Using honey as a rooting agent for plant cuttings

[Bakersdozen]

I stumbled on a video showing that honey can be used, when making cuttings, in place of rooting hormone. If I understand correctly it doesn't work for all plant species but it does for ssome semi-woody stems like hydrangeas and privet.  The anti-microbial properties of honey aids in controlling bacterial and fungal growth but doesn't exactly promote root growth.
Has anyone tried this?

[neillsayers]

This is very interesting. I will try and see if I can dig up more about it.

[Bakersdozen]

In the mean time, if anyone can give me suggestions on rooting a Christmas cactus I would appreciate it. A branch got knocked off, I broke it into smaller pieces and am trying to root in water.  No results so far. This was my Mother's Christmas Cactus and I would like to give my sister a start from it.

I stumbled across using honey as a rooting agent when a different plant, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, got knocked off a stand, in the house, this past winter.  The clay pot was destroyed and a large branch was broken off. This is a plant I started from a cutting around 1975. So, I've had it for 50 years and was afraid I would lose it but it survived and all the cuttings I took from the broken branch rooted!  I used rooting hormone for those cuttings.

[neillsayers]

 I'm a big fan of rooting hormone. Place a fresh cut on the stem, dip stem in water, then dip in the package of hormone, then push into the soil. Keep liberally watered.

 I have never propagated a Christmas Cactus so the individual method may vary.

 I found a video describing one method: