Top Hormones for Rooting – Guide & Comparison
The best rooting hormones are not very easy to find and there are a lot of products on the market that have different ingredients and concentrations, making the process of finding the best ones sometimes overwhelming. To help you choose the one that best suits your needs, our team has analyzed the formulas and effectiveness of the most sought-after rooting hormones on the market and has concluded that the Garden Safe Rooting Hormone 93194 is a great choice because it has a formula that emulates the natural growth hormone of plants and it is very easy to use compared to most similar products. You will be able to use it multiple times and you will actually enjoy the process. It is perfect for people who don’t want to mix solutions and spend a lot of time rooting their cuttings. However, if the product is not available, the Clonex HydroDynamics Rooting Gel is also a good option.
Comparison table
1st Choice
The great thing about this rooting hormone is that it is very easy to use, you just have to insert the cuttings inside the container for the powder to touch it, remove the excess and that’s it. It mimics natural hormones made by plants that are involved in plant growth and it has proven to be very effective.
The concentration of the main ingredient is not very high.
People who want to mimic the natural growth of plants will be happy using this product because it is very healthy for the plants and also very easy to use, with a balanced formula that is very effective.
2nd Best
It has a gel formula that is very easy to use and will help seal the cut in order for the hormones and other ingredients to be easily absorbed so that the root starts growing faster and healthier. It has been used by professionals for a long time, proving its high quality over the years with great feedback.
You will have to use a separate container for the product.
This rooting hormone is great for people who want to provide healthy nutrients that will help the newly formed roots to be very strong and healthy from the very beginning.
Also To Consider
This rooting hormone is very easy to use as it comes in the form of powder. It has a high concentration of indole-3-butyric acid and it is very effective, especially on plants that do not root easily. It can be ordered in different concentrations according to the type of plant you want to grow from cuttings.
You get only a small amount of product in one container.
This product is great especially for people who want their plants to develop roots really fast or for those who want to propagate plants that are difficult to root because it has high concentrations.
10 Best Rooting Hormones (Updated Reviews) in 2024
Finding the best rooting hormone formula for your plants is not an easy job, you need to make a lot of research but, luckily, our team has made a list of the most effective products present on the market right now after analyzing their ingredients, their ease of use, and the results that come after using them. Here are our rooting hormones reviews.
1. Garden Safe Rooting Hormone 93194
The Garden Safe rooting hormone is used for growing plants from cuttings for a variety of flowers and ornamental plants like roses, poinsettias, African violets, coleus, geraniums, and philodendrons. By simply moistening the cuttings and inserting them into the container, you will be able to grow new plants quickly but in natural ranges.
The main ingredient of this powder is indole-3-butyric acid which is a hormone that belongs to the auxin family which will help your plant grow very similar to the way it would in a natural way, making it a great choice for people who want to grow really healthy plants.
It comes with detailed instructions on the label on how to use it and, even though it does not have a high concentration, it has proven to be very useful and has great results when compared to other similar products in the line because of its formula.
Pros
The product is extremely easy to use and that is because the producers have come up with a formula that does not need dilution, therefore just inserting the cutting in the container will do it.
The formula is so well developed that you will feel like your plant is growing in a natural way, because of its main ingredient but also because of the ingredient ratio which is designed by scientists to be the most effective.
You will be able to use it more than one time and the product is very easy to store inside the container.
It comes with great quality and the price is outstanding compared to similar products.
Cons
If the concentration of the active ingredient, indole-3-butyric acid, would have been a little bit higher it would have been perfect. However, this amount of hormones should do it if you use the product the right way.
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2. Clonex HydroDynamics Rooting Gel
Clonex is a brand that has been making rooting hormones since 1988 and is widely used by professionals to grow new plants from cuttings. It contains 0.31 percent indole-3-butyric acid. The formula also contains vitamins in order for the cutting to be protected while the root forms.
It is easy to use and is in the form of a gel that will cover the cutting and will also seal it in order for it to be able to come up with healthy roots. After you apply it you just have to put the cutting in a pot or wherever you want the plant to grow and you will be able to see the results in about 2 weeks. Progress can be seen earlier, but not sooner than 1 week.
