HydroRed
Well-Known Member
I germ them first in paper towel method, then stick em in the plugs when the taproot pokes out. The taproot digs in real quick after that. This worked well for me in the past.
Cloning
- Thread starter 517BlckBerry
- Start date
churtmunk
Well-Known Member
just germed some seeds with rapid rooter cubes. 3 strains, 2 seeds each, all 6 popped and are off to the races. Soaked the cubes then squeezed out excess water so cubes were moist but not saturated. Plugged the seeds straight into the cubes.
WeedFreak78
Well-Known Member
It'll push out. I even rip a small bit off the bottom to loosely plug the hole so the seed stays moist and it pushes it out of if the way.
HydroRed
Well-Known Member
Same here. Just enough to create some shade in the hole.
Castroman
Well-Known Member
You can clone successfully using just water (place cutting in a container with water and wait). So Rapid rooters, Jiffys, cloning gels, cloning solutions, special mediums like rockwool, perlite, etc. none of that is necessary at all. The one disadvantage to cloning in water is that it takes 2 to 3 weeks to see roots, but you can cut this time by at least a week by adding some kind of bubbler to the water... which actually makes you realize all the "cloning machines" are confirmations that cloning in water with a lot of airflow is the best method indeed.
If you want to use gels, keep in mind the absolute best gel is not Clonex, Rootech or whatever but Aloe Vera. That's right, get some gel from an aloe vera leaf and use that in your cutting. Aloe vera has a natural blend of vitamins, minerals and auxins that is like using a man-made gel plus Superthrive. Try it and be amazed. Don't have an aloe plant at hand? Use your own saliva as gel, just put that cutting in your mouth and give it a nice coating with spit. Seriously, saliva speeds up root development, look it up.
If you want to use powders, remember that the lowly el-cheapo kind is best, because cannabis is an easy to root plant and as such needs very little auxin to do it. This means that the more auxins you give, the longer it takes to root. That is the reason you are better off using a cheap powder, because those typically have only 0.1% Indole 3 Butyric Acid. With auxins, less is more, and that's the reason also that you shouldn't spread Clonex like grape jelly all over the stem, but only the exposed area (that's why it is a good idea to do a slanted cut, to maximize contact with the auxin). Clonex' 0.3% IBA is actually too strong for cannabis, it's meant to work with brittle woody cuttings, so use only a tiny amount on the exposed area (f you paint the entire stem with Clonex, it will swell and become mushy and have difficulty developing roots).
The real factors for cloning success are none of the above, but the following:
1) Moisture (below and above ground, not wet in either, mist the dome, not the leaves)
2) Low Lighting (too much will force the unrooted cutting into photosynthesis and will die)
3) Bottom Heat (should be between 74 and 82 degrees constant, no wild swings)
4) Blue Spectrum Lighting (fluorescents are best, especially if the light is filtered through a paper or cloth)
If you want to use gels, keep in mind the absolute best gel is not Clonex, Rootech or whatever but Aloe Vera. That's right, get some gel from an aloe vera leaf and use that in your cutting. Aloe vera has a natural blend of vitamins, minerals and auxins that is like using a man-made gel plus Superthrive. Try it and be amazed. Don't have an aloe plant at hand? Use your own saliva as gel, just put that cutting in your mouth and give it a nice coating with spit. Seriously, saliva speeds up root development, look it up.
If you want to use powders, remember that the lowly el-cheapo kind is best, because cannabis is an easy to root plant and as such needs very little auxin to do it. This means that the more auxins you give, the longer it takes to root. That is the reason you are better off using a cheap powder, because those typically have only 0.1% Indole 3 Butyric Acid. With auxins, less is more, and that's the reason also that you shouldn't spread Clonex like grape jelly all over the stem, but only the exposed area (that's why it is a good idea to do a slanted cut, to maximize contact with the auxin). Clonex' 0.3% IBA is actually too strong for cannabis, it's meant to work with brittle woody cuttings, so use only a tiny amount on the exposed area (f you paint the entire stem with Clonex, it will swell and become mushy and have difficulty developing roots).
