Automatic Cloning machine?!

dingus

Active Member
....I know it sounds like something out of Back to the Future but what do you guys think of this? My cloning isn't the best (normally get about 50% strike rate) but this just looks a LOT easier if it does what it says and for jus over $100USD I think I'll purchase. Looking to some of the more experienced posters opinions, Roseman, Al B Fuct, VV?



Here's the "FAQ":

Why don't the leaves need misting?
The air pump forces air through a bubble stone sitting on the bottom of the tank, this causes warm humid air to rise past the leaves and keep them moist. Not only does this cut out the need to mist them, but because the water can be dosed with a rooting accelerant this will feed the leaves also.

Will the rockwool cubes dry out?
The rockwool cubes are suspended in a polystyrene cell tray that floats with the water continuously sitting ¼ the way up the cubes keeping them nice and moist.

If the cubes are wet all the time will the cuttings rot?
In most cases cuttings that are left in stationary water for long periods of time can be affected by fungal problems. To overcome this possible problem the RapidCloneT continuously oxygenates the water with the air pump, this is an excellent way to deter any fungal problems. The option of safely adding a fungal deterrent to the tank is also explained in the manual.

What about controlling the humidity?
There are three items working together to control the humidity. The governed heat pad ensures a warm water temp, the air pump injects the air at the rate of 100ltr/per hour, and the gaps in the lids are in ratio to the air pump output to keep a perfect and constant humidity level between 70% - 80% day and night.

Will the RapidCloneT reduce the time for the cuttings to root?
No, it will still take the normal amount of time; this is usually between 8 - 14 days depending on the strength and type of plant you are taking cuttings from. However, due to the cuttings receiving the perfect environment in the RapidCloneT they will surprise you by forming larger clusters of roots that explode out of the bottom of the cubes resembling a thick healthy jungle.

Why are other automated cuttings units more expensive?
Because most other automated units use techniques such as NFT, Aeroponics or Flood and Drain, they need extra equipment to operate e.g. water pumps, misters, valves, extra plumbing etc. The RapidCloneT operates by a method known as deep water culture, the very first form of hydroponics. It's simple, it works well, and requires less technical components. All automated systems described above perform well, but the RapidClone is available at a much better price.

What types of plants are suitable for the RapidCloneT?
This unit has great success with all types of plants; any plant that has the gene ability to be reproduced via the cuttings method will thrive in the RapidCloneT. This unit is ideal for the hydroponics or home garden enthusiasts, a great way to multiply, introduce, swap, or sell a wide variety of plants.
 

potroast

Uses the Rollitup profile
A hundred bucks for that thing? Save your money, and just keep doing what you've been doing, but take twice as many cuttings. That way, you'll have just what you need rooted. :blsmoke:

HTH :mrgreen:
 

VictorVIcious

Well-Known Member
I think it was Greyskull that had asked about this in his med Dispensory thread. Some one who has used it answered him. MIght want to check that out. The have a cloning machine like that set up at my hydro shop, work awesome. VV
 

Frog Godbee

Active Member
most of the time when people dont have success cloning its cuz they have their blocks soaking wet and they basically drown them ... you only want them just moist and damp .... after you soak your blocks you should flick them dry before you put your slips in ... dont squeeze them ... you should be able to shake them around and no water falls out ... (i know most ppl know this iam just dribblin :)) ... another thing is humidity ... you want 60-80% ... if your humidity is too high they will yellow out ... don't guess whats going on in your enviroment ... measure it :) ... i come from australia and a problem people have over here in summer when its really humid is that they don't need a humidty crib cuz the humidity is already high ... also i personally dont give them any nutrients for the first 6 days ... they can't absorb any nutrients until they grow some roots anyway ... and it just creates a salty enviroment for brand new fresh roots to grow into ... personally i reckon the best clone soak for the first six days is Hygrozyme and then probably Superthrive cuz its high in vitamin B which is a root booster ... If under fluro's leave the light on 24 until they grow roots then go to 18 on 6 off ... if cloning under HID you should give them a sleep for sure :) .... just remember to make the buggers search for water not drown in it :) ... and of course warm roots around 25oC but once they get going you don't want them to stay that warm ... 18oC - 22oC is perfect once established ... Once your plants reach 32oC they start to drink lots of water to keep themselves cool but if they are drinking warm water they will have to drink massive amounts to try and stay cool which stresses the f#@k out of them ... just remember in hydro we grow in exposed root beds which are easily effected by the surrounding air temp ... in nature they grow underground which rarely gets above 22oC ... and plants can handle 37oC not a prob if you have cool roots and a good breeze blowing across the top of the canopy ... i am really dribbling now and gone way of the track ... sorry fella's
 

bigbudeddie

Well-Known Member
Frog Godbee. I think that was one of the most informative and easy to understand threads. I learnt things from it to. ++rep.