The plant will be nourished for every stage of the root until it is completely formed. This is why the product is so loved by so many people because it has proven to be very efficient in providing healthy plants.
Pros
The fact that this product has been used for such a long time with great results and most of the professionals decide to use it still is a great testimony to this product’s quality, so if you buy it you can be sure that you are not wasting your money.
You will be able to finish your job quickly because the product is very easy to use and you will not need any extra products in order for your plants to grow healthy and thick roots.
Due to the combination of ingredients, the plant will be less prone to infections and will grow a lot healthier.
Cons
The main con that this product has is that you have to use a separate container in order to use the product which can become a little bit messy especially if you are not used to this type of rooting hormone.
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3. Hormex Rooting Hormone Powder #16
This rooting hormone powder is great especially if you want your plants to grow really fast. It has a very high concentration of indole-3-butyric acid, in a 1.60 percent amount, which is more than many of the similar products on the market have.
Hormex makes this product in different concentrations, specialized for different kinds of plants, and this one has a formula that is suited for plants that are difficult to root and provides great results if used with any type of growth medium. So you will be able to use it if you want to plant your cuttings in soil, clay pellets, peat moss, and even coco peat.
If you are not sure what plants you should use it on, you will be able to see the list of difficult to root plants that Hormex provides. Also, you will be able to transplant the plants easily because the roots will be strong enough and will not become saggy.
Pros
The great thing that this formula comes with is that it doesn’t have any preservatives, dye, or alcohol. This means that it is great to be used for edible plants also, without being toxic.
It has a relatively high concentration of hormones which is great especially if you are dealing with problematic plants.
Also, it can be ordered in different concentrations depending on the type of plant that you want to propagate and according to its needs.
You will save a lot of time using this product because you only have to cover the cutting with the powder and let it do its job, no extra products needed.
Cons
You get a relatively low amount of powder. This is not a problem if you want to propagate just a few cuttings, but it can be an inconvenience if you want to grow more than a few in order to make a small garden.
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4. Bonide (BND925) – Bontone II Rooting Powder
If you are looking for a product that comes at an affordable price and is also easy to use, this is definitely the rooting hormone that you want to buy. The great thing about it is that, if you are a casual gardener, you will not need any high-concentration products that you have to combine with other products in order for them to do their job.
Also, for plants that are used by casual gardeners, you don’t need products with high concentration levels. So this one, which has 0.1 percent indole-3-butyric acid and also comes at a great price, will do exactly what you need it to do.
It also works well on seeds and bulbs, not just on cuttings, and you will be able to use it for different types of flowers as well as for different types of decorative plants without much to do on your part than to apply it to the cuttings, seeds or bulbs.
Pros
Because it comes in the form of powder, you will be able to easily use it and you will not need any special containers.
It is affordable and comes in a fair quantity if you are not a professional and you are not growing large numbers of plants.
It works really great on houseplants and softwood plants and you will get great results if you use it for flowers.
Bonide is a well-renowned brand that provides high-quality products, so you can trust the product to do a great job.
It can be used for bulbs and seeds as well which will make it a great companion during your gardening experience.
Cons
Because of its low concentration, it might not be such a good idea to use it for hardwood cuttings because you might have the unpleasant surprise that it will not grow roots and you will waste the cuttings.
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5. Hydrofarm DG00201 Liquid Hormone Concentrate
This liquid hormone concentrate from Hydrofarm is great if you are looking for a product that uses more than one active ingredient. The manufacturers have come up with a well-balanced formula that uses 1 percent indole-3-butyric acid and 0.5 percent naphthaleneacetic acid in order to help the plant grow roots.
It also contains isopropyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol as it is a self-sanitizing product. Due to the fact that it is a concentrate product, you will need to dilute it in order to use it in concentrations that are not toxic.
