Keiki Paste vs Rooting Hormone: Which for Propagation?
If you're propagating plants and you've been staring at a jar of keiki paste and a tub of rooting hormone wondering whether they do the same thing, here's the answer up front: they're close to opposites. Keiki paste vs rooting hormone isn't a "which brand is better" question — it's two different hormones doing two different jobs. Keiki paste is cytokinin-based and wakes up a dormant node on a living plant to grow a whole new plantlet. Rooting hormone is auxin-based and tells a detached cutting to grow roots. Use the wrong one and you'll wait weeks for nothing to happen. This guide explains the science simply, shows you exactly when to reach for each, and covers why using both at once usually backfires.
The Core Difference: Two Hormones, Two Jobs
Plants run on a small set of growth hormones, and two of them matter here.
Cytokinin drives cell division and shoot formation. It's the active ingredient in keiki paste — typically 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), a synthetic stand-in for the natural hormone. When you apply it to a dormant node, it overrides apical dominance (the plant's tendency to pour energy into its main growing tip) and wakes that sleeping node up. The result is new above-ground growth: a shoot, a bloom spike, or on an orchid, a keiki — a baby plant that's a genetic clone of the parent.
Auxin does the reverse. It drives root initiation and cell elongation. It's the active ingredient in rooting hormone — usually indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) or naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). When you dip the cut end of a stem into rooting powder or gel, the concentrated auxin at the wound signals root cells to proliferate faster than they would on their own.
So the mental model is simple: cytokinin = new shoots on an intact plant; auxin = new roots on a cutting. Growers describe the two as antagonists, because a high cytokinin-to-auxin balance pushes shoots while a high auxin-to-cytokinin balance pushes roots. They pull in opposite directions by design.
When to Use Keiki Paste
Reach for keiki (cytokinin) paste when you want to multiply a plant without cutting it — or before you cut it.
Orchids. This is the classic use. You expose a node on the flower spike, lightly score it, and dab on paste. Weeks later the node pushes out a keiki you can eventually pot up. It's the standard way to clone a phalaenopsis you love.
Houseplants with visible nodes. Aroids like monstera, philodendron, and pothos respond well to cytokinin anywhere there's a node, and so do fiddle leaf figs. If you have a leggy plant with bare stem and dormant nodes, paste can activate a node into a new branch — which you can later cut as a much stronger, node-plus-growth cutting.
When you want an exact clone. Because a keiki grows from the parent's own tissue, it's genetically identical — same leaf pattern, same flower, same variegation potential.
The key constraint: keiki paste is applied to a living, healthy plant, on an intact node. It doesn't root a cutting, and it won't rescue a sick plant.
When to Use Rooting Hormone
Reach for auxin-based rooting hormone when you already have a cutting and you need it to grow roots.
Stem and tip cuttings. Take a cutting, dip the cut end in rooting powder, gel, or liquid, and pot it in a moist medium. The auxin speeds and improves root formation, especially on woody or stubborn species.
Divisions and hard-to-root plants. For plants that are slow to root on their own, auxin meaningfully improves your strike rate.
Rooting hormone is the tool for the back half of propagation — turning a severed piece into an independent, rooted plant. It does nothing useful smeared on a dormant node of an intact stem, because that's not what auxin signals.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Keiki Paste (cytokinin) | Rooting Hormone (auxin) |
|---|---|---|
| Active ingredient | 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) | IBA or NAA |
| What it triggers | New shoots / plantlets at a node | Roots at a cut surface |
| Applied to | An intact, living node | The cut end of a detached cutting |
| Form | Paste (lanolin/cream carrier) | Powder, gel, or liquid |
| Best for | Orchid spikes, aroid nodes, cloning | Stem cuttings, divisions, woody stems |
| Produces a clone? | Yes — from parent tissue | Yes — but only after you've taken the cutting |
| Works on a sick plant? | No — needs a healthy host | Limited — cutting must be viable |
Can You Use Both Together?
Not on the same tissue at the same time — and this trips people up. Because cytokinin and auxin are antagonists, applying one suppresses the effect of the other. Put rooting hormone on a developing keiki and you fight the shoot growth you were trying to encourage; the excess cytokinin in keiki products can also inhibit root development if overapplied. Growers who want both effects use them in sequence, not together: for example, activate and grow out a node with keiki paste, then later, once you cut that new growth as a cutting, use rooting hormone on the cut end to root it. Right tool, right stage — never both at once on the same spot.
What We Recommend
For anyone who wants to multiply a plant they love — clone a favorite orchid, wake up dormant nodes on a leggy monstera, or coax a new plant from an intact stem — the tool you want is a good cytokinin keiki paste, not a rooting hormone. Rooting hormone earns its place later, when you're rooting the cutting you took.
Berkland Keiki Cloning Paste (0.5 oz) — cytokinin cloning paste for orchids and houseplants, made in USA
- Cytokinin-based formula wakes up dormant nodes to grow shoots and keikis
- Roughly 2X the paste of the standard quarter-ounce jar — dozens of nodes per jar
- Wooden applicators and instructions included; validated on orchids and houseplants
- Water-resistant so it stays on the node through watering
Buy Berkland Keiki Cloning Paste on Amazon →
If your project is genuinely rooting a detached cutting, a standard auxin rooting hormone (an IBA gel or powder) is the correct choice instead — and you can always pair the two across the propagation timeline. New to node cloning? Start with our step-by-step guide to using keiki paste on orchids.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is keiki paste the same as rooting hormone?
No. Keiki paste is cytokinin (BAP) and stimulates shoots from a dormant node on a living plant. Rooting hormone is auxin (IBA or NAA) and stimulates roots on a detached cutting. They target opposite ends of the plant and work in opposition, so they're not interchangeable.
Can I use rooting hormone to make a keiki?
No — auxin promotes roots, not the shoot growth a keiki is. Applied to a node, rooting hormone won't produce a baby plant, and if applied to a forming keiki it can actually suppress its growth. Use a cytokinin keiki paste to grow a keiki from a node.
Can I use keiki paste on a cutting to root it?
No. Keiki paste won't root a cutting; cytokinin actually tends to inhibit root formation. Root cuttings with an auxin-based rooting hormone, then use keiki paste separately on intact nodes when you want to clone new shoots.
Do professional growers use both?
Yes, but in sequence and for different steps — cytokinin to force new growth from a node, auxin to root a cutting once it's taken. The balance (ratio) of the two hormones is what tips a plant toward roots or shoots, which is why applying both at once to the same tissue is counterproductive.
Related reading:
- Best Keiki Cloning Paste in 2026: 7 Compared
- How to Use Keiki Paste on Orchid Nodes: Step-by-Step
- Propagating Monstera & Houseplants With Keiki Paste
Shop this product: Berkland Keiki Cloning Paste on Berkland Goods