BBE
 

mogie

Well-Known Member
Materials:

Rooting gel
Fresh razor blade(s) / quality trimming scissors
Cutting board
1" rockwool cubes
Slotted tray / solid tray / High hat humidity domes
SuperThrive (@ 1 drop/gal)
No Damp (@ 5ml/gal in a spray bottle)
Flourescent lighting

Prepping the rockwool
Remove plastic wrapping from cubes (The plastic can incubate algae)
Prepare some pH 4.5 - 5.5 water + SuperThrive (1 drop/gal)
Immerse cubes for 24hrs.

I use plastic "Grodan77" inserts (11 cubes per insert, 5 inserts/tray for 55 clones/tray); keep cubes upright, evenly spaced, and slightly raised.

I find the standard 1" cube too big; it remains damp and cool (even on a heating mat). I prefer to cut the 1" cube into 2 halves; the ½ sized cube dries out faster, stays warm, air can reach all sides, roots exit faster, and you get twice as many!
Dip scissors and razor blade into alcohol (Grease is used to separate razor blades). Wipe cutting board with alcohol.
Drain cubes, place into tray.
Poke a 1/8" hole halfway into the center of each cube
Cover prepped cubes with dome until you are ready to start (I like to pre-warm the rockwool by putting the filled tray on the heating mat for ½ hour before I start to take cuttings).

Clone types
Actively growing tops are preferred, as they contain the most growth hormones. Clones taken lower down are often spindly and less developed. I prefer 3" top clones with a 1/8" stem, 2-3 fan leaves and a slightly firm (but not yet woody) stem.

I prefer short clones (no more than 2-3 nodes), the newly forming roots must support a large leaf and shoot. The clone should also be 'mature',with alternating leaves. Immature clones have leaves opposite each other and are usually pale and spindly.

Avoid stem cuts (no node) and plug cuts, as they do not root nearly as well (Roots form primarily at the nodes). Trim large fan leaves in half to minimize the leaf area the newly forming roots must support.

Selecting the clone (Where do I cut?)
Select a vigorous growing top on the mother, cut the main stem just above a fan leaf / auxiliary shoot node about 2 nodes down (as shown in red in the image). The cut can be done with trimming scissors or razor blade.

(Leaving a shoot and fan leaf on the mother allows the remaining shoot to continue growing and another shoot to grow from that node.)

Pre-Trim the raw clone: (Removing lower nodes)
Once the growing top has been selected and cut from the mother, trim shoots and fan leaves from the lowest nodes (as seen in the image). The lowest node will be inserted into the rockwool.

Cut ¼" below the lowest node with the razor blade at a 45 degree angle on the cutting board for a clean cut.



The trimmed clone:
This 'ideal' trimmed clone was taken from a vigorous top. A fan leaf and shoot were both removed at the lowest node. The clone will soon be inserted dipped into gel, then inserted into a rockwool cube.
Trim large fan leaves in half (Reduces transpiration; the newly forming roots don't have to initially support as much leaf).





Plant the clone

Dip the trimmed clone into the cloning gel, make sure the lowest node is also thinly coated with gel. Remove any excess on the cut surface itself (So the cutting does not suffocate).

Gently push the stem into the rockwool. If the hole is too big, gently squeeze the rockwool around the stem to seal it.







Humidity dome and beyond
Spray inside of humidity dome with No-Damp solution (Do not spray clones directly, as this can encourage powdery mildew).

Rotate edge clones to keep their leaves inside of the tray. Cover the freshly cut clones with the dome.

Put the clone tray + dome under "warm white" fluorescent lights (Unrooted clones require low light levels. Do not blast them with direct HID lights!).

The humidity dome should be left on for 2 days, lifted daily for air exchange. On the 3th day I like to prop up the dome ¼" (slightly) on one side to acclimatize them (If wilting occurs, leave dome on for another day and try again). On the 4th day I remove the dome. Roots should begin to exit the cube 5-10 days.

