The rooting response of evergreen and deciduous cuttings to foliar applications of the rooting hormone indole-3-butyric acid^©

This study sought to answer the question of whether a foliar application of indole-3-butyric acid (Hortus IBA Water Soluble Salts) could replace a basal treatment of indole-3-butyric acid plus 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (Dip LSQUOn Grow), in the production of evergreen and deciduous rooted cuttings, without a loss of plant quality or rooting percentage. The evergreen cuttings were given three treatments, including a basal quick dip of Dip LSQUON Grow (IBA/NAA) with concentrations ranging from 1000-7500 ppm, a foliar spray of Hortus IBA Water Soluble Salts (IBA) at half the concentration of the basal quick dip, and a second identical foliar spray one week later. The deciduous cuttings were also given three treatments, including a basal quick dip of Dip 'N Grow (IBA/NAA) with a concentration of 500 ppm, a foliar spray of Hortus IBA Water Soluble Salts (IBA) of 500 ppm, and a control with no hormone treatment. Evergreen rooted cuttings were evaluated half way through, and at the end of the production cycle, while the deciduous rooted cuttings were evaluated only at the end of the production cycle. Both groups of cuttings were evaluated using a quantative 0-5 scale, 0 being necrotic and 5 being fully rooted. Results were compared by using RStudio statistical program, including the one-way ANOVA test and the Tukey HSD test, both at the 0.05 level. Results showed that rooting scores of broad leaved evergreens with a foliar treatment were less than those of the basal quick dip treatment, rooting scores of needle leaved evergreens with a foliar treatment were not significantly different than those of the basal quick dip treatment, while rooting scores of scale leaved evergreens with a foliar treatment were greater than those of the basal quick dip treatment. Most deciduous taxa were not significantly different when comparing foliar and basal quick dip treatments. Both evergreen and deciduous taxa that were significantly improved, or not significantly different when comparing foliar and basal quick dip treatments could be produced by using a foliar treatment without loss of plant quality or rooting percentage.