However, you will be able to get any concentrations you want just because it is a dilutable product. So if you are a casual gardener it would be really useful to know how to combine it and you will be able to experiment and enjoy the best practices in order to enjoy beautiful flowers and rich ornamental plants.
Pros
The fact that this product is a liquid concentrate is very useful for experimented users who need different concentrations for different types of plants.
It has two active ingredients that make it very powerful and you will get great results if you decide to use it.
The fact that the product contains alcohol and is self-sanitizing will eliminate cross-contamination.
Liquid formulas are usually more effective than powder formulas because they have a higher amount of active ingredients, so the product is very powerful compared to other products present on the market.
Cons
If you are not sure how to use it, you might waste a lot of product because the excess solution will lose its power in a few hours after you mix it, so you will not be able to use it in the future. So if you have no experience with this type of product, you should do some research first and dilute it according to your plant’s needs.
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6. RootBoost Rooting Hormone Powder
The RootBoost Rooting Hormone is a great choice for people who want to use the product on hundreds of cuttings without having to worry that they will not get enough. It comes in the form of a powder that contains Hormodin 1, which is a formula that has indole-3-butyric as its main ingredient. This comes in a 0.1 percent concentration.
Like other powder formulas, this one is also very easy to use without the need for diluting the product or using other containers when you want to apply it to your cuttings. Hormodin 1 is used by professional gardeners, so its effect is guaranteed by the quality of the ingredients and by its balanced formula.
It is suited for houseplants, greenhouse plants, and garden plants, in order to make the most of your flowers and ornamental plants that you already have in your home without the need to buy any other.
Pros
The plants that you use this product on will develop fully grown roots in 3 to 5 weeks, which is great because you will see results very quickly compared to other similar products.
The formula is also used by professionals, so the ingredients are of a higher quality than the ones used by other competitors.
Being a powder formula, you will be able to use it easily and without making any unwanted mess.
It comes with great results when used with ornamental plants which means that it is great for both your indoor plants and your garden.
Cons
There are some plants, especially hardwood plants, on which this product is not very effective. So before you purchase it, you should check if it will work for your plants or not. The instructions are written on the back label and are as clear as possible for everybody to be able to identify if the product suits their needs or not.
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7. EZ Clone EZGEL-8 Rooting Compound Gel
If you are impatient and you want your cuttings to grow roots in a fast manner, the EZ Clone Gel is a great choice that will make even the most demanding person happy. It comes in the shape of a gel which is water-based and all you have to do is to cover the cut stem with the product, which will seal the cut.
The problem with cuttings is that very often the seal and the cutting itself do not have enough minerals and vitamins to promote fast growth and this product, along with the hormones it has in its formula, is providing a wide range of vitamins and minerals that the roots desperately need.
It is perfect for both softwood and hardwood cuttings and you will be able to see great results very quickly because the formula has proven to be very effective over the years and has great feedback.
Pros
Compared to most of the products on the market, the EZ Clone Gel makes the roots grow very fast. This means that you will be able to have new plant clones in no time.
Because the new roots have a lot of vitamins and minerals to develop, the shock of moving them to their final pot will be less powerful.
It comes with quality ingredients which is very much appreciated especially considering the price that this product has.
Thanks to the water-based gel, the cuttings will be properly sealed so that they won’t get contaminated by pests.
Cons
If you don’t apply enough product, you might have the unpleasant surprise that the roots might deteriorate. So be careful to use it in safe environments and exactly like the manufacturers instruct you to in order to fully enjoy the great results that this product has proven to offer over time.
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8. Dyna-Gro DYRTG002 Root Gel
This is a great product that has to be diluted in order to be properly used in the concentration you need. It is very effective for greenhouse plants and studies have shown that it will help the new roots to grow twice as quickly.
The great asset that this product has is that it has more nutrients than other competitors. The formula contains indole-3-butyric acid, naphthaleneacetic acid, and vitamin B1 which are water-soluble. It also has 16 minerals that, together with the other ingredients, will help the roots grow faster and healthier.
Do not forget that this product is a concentrate and because it is not a natural hormone it can harm plants if it is used in high amounts. So it is really important that you don’t use it like it is and that you dilute it according to the instructions and according to your individual plant’s needs.
