Page 67 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2024

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Routine Excellence – with Rapid Roots
There’s a school of thought that says the past, present, and future are all occurring at once. We simply experience them interchangeably on non-linear paths. In quiet spells we at AutoPot sometimes muse that plant roots embody this idea of timelessness.
At any given moment the ‘present’ rhizosphere of a plant is so intractably connected with its origin and its trajectory that it seems impossible to specifically ‘place’ it. Roots are the past, present, and future of organic life occurring all at once. So it’s rather important that they get off to a good start.
‘But AutoPot deal in plant watering systems,’ you may cry, ‘what have roots to do with you?’ Well, just occasionally, we run into something utterly irresistible in the course of our test- or home-growing. So
it was with Rapid Roots. Visibly effective, clean to use, and with an intriguing backstory, it’s safe to say we’ve been delighted with this 100% organic rooting gel. Still, we understand that some might remain sceptical on the basis of our mere say-so.
We’re well aware that many a veg grower might consider rooting gels a little niche
or expensive. But we would counter that there’s nothing really niche about helping your plants develop strong, drought- resistant roots that actively seek water and nutrition - from day one.
In terms of expense, £12 of anyone’s money is hardly peanuts. But for that you do get 50 metered doses from a 50ml dispenser. Each dose is enough to treat tens and tens of cuttings or seeds so each bottle is easily sufficient to establish a full season’s worth of plants.
‘All fair points,’ you might say. ‘Thanks,’ we might say. ‘But what about the intangibles of effectiveness?,’ you might say. ‘Well, we got a second opinion,’ we DO say.
Equally chuffed, Medwyn Williams MBE has confirmed our suspicions that Rapid Roots is something quite out-of-the- ordinary. The 13-time RHS Chelsea Gold Medal Winner ran side-by-side tests with a crop of leeks last year and the effect on the roots of gel-treated plants was something to behold. Looking at the cuttings raised with Rapid Roots it is difficult to imagine how their roots could fail to give them an advantage in terms of growth and crop size.
Rapid Roots is seaweed-based and, for sure, seaweed-based plant fertilisers are ten-a-penny. But the somewhat unique premise of this gel is that, unlike almost
all other such products, it completely preserves the plant hormones, vitamins, trace elements, and nutrients present in the vegetative matter from which it is derived.
Unusually, the Bladderwrack seaweed used in Rapid Roots is prepared without high temperature treatment. Instead it is micronised, helping it to retain very high levels of potency. That deliciously named ‘Bladderwrack’ is an interesting and specific choice as an ingredient in-and- of-itself, for a variety of growth-enhancing reasons.
Bladderwrack grows in the hostile ecosystem between high and low tide areas of the sea. This means it’s well-used to the stresses of extreme environments. In theory then, it should have anti-stress properties aplenty to pass on when used as a feed.
By utilising Bladderwrack, Rapid
Roots aims to instil hardiness and drought resistance from an early stage, predisposing your plants to robustness throughout their lives. Huge quantities of beneficial long-chain molecules are also present in the Bladderwrack, aiding complex, accelerated growth.
Enough Bladderwrack? Time then
to consider Rapid Roots other virtuous ingredients. Chief amongst these is humic- rich Leonardite. In theory this mineraloid substance, formed over many millions of years, helps your plants feed faster, more efficiently, and more completely, boosting cell division and onward growth.
Rapid Roots claim this helps to create a virtuous circle. Water and essential beneficial nutrients are absorbed quickly, helping to stimulate growth that drives your plants to extend their roots and take up further inputs more keenly, and so on. Sounds good? The best is still to come.
Despite all of its intelligent design, Rapid Roots is disarmingly simple to use. You just dispense a shot of the gel into a small container, take your cutting and coat the bottom 2cm of the stem. Once the stem
is coated transfer immediately to your propagator. Maintain the cutting in moist conditions conducive to growth until the plant has effectively rooted. It’s as easy as that!
You could pay the full RRP of £12 to get your hands on a bottle of Rapid Roots
- available now from all good AutoPot stockists and our online store. Alternatively, why not save yourself a very pleasant 20% using our NVS-member-exclusive offer code - applicable to our entire range when purchased via autopot.co.uk/specialist/ shop/. Just tap in the code AUTONVS20 at the checkout.
Tested and approved by Medwyn Willliams MBE, Rapid Roots is a 100% Organic rooting gel for seeds, seedlings, and cuttings
Simply pump and coat. The bottle is fitted with a measured dispenser - each pump equating to 1ml
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