fluids concentrate, endogenous hormones relatively increase. When they exceed the rooting threshold, meristematic initials can form and then roots develop. Due to the high water content in succulents, compared to other plants, their hormone concentration range is significant, unlike other plants that wither and die before endogenous hormones reach the threshold. Most of the reasons for the rot, necrosis, and failure to root in succulent cuttings are primarily due to microbial infections or secondary endogenous hormone disorders during the exposed stage.
This suggests that when designing succulent rooting powder, the principle of "anti-microbial as the primary, hormone regulation as the secondary" should be followed.
The microorganisms that harm succulent cuttings mainly include pathogenic and conditional pathogens, while the microorganisms that harm healthy plants are mainly pathogenic. However, since the cuttings are separated from the plant body, their internal metabolism is disordered and their resistance is reduced, so the infection of conditional pathogens is also quite prominent. Therefore, when choosing anti-microbial drugs, these microorganisms should be considered comprehensively, following the principle of "broad-spectrum, long-acting, and high efficacy." Anti-microbial drugs include antibacterial drugs, bacteriostatic agents (preservatives), antifungal drugs, anaerobic drugs, and antiparasitic drugs. These anti-microbial drugs are recommended to be medical drugs or high-purity agricultural chemicals, and low-concentration poor-quality agricultural chemicals are prohibited. Usually, beta-lactam and aminoglycoside drugs can be combined as antibacterial components, thiourea benzene as antifungal, metronidazole as anaerobic and parasitic drugs.
In addition, some varieties can release plant polyphenols and tannins, causing "rooting injury system" hyperactivity, making it difficult to form meristematic initials. To address this phenomenon, antioxidants and borate salts can be used appropriately.
When applying rooting powder, the absorption of the drug by the cutting and the retention time of the drug on the cutting surface are the main considerations. There are usually two administration methods:
One is direct application, which means applying it directly to the fresh wound surface after cutting the cutting and then air-drying (7-20 days) before potting. The other is the recommended method, which involves air-drying the cutting appropriately (5-24 hours), mixing the rooting powder into a paste with a small amount of 75% ethanol, applying it to the short-term air-dried wound, and then air-drying for 3-7 days before potting.
The second method has many advantages and is worth promoting: first, 75% ethanol can act as an aid, helping hormones and antibacterial drugs penetrate into plant tissues, and due to the small amount of ethanol and its rapid evaporation, it does not cause excessive damage to cells and tissues; on the other hand, 75% ethanol has a special germicidal effect, which can eliminate most microorganisms on the wound surface, relatively enhancing the efficacy of the later anti-microbial drugs;Furthermore, ethanol can make the rooting powder stick firmly to the wound surface in a paste form, unlike dry powder which is prone to fall off and loss. In terms of exposure time, the second method saves a lot of time, effectively ensuring the active metabolic function of the plant, providing favorable conditions for later growth, and shortening the seedling adaptation period.
The principles of application of succulent rooting powder shared in the above green plant experience hope to bring you help in life!