What is the best medium to clone in?

AZPsyclops

AZPsyclops

Well-Known Member
Hey everybody I have been cloning for about six months now and using rockwool because that's what I started with.
I was reading on another post that rockwool can have pH problems during cloning. I think that I may be having problems with this; all my clone stems are purple.
IMG_0206.jpgIMG_0205.jpg
Here are couple of pictures. One is of an AK-47 cloned on the fifth of this month and the other is of an older clone that is ready for transplanting but that still shows a purple stem.
This is typically the way my clones have been working. They do grow out of the purple stem rather rapidly and become healthy fat plants, but the purple stems are really starting to bother me.
My question really is; what is the best medium to clone into and is the purple clone stems due to pH inbalance caused by the rockwool?
 
BUdbuddysmile

BUdbuddysmile

Active Member
Since it looks like you are growing in soil, I would use soil plugs. Im not a big fan of mixing mediums with rockwool because of potential pH issues, and I want my medium to saturate and dry evenly. I noticed this mostly with hydro. Hydroton would be dry as it should, but the rock wool plug would stay moist. Also, its easy to get algae with rock wool. Just my 2 cents, but some options that I am familiar with..

Rapid Rooters- Barkmulch mix plug
Root Shooters-Peat and Perlite mix and sterile
Root Riot

I use the Root Shooters currently and will stick with them for soil. They seem to root the fastest and for a while I was using Sunshine 4 which is a peatperlite mix. So, it seems to make the most sense. Also, Root Shooters are sterilized. Jiffy makes Root Shooters.
 
B

BillDance

Active Member
My best results have come from the little $1 pepper seed starter trays from dollar general. They are a little messy but you get ten mediums for that dollar. Fwiw, I'm on my first grow so make sure to take others advice.
 
BustinScales510

BustinScales510

Well-Known Member
If it aint broke dont fix it :). Your clones/plants look fine. I get the purple coloring on my clones too (I use rockwool) but it goes away and they always grow into healthy plants. Ive noticed it happens more on cuttings taken from mother plants that are starting to get kinda old and woody.
 
Thundercat

Thundercat

Well-Known Member
I'm with the if it isn't broke don't fix it idea. That being said even though I grow in hydro I don't like rockwool for clones. Maybe I just did it wrong but I had a bunch of issues when I was trying it. I had some success, but not a good rate and then I lost a whole batch I said fuck this I'm going back to peat pellets. I've used them primarily for the last 4 years with great success. I've had a DIY aero cloner sitting outside my room 90% built for the last year and havn't finished it to try it out. Its hard to kick whats working.
 
lickalotapus

lickalotapus

Well-Known Member
I use Straight perlite , no humidity dome, and leave them in the garden , 99 % survive and they usually don't even wilt slightly
 
CheeseLouise

CheeseLouise

Member
perlite is good because you can soak it and you will always have loads of air , i have problems with rockwall its either too wet or too dry
 
BeastGrow

BeastGrow

Well-Known Member
I've had best success when using a humidity dome and not spraying the plants.

I never tried rockwool or bubble cloners with a humidity dome. I didn't have success with rockwool cubes (didnt have humidity dome and possibly wet the cubes too much) The bubble cloner i had about 40% success without humidity dome.

I've had 75% success with jiffy pellets and a jiffy humidity dome (all in one greenhouse).

I would have to try the bubble cloner and the rockwool with a humidity dome to really compare... but why switch if the cheapest method works great?

I have also heard of people just putting the cutting in a cup of water with about 1 inch of air on top of the cup and also covered with plastic wrap. That is the cheapest method.

They all work but I've found that the Jiffy is the cheapest out of the methods I have tried and got the best success. The jiffy professional greenhouse worked best for me and it only costed 4 bucks. The rockwool only sold in 10+ buck packs. The bubble cloner costed around 50 bucks + electricity...

For Hydro I think I would try coco cubes with a humidity dome. For soil I will stick with Jiffy pellets & humidity dome... Didn't need to do much.. dip in rooting gel and then put in humidity dome under low light and wait 2 weeks.
 
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