You guys have me interested. I'm not into getting out of my coir and doing hydro but for cloning I'd give that a go. What do you guys add to the water when you're cloning. Anything?
I have seen it done with nothing added, here is what Ez-clone recommends.
Note: Avoid using (distilled) water! It causes lack of progress and could prevent roots from
forming at all. However, Reverse Osmosis water is usually fine. If you feel that the tap water in
your area is too high in certain mineral content or has excessive chlorine, it’s ok to use an RO
system, but tap water in most areas is usually sufficient.
Next, I add my solutions. The first one is Dyna Gro’s – ProTekt. This is a silica based solution that
strengthens the cuttings from the inside out. It assists in building stronger cell walls, preventing the
formation of bacteria and invading fungi, and helps with overall health and vigor. I add it at dilution rate
of 1 teaspoon per gallon. In a large 120 cutting unit, this equates to be approximately 20 teaspoons. In
a 60 cutting unit, it equates to 10 teaspoons, and in a 30 cutting unit, it equates to be about 5 teaspoons.
Next, I add Dyna Gro’s – KLN. This is added at the same dilution rate, 1 teaspoon per gallon. KLN is a
liquid rooting hormone and is also full of vitamins and minerals.
After my solutions are added, I’ll adjust the PH. Tap water is usually PH adjusted somewhere close to
neutral or just above 7.0. After adding the Pro Tekt, it usually always causes an increase in PH, so the
PH needs to be lowered with a PH down buffering solution. I’ve also noticed that even without additives
of any kind, the PH of tap water will have a tendency to rise over the course of 24-48 hours. To
compensate for this, I adjust my initial PH down to approximately 5.2 because I know the PH will slowly
rise somewhere close to between 5.8 and 6.3. This is an acceptable range for getting quality results. I
keep the closest eye on my PH during this time period between 24-48 hrs. If the PH needs to be
adjusted again later on, do so, but it usually stables out after the first couple adjustments. If you are not
sure if you’ve got an accurate PH reading, I highly recommend getting a quality digital PH meter. You
should be using one of these for your feeding solutions in all stages of growth anyway