The real factors for cloning success are none of the above, but the following:
1) Moisture (below and above ground, not wet in either, mist the dome, not the leaves)
2) Low Lighting (too much will force the unrooted cutting into photosynthesis and will die)
3) Bottom Heat (should be between 74 and 82 degrees constant, no wild swings)
4) Blue Spectrum Lighting (fluorescents are best, especially if the light is filtered through a paper or cloth)
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Budley Doright
Well-Known Member
I didn't read your whole thread, stopped at 2-3 weeks lol, then briefly scanned the rest. So I have used .3 % roots powder for, oh let's see, 25 years lol. I have had pretty close to 100% and in the last three runs using root riot cubes plus the Roots powder I have roots in 6-7 days and planting soon after. Using those products I have not lost a clone, just saying.
Castroman
Well-Known Member
As I mentioned, the real reason for success is moisture, light and temps. If you have those right, gels are irrelevant.
VegasWinner
Well-Known Member
I use a clone spinner in a bucket with foam rings to hold them in place like these ->http://www.ebay.com/itm/360-Degree-Aeroponic-Spinner-Mister-Sprayer-10-Pcs-FREE-Drill-Bit-/301913148492?hash=item464b6d0c4c:g:zhUAAOSwI3RW-srX
mount it on a pvc attached to a submerged pump, and viola you have rooted clones in 5-7 days. easy. peace
mount it on a pvc attached to a submerged pump, and viola you have rooted clones in 5-7 days. easy. peace
Budley Doright
Well-Known Member
Well perhaps your right, I have never tried, but once and that was a matter of sticking a broken top into hydroton and net pot and yes it did root but was a runt. But you said two to three weeks, I'm planting/transferring cuttings in 7-10 days, I'm thinking if powder/gel and root riot cubes do it in that time it's well worth the extra cost which is negligible. Not saying what is causing the quicker results, just saying this is what had worked for me. People have their ways to clone just as they do their ways to germinate seeds and they will almost die it seems to prove theirs is the best lol.
Castroman
Well-Known Member
I'd bet if during the next cloning round you took a cutting and did the same thing except dip it in Clonex, it will root earlier than the rest, with thicker roots. Clonex at .3% IBA is actually a root retardant.
Budley Doright
Well-Known Member
I bet it wouldn't lol. I have clonex gel as well and it works just as good but no better. I used the powder as it was easier to reach but yes sometimes I do use it and have even mixed the two but that's kinda messy lol. Honestly I'm really more impressed with the root riot cubes, they seem to speed things up as well. I'll try and find some picks of the last batch and post the root pics after 6-7 days, it's impressive. Just started using the cubes as I'm in a flood and drain but they seem ok re staying together once in the hydroton.
Would you mind explaining your method with the root riots to get roots in 6-7 days? its weird some people like foliar feeding, some don't at all, some leave water in the tray some don't, I'm trying to find the quickest way with the least labor lol. like as far as what humidity you keep them at, do you foliar feed or just dip the plugs in nutesolution, that type of stuff
Budley Doright
Well-Known Member
Well you may not want to follow my way lol. I don't sterilize anything, I use the same blade over, don't clean my tote much, and use, used Res water lol. I have a opaque storage container that is probably 12x16x8" deep, I layer the bottom with about 3" of perlite (same stuff for 3 runs so far) and water to moisten. I cut cuttings with scissors off the plant lower than I know the final cut will be made then put in water. The final cut is made on an angle just below the node that will be buried and slice of the node leaf flush with stalk and cover with powder/gel but actually prefer the powder at .3% (no proof it's better though). I place the cutting in the moistened root riot cube below the cut node, mist and cover, the whole thing is placed on heat mat and under a soft white T5 double fixture. I will remove or dislodge the cover and mist if needed on a daily basis but the chamber is running real close to 100% humidity so not much misting required. Pretty sure I've got a thread showing roots as time progresses. Just started using root riot cubes that were gifted and very happy but have no clue what their worth
.Thanks man Ive heard of a lot of people using the prelate I'm pretty sure thats what a lot of commercial cloners do too but that seems really freakin simple to get roots in 6 days. I'm just not sure if i should keep a thin layer of water at the bottom of the tray or if i shouldn't and water the plugs by dipping them in waterWell you may not want to follow my way lol. I don't sterilize anything, I use the same blade over, don't clean my tote much, and use, used Res water lol. I have a opaque storage container that is probably 12x16x8" deep, I layer the bottom with about 3" of perlite (same stuff for 3 runs so far) and water to moisten. I cut cuttings with scissors off the plant lower than I know the final cut will be made then put in water. The final cut is made on an angle just below the node that will be buried and slice of the node leaf flush with stalk and cover with powder/gel but actually prefer the powder at .3% (no proof it's better though). I place the cutting in the moistened root riot cube below the cut node, mist and cover, the whole thing is placed on heat mat and under a soft white T5 double fixture. I will remove or dislodge the cover and mist if needed on a daily basis but the chamber is running real close to 100% humidity so not much misting required. Pretty sure I've got a thread showing roots as time progresses. Just started using root riot cubes that were gifted and very happy but have no clue what their worth
Budley Doright
Well-Known Member
I keep the perilite there only for moisture. Unless the standing water was aerated I (that means me lol, and not that everyone else is wrong lol) would be nervous about rot.
