DIY Rooting Hormone for Clones: 5 Homemade Recipes, From Lentils to Willow

Rooting is a make-or-break step in cannabis propagation, especially when you're working with clones. The best natural rooting hormones are the ones you can make at home: willow water, sprouted lentils, cinnamon, coffee and sprouted wheat or soy all help a cutting push roots, without synthetic chemicals and for pennies.

Natural rooting agents for a female cannabis plant don't just encourage healthy roots, they also keep synthetic chemicals out of the picture, so your grow stays clean. Below we cover the most effective natural options, what they bring to the table and how they can level up your cloning game.

What is a natural rooting hormone and what does it do?

Rooting is a key part of growing from clones, and it's common for some cuttings to never put out decent roots. Rooting agents are made specifically to help with that, kick-starting root growth and formation at the base of the cutting.

Applying a rooting agent to the cut end of a young cannabis cutting raises your odds of success and gets roots coming in faster and healthier.

There are plenty of commercial rooting products at any store that sells plant-care supplies. But if you'd rather go with something cheaper and greener, a natural rooting agent is a great call.

These homemade rooting agents aren't just easier on the environment, they also keep artificial products out of your grow, so your organic garden stays clean.

Homemade rooting hormone: pros and cons

Rooting agents play a big role in growing plants, helping protect against outside pathogens and noticeably improving how well the plant takes up nutrients and water.

That, in turn, feeds into healthy plant growth and development, boosting the size and quality of what you harvest. Going with a homemade version, though, can bring even more upside, especially on sustainability and cost.

Pros of a homemade rooting agent

1. Cheap: It's made from stuff you usually have around the house, so it costs way less than store-bought products.
2. Perfect for organic gardens: These rooting agents are fully suited to organic growing, so you get the most out of your cuttings without compromising your grow's organic cred.
3. Sustainable: Leftovers from making them can go back into your growing medium or into your compost or worm bin, closing the loop on your grow.

Cons of natural rooting agents for cannabis clones

1. Slower to work: Homemade rooting agents can take longer to show results than commercial ones, which might slow down rooting.
2. They spoil: These natural products tend to go bad faster, so keep them refrigerated or they'll break down and lose their punch.

A homemade rooting agent is a great choice if you want a more natural, budget-friendly method, but keep in mind the trade-offs on speed and shelf life.

How do you make homemade rooting hormone?

There are tons of commercial rooting products out there, but you can also whip up your own from natural ingredients. These homemade rooting agents for clones are a great alternative if you want a greener, cheaper way to get your plants to push roots. Here are some of the most effective ones and how to make them:

Coffee rooting agent

Coffee is famous for giving you a jolt, and it may do something similar for plants. Its active compounds can help encourage root growth on cuttings.

How to make it:

1. Bring 60 g (about 2 oz) of coffee beans to a boil in half a liter (about 2 cups) of water.
2. Strain the mix to remove the coffee grounds and let the liquid cool.
3. Once it's cool, spray the base of the cutting with it to encourage rooting.

Cinnamon rooting agent for cannabis cuttings

Cinnamon is another natural ingredient growers swear by for root growth. On top of helping with rooting, it has antifungal properties that can protect cuttings from disease.

How to make it:

1. Mix 25 g of cinnamon (about three tablespoons) into a liter (about a quart) of water.
2. Let it sit for an hour.
3. Strain the liquid and let it cool. You can store it in the fridge so it lasts longer.
4. Dip the stems of your cuttings in it for a few minutes before planting them.

Lentil sprout rooting water

Lentils, like many other seeds, release a load of growth hormones as they sprout, which makes them an excellent natural rooting agent.

How to make it:

1. Put 100 g (about 3.5 oz) of lentils in a liter of water and let them soak for 24 hours.
2. Drain the lentils, saving the water in a sealed container. Keep it somewhere dark at room temperature.
3. Keep soaking the lentils for 15 minutes and draining them, over and over, until they sprout and start putting out roots.
4. Blend the sprouted lentils and strain the liquid.
5. Put the liquid in a spray bottle and mist the base of the cutting.

Willow water rooting agent for clones

Willow water is one of the most effective natural ways to get cuttings rooting. Its effect is usually credited to salicylic acid, a natural compound found in willow bark and the same active ingredient behind aspirin. Here's how to make it:

How to make it:

1. Cut the branches: Start by cutting fresh willow branches into small pieces. Go for young branches, since they pack a higher concentration of salicylic acid.
2. Steep the willow: Put the pieces in a container and pour in a liter of freshly boiled water. Let it sit for 24 hours so the willow releases its compounds into the water.
3. Strain: After a full day, strain out the branch pieces and you've got a liquid rooting agent ready to go.

Cold-water version:

If you'd rather not boil water, follow the same steps but leave the branches in cold water for a week. It works just as well, it just takes longer.

Fun fact: The salicylic acid in willow is the same compound found in aspirin, which is why some growers use an aspirin dissolved in water as a rooting agent. If you try it, soak the cuttings in the solution for at least an hour for better results.

Wheat or soy sprout rooting agent

Besides lentils, grains and legumes like wheat and soy are great sources of natural hormones that help with rooting. As these seeds sprout, they release compounds that stimulate root growth much like lentils do.

How to make it:

1. Sprout the seeds: Put wheat or soy seeds in a container of water and let them soak for 24 hours. Then drain the water and keep the seeds somewhere dark and cool.
2. Repeat: Keep soaking and draining until the seeds sprout and start putting out roots.
3. Blend: Once they've sprouted, blend the seeds into a paste.
4. Strain: Strain the paste to pull out the liquid. That's your homemade rooting agent.

Bottom line: which natural rooting hormone should you use?

Any of these methods will get you a solid homemade rooting agent, perfect for an organic grow. Use them and your cannabis plants will put out stronger roots, take up nutrients better and grow into healthy, sturdy plants.