Pros
The great feature of this product is that it has high concentrations of hormones and can be diluted to get the perfect concentration for each plant in particular.
It works really well on hardwood cuttings also because of the combination of naphthaleneacetic acid and indole-3-butyric acid.
The root will be fed until it fully grows by all the nutrients present in this product which, compared to the other products on the market, comes with a full range of all needed minerals.
It is very easy to use considering that it is a concentrate and the container is practical and not fancy, which makes it pretty affordable.
Cons
Because of its formula, it is not indicated for the product to be used for edible plants so be sure not to contaminate your vegetable garden, as otherwise, it can end up making you sick due to the contained chemicals that are not suited for consumption.
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9. Hormodin 3 Rooting Compound
Hormodin 3 is a much more powerful powder than any similar products on the market because it comes with a concentration of 0.8 percent of indole-3-butyric acid, which is great as long as you consider that most powders have a concentration of 0.1 percent. This property allows it to be very effective on hardwood cuttings as well.
It comes in containers of 0.5 lbs, which means that you will be able to use the powder on as many as 17,500 cuttings, great for professional gardeners and for people who want to transform their place into a dream garden. You will be able to easily use it, exactly like any other powder product.
Because of its large quantity, you should use as much powder as you need for one application in another container and try to avoid putting back the product you are not using because you will risk contamination.
Pros
The great thing about this product is that it can be used on hardwood cuttings and it is actually effective because of the high concentration of 0.8 percent.
The fact that it comes in the form of powder makes it really easy to use without the need to mix it or dilute it in any way and it is one of the few products on the market with such high concentration that is a powder.
You will be able to transform your garden because it comes in a large quantity that will help you use it more efficiently.
Cons
The manufacturers do not sell this product in smaller containers and for casual gardeners, the amount they get is too much.
For some types of plants, this product might be a little too powerful and could end up damaging it, so make sure to find the right balance in order not to kill the cutting.
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10. Big Foot Organic Mycorrhizal Granular Fungi Mycorrhizae Inoculant
This is a great choice for people who want to help the roots of the cuttings grow naturally because it is derived from algae and it has natural ingredients that combine with the soil to help the roots grow faster and have a healthy development.
It also contains nitrogen, potash, and phosphate. Among its ingredients, it also has substances like humic acids and worm castings that do not feed the plants but help the soil develop healthy nutrients that the plant will be able to feed on.
This product relies on mycorrhiza, which is the symbiosis between plants and fungi, that is very effective in terms of feeding the plants through their roots, resulting in better and healthier development of the root. The fungi help the plant to better use the nutrients and the water in the soil, making them need less external intervention.
Pros
It will help you use 30 percent less water on the plants due to the principle it uses to help the roots develop and it will also reduce the amount of fertilizer you will have to use in the future.
It is easy to use as it comes in the form of granules that have to be added to the soil and you will not need to dilute it or mix it with any other ingredients.
It can be used on mature plants as well, and not just for cuttings because it has a very complex formula.
It will help you spend less money on soil maintenance and you will have to do less work. It will also be effective during dry periods because the plants will use water more effectively.
Cons
Some people might not enjoy the use of granules and find liquid formulas easier to use.
The granules have to be applied to the soil and will not help the cuttings seal quicker which might make them prone to disease.
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Our Comprehensive Buying Guide
Many people wonder what is in rooting hormone solutions and the answer is not that complicated. Most rooting hormones contain synthetic substances that mimic the natural growth hormones of plants. The most used active ingredients that are present in these products are indole-3-butyric acid and naphthaleneacetic acid.
Indole-3-butyric acid is part of the auxin family and you are probably going to hear about auxins a lot when someone will explain ‘what is rooting hormone made of’. Indole-3-butyric acid is a natural auxin, while naphthaleneacetic acid is a synthetic auxin. Auxins are the first growth hormones that were discovered and have been used since then with success.