ThaMagnificent
Well-Known Member
Do you run it 24/7?Using my T24 Turbo Klone
mrgreen2015
Well-Known Member
Yep. With "1" T5 bulb on top for a small amount of light.
Temps around 70 F
Near the end of 10 days when I see little nubs......I put in fresh water with microbes. Temps fall back to 65 F and slowly rises back to 70-73 after a few days. I already ran 2 cycles and had 100% success both times.
The second time they looked way better because I only ran 1 T5 bulb instead of having 4 on. The bulb is about 8-12 inches away.
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Budley Doright
Well-Known Member
You'll be fine just misting the whole thing if your cubes are moist to begin with I would think, I'm am going to try it with out anything in the bottom next time only because I hate the extra step of spraying off the perlite before the net pots.
edroponico
Active Member
I've tried most methods. Aero cloners are dependent on water quality.
Here is what works for me:
1. Propagation tray with dome and heat mat (can skip dome/mat if you maintain >75f/75rh)
2. Soak rock wool cubes in solution of ro water, iba and gh gro. Fairly weak, don't really have specifics
3. Final cuts are made under water. No gel, no leaf clipping, no scoring or cutting of stem.
4. If your cuts aren't too sturdy, they can be set in an even weaker solution of iba/gro or just straight ro for 1-3 days. I do this when taking smallish cut.
5. Cubes are kept slightly damp, no misting as long as the cuts look good.
6. After roughly one week, I soak with a solution of gh bloom and iba. Usually they are showing the bginnings of deficiency with slightly swollen stems. Roots explode thereafter.
7. It's best to get them out of cloner and moving along ASAP once established
Ultra Fast rooting times are usually only achieved with meaty cuts taken from banging moms. Ymmv.
The nuting may seem counterintuitive but its a recipe I tried from another site and it makes sense...p and k are needed to encourage the rooting.
Here is what works for me:
1. Propagation tray with dome and heat mat (can skip dome/mat if you maintain >75f/75rh)
2. Soak rock wool cubes in solution of ro water, iba and gh gro. Fairly weak, don't really have specifics
3. Final cuts are made under water. No gel, no leaf clipping, no scoring or cutting of stem.
4. If your cuts aren't too sturdy, they can be set in an even weaker solution of iba/gro or just straight ro for 1-3 days. I do this when taking smallish cut.
5. Cubes are kept slightly damp, no misting as long as the cuts look good.
6. After roughly one week, I soak with a solution of gh bloom and iba. Usually they are showing the bginnings of deficiency with slightly swollen stems. Roots explode thereafter.
7. It's best to get them out of cloner and moving along ASAP once established
Ultra Fast rooting times are usually only achieved with meaty cuts taken from banging moms. Ymmv.
The nuting may seem counterintuitive but its a recipe I tried from another site and it makes sense...p and k are needed to encourage the rooting.
just sucks I'm used to buying established clones lol but i just took cuttings on friday haven't even foliar fed just kept the dome on but I'm worried about the 95-99% humidity in the dome once the rooters dry I'm going to put them in a tray with weak nutes so the water is a 1/4-1/3 way up the plug and let them sit in the water till its all wicked up. thats how aeroknows does it but id like to know the difference without anything at the bottom