Daily Maintenance
1. Air exchange
Lift the dome at least once/day (for first 3-4 days, then remove dome). Breathe inside the dome to increase Co2 levels.

2. Watering
I water every second day when the clones are under the dome, then once/day thereafter. Once roots show, you may have to water twice a day to keep the roots moist.

The pH of the water inside of the rockwool will rise slowly; re-hydrating @ 5.6-5.8 will restore proper pH levels inside the root zone. Allowing the cubes to dry slightly will force roots to search for water and encourage vigorous rooting (But dont allow the cubes to completely dry out!)

Mix 5.6-5.8 pH "24 hour" water and fill solid tray about halfway with water.
Note: After the dome has been removed, add small amounts of nutrients -Micro + Bloom + 1drop/gal SuperThrive. Dip clones + inserts + slotted tray into the ½ filled solid tray. Make sure all clones are getting water by 'swirling' the edges of the tray.
Lift clone tray out and allow to drain. Shake tray to remove excess moisture.
Place clones back under fluorescent lights, and a gentle fan.

Root check
Roots should begin to exit the cube in 5-10 days. A gentle upward tug on the clone will tell you if it is rooted (only do this after 5 days). Unrooted clones will pull out. Roots may be present, but not yet exiting the cube. If in doubt, carefully open the cube.

Clones will draw their nutrient needs internally from it's fan leaves, which may turn slightly pale. This is a good sign, as it is proof the clone is actively growing. Adding weak nutrients is recommended at this point. Unrooted clones often appear healthy and green (and will stay that way for weeks!).

I prefer to sort out the clones (unrooted, few roots, vigorous) into their own trays. Roots should be white and fuzzy. If a clone has not shown roots in 2 weeks, I'd consider removing it. Brown roots indicate rot. Occassionally, root tips will become air burned: a sign to water more often!

Weak nutrients (50-200ppm) should be started on the rooted clones, and watered more frequently to avoid drying the exposed root tips out. You could also try a weak foiliar feeding with Growth Plus (or any kelp extract). Begin to increase Nitrogen levels.

Once the clones have fully established roots, they can be put under weak HID light and a weak (250-500ppm) nutrient regime, or outplanted into soil, hydro or aero systems.

Tips

Do not put the clone tray directly onto a heating mat. The heat will cook the roots, even on a timer. It is better to raise the tray off the mat. I use 2 coroplast strips to sit the tray on, raising the tray approx. ¼".

A low-level continuous heat is preferred, but a timer may be required to reduce temperatures. I run my mats 5 min on, 10 min off, 24/7 on a cycle timer. The heat will dry out the clones quickly, and daily watering will be required.

Occasionally, fresh cloning gel will be very thick. Add some water to container, shake. The gel should pour easier. Some cloning gels have no fungicide (ex. Rootmax); fungicides inhibit root growth somewhat, but prevent damping off.

If you are using rooting powder, take care to remove excess powder from the stem cut as you plant the cutting, as this can inhibit the uptake of water.

Give your rooted clones a foliar feeding with Growth Plus (or any Kelp extract) to give them a quick growth boost once they have shown roots.

Don't forget to ventilate the cloning space

Cut many tops at once to speed up the cloning process.

Mark and date all trays, so you know when to expect roots. Try to keep different strains organized in their own trays, watered seperately.
 

daddychrisg

Well-Known Member
I went ahead and bought a EZ Clone machine, I had never cloned before and was a bit worried about the outcome, and I needed to be successful the on the first go. So I threw down the cash, and let me tell you, I found that little box to be very EZ to grow in.. I don't think I would throw down on one now, since I have experienced how to clone. With all that said, I am happy with my purchase, and my cloning rate was 23 out of 24, can't complain, and the root bundles that I got in about 10 day was unreal....Babbling now, going to bed...
 

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dingus

Active Member
Ok, I have a cloning question.... I'm sure this is pretty common knowledge, but is it true that roots don't like light? Because the cloning machine I got has plenty of holes for rockwool BUT I only have 10 rockwool cubes/sprouts in, so light is getting straight through all the unused holes... good? bad? doesn't matter?

Hope someone can answer my question...
 

Klo$etBreeder

Well-Known Member
thats bad roots should always be in complete darkness thats why you dont grow in clear pots and roots stay in the soil Im not positive but I dont think that the clones would even root solution: just put a piece of cardboard or plastic garbage bag over the remaining holes to sheild your delicate roots from the lights
 
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