Both of them together have great growth effects on plants, but, if used in high amounts, naphthaleneacetic acid can become toxic and kill the cuttings.
A good root hormone solution may also have minerals and vitamins that feed the cuttings and help them heal faster by providing everything that the roots need in order to grow healthy and have, eventually, the ability to help the plant reach maturity.
How do rooting hormones help cuttings?
Using rooting hormone solutions is a practice that most gardeners employ and it is very healthy and productive to do so especially if you want quick results. If we talk about affordable rooting hormones or cheap rooting hormone solutions, they have the same principle that they use to help a cutting make roots.
The ingredients in the product are absorbed by the cuttings which use them as growth hormones in order to build the new cells they need to grow roots. As we have said before, the minerals which are probably not present in the cheap products will help the cut heal faster and will protect the plant from disease.
The difference between letting the cuttings produce their own hormones and helping them with the additional solution is that the roots will grow faster and a lot stronger which is really important if you want to have future healthy adult plants. You will see the effects in about 3 to 5 weeks, depending on the type of plant you want to propagate from cuttings.
What are the rooting hormone types?
- Powder
Rooting hormone powder is the most sought-after because it is very easy to use. The product usually comes in a plastic container that is sealed. What you have to pay attention to while using this product is not to contaminate it, so you should put some powder aside in a small container and dip the cuttings into it until it covers the whole cut of the cutting.
If there is any product left, throw it away and do not put it back in the original container.
- Liquid rooting hormone
If you have read every rooting hormones review from our list, you might have noticed that some products are ready-to-use and some of them are concentrated. This is usually available for liquid formulas as well. The thing is that it is important to get informed on how you have to dilute the product in order not to kill the cuttings, which is pretty easy.
- Gel
Compared to rooting powder, a gel product is relatively cleaner to use and you will not need any extra utensils in order to apply it. It works really well as a rose rooting hormone and is useful for a lot of other types of plants. This too can come as a concentrate, but it is usually ready to use.
The great thing about it is that it sticks to the cut and penetrates it really well, so the cutting will be able to use it very effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Is rooting hormone necessary for cuttings?
If we talk about easy to root cuttings, the use of rooting hormones is not compulsory. However, you will be sure that every cutting will become a plant only if you use hormones. Difficult and moderate plants in terms of chances of growing roots usually need rooting hormones.
Do not think of rooting hormones as a bad thing. Studies have shown that they are perfectly safe to use if you use them according to the instructions. Ornamental plant cuttings will develop roots relatively quickly if you use hormones and you will be able to enjoy them fully.
You can try to root cuttings without using hormones and, on the sides, use hormones for some of them to see the difference. You will not want to root any cuttings without hormones again because the effects will be noticeable and you will not lose any cuttings if you decide to follow this process.
Q: How long will a rooting hormone take to work?
This usually depends on the type of product that you are using and it also depends on what you understand by ‘work’. Most rooting hormones help the clone develop roots and also help the roots go through all growth stages. If you use cheap rooting hormones they might help the root to develop but not further than that.
If we talk about how long it takes for the cutting to grow small roots, you have to be patient because it usually takes an affordable rooting hormone about 3 to 5 weeks to get good results. However, there are products that are more effective and help the roots grow in about two weeks.
A natural rooting hormone will not be able to provide results in just 2 weeks, but you will be able to enjoy very healthy plants. The key is to use it exactly like the manufacturers have instructed you to.
Q: How to use rooting hormone?
The use of a root hormone solution depends on the type of product you get. If you decide to buy a rooting hormone powder you will first have to check if it is a concentrate or not. Most of them aren’t, but it is important to know because otherwise, it’s possible to kill the cutting. You will have to stick the cutting in the powder and try to cover all the cuts.
It is recommended that you use it in a separate recipient in order not to contaminate the whole product. You will be able to use a rooting hormone gel the same way. If it is a concentrate, you will have to dilute it in order to have the perfect concentration for your plants and this type of plant rooting hormone comes with special instructions.
Granules usually have to be added to the soil either the regular way or by inserting them into the hole you want to put your cutting into.
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