Willow Water Experiment #1: Tap water vs. sprig of Willow vs. Willow Water

I love science projects and it is time to embrace or debunk the Willow Water myth.  This is the first experiment, the results of this willow water experiment may lead to more in the future.


•Title: Willow Water Experiment #1
 Plants will be placed in plain tap water, water with a sprig of Willow* and plain tap water after having been soaked for 3 hours in Willow Tea (Willow Water). 

•Hypothesis:  Willow Water will have a significant influence on speed of root production and increased amount of root production.

•Background: See previous post on the rationale for Willow Water and how to make Willow Water, otherwise known as Willow Tea.

•Materials:
Criteria for materials selection. Available and known to root easily.

-Pathos (common names: Golden Pothos, Devils Ivy. Botanical name: Epipremnum aureum).

-Spider Plant (Common names: Airplane Plant. Botanical name: Chlorophytum comosum).

-Willow - Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki.

-Willow Water or Willow Tea
-Tap Water
-Bottoms of used water bottles.
•Procedure:

Two of each plant varieties were prepared for each of the three groups (tap, tap with willow sprig, soaking in willow water before putting into tap water). 

Six Pothos were prepared by cutting a single Pothos vine and clipping the vine approx 1/4 to 1/2 inch on each side of the leaf node and root bud. Two were placed in the control tap water.  Two were placed in tap water with a willow sprig. The two to soak in Willow Water were placed immediately in the room temperature mixture and allowed to sit for 3 hours before transferring to tap water.

Six Spider Plant were prepared by pulling them off the mother plant.  Three smaller and Three larger 'babies' were selected.  Two were placed in the control tap water.  Two were placed in tap water with a willow sprig. The two to soak in Willow Water had a couple of the air roots trimmed (as per directions on the need to 'wound' the stem before soaking) and then were placed immediately in the room temperature mixture and allowed to sit for 3 hours before transferring to tap water.

Four Willow sprigs were prepared by stripping the lower leaves.

View of assembled experiment.   

•Results/Data: TBD (Look for upcoming posts!)

•Conclusion: TBD (Look for upcoming posts!)

*Willow water devotees are thinking, 'Huh? I have never heard of this?'  Well I have developed a lazy habit of just clipping a spring and putting it in the water when I root plants.  Have you ever noticed that when you have a jar of Pothos with mature roots and you put in a new sprig it seems to root much quicker than if you are rooting anew?  The Willow sprig roots right along with the Pothos and I hope it releases whatever rooting MoJo it might have.  I hope this option wins because it is the easiest and would validate the lazy habit I currently have.  Here is a view of Pothos with a few Willow sprigs that I started a couple months ago.  The small, fine roots are the Willow roots.