hello Im new to this and have couple of questions.

I was wondering if im using the DWC method to grow my babies, in what medium should i grow them? I know i have to first grow them in rockwool for a bit and then transplant them. Problems is that i dont have rockwool and its hard to find around here. Any other mediums i could use? besides rockwool? how about moss??

Also if im trying to clone and dont have cloning gel, what could i use? what are the active ingredients in this gel? anyone know? any hmm way to make a homemade cloning solution?

thanks for everything

I clone using lava rocks in a bubbler.
Cloning gel can be made at home by taking some willow tree bark and steaping it in hot water. Asprin also works well since it is made from willow trees. Take one non-coated asprin per 4 cups of water and place cutting directly in the water. Add asprin to the water with every water change about every 3 days or so.
I personaly have had way better luck with willow bark than asprin but both do work.

Willow trees contain, Salicylic acid and is the chemical compound with the formula C6H4(OH)CO2H, where the OH group is adjacent to the carboxyl group. This colorless crystalline organic acid is widely used in organic synthesis and functions as a plant hormone. It is probably best known as a compound that is chemically similar but not identical to the active component of aspirin. The name derives from the Latin word for the willow tree (Salix), from whose bark it can be obtained.

High Tech Garden Supply

and they're cheap too. stealthy shipping. i highly recommend this place.

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oh thanks for the reply about the cloning.. now about the growing medium.. does it matter if i grow it in moss? and then transplant it to the DWC kit? or is it better to grow it in rockwool? ( problem is that i dont have access to it, there isnt any in this country )

You can use soil if you'd like. I wouldn't use moss, unless you mixed it with something, like a shit load of perlite.

If you can't get rockwool, I'd just start them in plastic party cups(blue or red, not see through) with soil.

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here is a pic of my bubbler I made for cloning.
DSC00029.jpg

DSC00030.jpg

Here are my clones the ones that have rooted anyways. This is using willow bark by the way. It does work. These took 6 days to root. I just put them on soil last night so they are a bit limp but will recover in a couple of days or so.
DSC00031.jpg

Just make sure you wash the Lava rock very well before you put it in use. I would also recommend baking it for a 1/2 hour at 180 degrees to kill any parasites that might be living in it.

Yes getto, but easy and is avalible almost everywhere. Good Luck to ya! Hope this helps.

If this is your first grow, this might be a bit too touch-and-go for you. There's more of a margin for error, but there is also the chance to learn a hell of a lot more in the process.

I've never used rooting gel to take any clones. I have a near 95% success rate, and I don't use anything but good ol' fashioned garden wisdom. Cannabis is a plant that's a bit harder to clone than your standard garden herb (basil, parsley, etc), but I've cut mine right into the soil, and clone directly into hydroponic/aeroponic systems. There are things that you can do to increase your chances of success, but people have been making clones of plants for millenia before the arrival of hormonally-enhanced rooting compounds. It's not difficult, especially if you're planning on putting the plant directly into a medium that will be moist and deliver plenty of oxygen to the root systems. All that is required is common sense, a sharp knife, and a green thumb.

Which leads me to my next point: you don't need a medium to grow in hydro/aero! Seriously! But for the sake of ease, some sort of medium is desirable. You can always order materials online. The most highly recommended are:

Rockwool
Expanding Clay (such as hydroton)

You can also use stuff you find at your local Home Depot, though it's not necessarily recommended:

Lava Rocks (properly cleaned and fractionally sterilized)
Perlite
Both of these mediums have a nasty reputation for growing everything possible along with your plants. Mold, algae, parasites, pests and bacteria. A lot of perlite is also "enhanced" with fertilizer that can overwhelm your plants, especially when using it as a hydroponic medium. You want to wash, bake, and test both of these mediums before using them on your kids. I would highly recommend against using spaghnum moss or anything of the sort- unless you're wanting to grow all kinds of nasty things in there. A little hydrogen peroxide also goes a long way. It helps fight infection, prevent the growth of mold, and helps to develop roots.

You can also use standard household supplies as growing media, and they are probably superior in some ways to some of the other mediums that are commonly available. Common household sponges work well, but make sure you use a new one. And lastly, like I said, you don't really need a medium. Just encourage healthy root growth, and the plant will be fine. Make sure the plant is secure and steady; that's really all you need for it to take off!

Hope that helps a bit. If you're curious about specifics, let me know.

~Ethno

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wow thank you very much for your replies. It did clarify a lot of the things. Ill keep you posted on how it goes! thanks!

moss has bacteria and bacteria is no good

could you give me some more specs on hte bubbler?? just gettin my first set up and put together and and trying to flower a couple babies right now but would like some clones