Extremely slow growing clones!!!

Hi all,

Would like some opinions on these clones as they are having extremely slow growth! The cuts were made 7.5 weeks ago! yes! 7.5 weeks!!! and some of them look as if they are only 1.5 week old!!!

it was my first time cutting but i left the cuttings in cubes for 3 weeks to establish a good root system for most of them but a lot of them still had weak roots but i decided to transfer anyways as i felt it had been long enough. they have now been into new containers for the last 4.5 weeks and some are just starting to take off now! but it is painfully slow!

The blue cheese in the back left was actually the first to root! but the growth has hardly even budged in 4.5 weeks!! a couple are getting big now and ive topped them. and a few didnt make it so i pulled them out but the remaining 4 in the small pots i am going to transfer into larger pots when i get time at the end of the week. I actually wanted exactly 9 clones so it worked out well but i just wish the growth would speed up! I was hoping to have these clones ready for flower by the time my flowering plants finished in a week or 2! but the rate these are going there is no chance!

Everything looks healthy still but i just don't understand why so slow!!! 4.5 weeks in large containers and only 3 or 4 are finally starting to take off... I know really i just have to wait it out but i have been waiting for so long with such little growth! anything i can do to make these more comfortable to speed up the process? maybe create more humidity or something...?

Let me know what you think... because i think this is crazy slow growth considering 7.5 weeks from cut!!!

bump......

That's pretty weird. The only time I've had that happen was when I used soil infested with fungus gnats. The clones looked healthy and green but didn't barely grow at all. Finally while watering I caught a glimpse of some movement on the surface of the water that hadn't sunk in yet. I put a small sample of the soil in a shot glass then filled it to the top with water. Then I laid a sheet of white paper towel over the glass to pick up everything floating on the surface and checked it out with my Radio Shack 30x scope. Tiny little larva all over the place and it took a trip to the library to figure out what they were. Put up a couple of yellow sticky traps that soon had lots of adult gnats stuck to them. I'd seen tiny black flies around but thought nothing of it. Checked the bag of soil and it was chock full of them too. Now I check every new bag I buy as the gnats often get into the soil through tiny holes while it sits outside at the gardening stores.

I'd check for gnats.

Good luck!

OldMedUser said:

That's pretty weird. The only time I've had that happen was when I used soil infested with fungus gnats. The clones looked healthy and green but didn't barely grow at all. Finally while watering I caught a glimpse of some movement on the surface of the water that hadn't sunk in yet. I put a small sample of the soil in a shot glass then filled it to the top with water. Then I laid a sheet of white paper towel over the glass to pick up everything floating on the surface and checked it out with my Radio Shack 30x scope. Tiny little larva all over the place and it took a trip to the library to figure out what they were. Put up a couple of yellow sticky traps that soon had lots of adult gnats stuck to them. I'd seen tiny black flies around but thought nothing of it. Checked the bag of soil and it was chock full of them too. Now I check every new bag I buy as the gnats often get into the soil through tiny holes while it sits outside at the gardening stores.

I'd check for gnats.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

I don't believe its gnats. it isn't even soil its coco coir mixed with perlite. this is my first time taking clones and maybe its because I havent fed them as much as i should have? but i don't like to when they look so young and weak...

I left them to root for 3+ weeks but only a couple had really healthy roots, the rest didnt have many but i transferred them anyway because of how long it was taking... I have been very patient with them but they are taking too long...

So they don't have any nutes at all? That would explain it then. Feed the little darlings with 1/4 to 1/2 strength for now and get them going. Once a cutting has roots you treat it like any other small plant which is what it is. If planting into real soil that has natural nutes you don't need to feed for a while but in soilless mixes you gotta feed right away.

They need to be fed more than likely

You will find that because they are babies they will still be throwing roots and because of the large pot they are in you wont see much growth for a while yet, as for the burn it could be that they are hungry.

TrichomeTrev420 said:

You will find that because they are babies they will still be throwing roots and because of the large pot they are in you wont see much growth for a while yet, as for the burn it could be that they are hungry.

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They have been in the pots for 4.5 weeks though dude! lol

OldMedUser said:

So they don't have any nutes at all? That would explain it then. Feed the little darlings with 1/4 to 1/2 strength for now and get them going. Once a cutting has roots you treat it like any other small plant which is what it is. If planting into real soil that has natural nutes you don't need to feed for a while but in soilless mixes you gotta feed right away.

Click to expand...

They have been fed. but i only feed them once a week or so because they hold the moisture for a long time being so young with very few roots. the others seem to thrive off of it and i have had 4 take off and grow properly as seen in photos. this is also how i feed my seedlings for the first 2 or 3 weeks... they have been fed just not as often as when they grow up...

Can tell you right now your problem is over watering. You can see the green fungus forming on the top of the soil. When clones are small you have to water very lightly (volume wise) The only thing you can do is let the soil completely dry out before you water again. Don't water once a week or whatever, you have to wait until they need water. From what I see it could take up to 3 weeks for the soil to completely dry out.

Pick up the pots right now. Feel how heavy it is? Good now wait until they are completely dry (they will be extremely light when you lift them. almost like there is nothing in the pot) The smaller pot you use the faster wet and dry cycles will occur and cause the plant to grow much faster.

Cuttings can be transplanted as soon as you see any roots.

EGrower said:

Can tell you right now your problem is over watering. You can see the green fungus forming on the top of the soil. When clones are small you have to water very lightly (volume wise) The only thing you can do is let the soil completely dry out before you water again. Don't water once a week or whatever, you have to wait until they need water. From what I see it could take up to 3 weeks for the soil to completely dry out.

Pick up the pots right now. Feel how heavy it is? Good now wait until they are completely dry (they will be extremely light when you lift them. almost like there is nothing in the pot) The smaller pot you use the faster wet and dry cycles will occur and cause the plant to grow much faster.

Cuttings can be transplanted as soon as you see any roots.

Click to expand...

urm its coco coir? you are supposed to keep the medium moist unlike soil no?...

lucasnooker said:

bump......

Click to expand...

Temps to low maybe

over-watering and / or too cold... possible bad air circulation but don't dry them out too much. they look still alive so that's good, i think humidity is ok

lucasnooker said:

I don't believe its gnats. it isn't even soil its coco coir mixed with perlite. this is my first time taking clones and maybe its because I havent fed them as much as i should have? but i don't like to when they look so young and weak...

I left them to root for 3+ weeks but only a couple had really healthy roots, the rest didnt have many but i transferred them anyway because of how long it was taking... I have been very patient with them but they are taking too long...

Click to expand...

You will find the problem is they have no roots or very ordinary small brown roots.
Be a good idea to make sure they have a good healthy roots before trying to veg them in the grow room.

low light? hit em with full strength light.

They can appear healthy but have no roots and being fed/watered thru the stem cut.

fridayfishfry said:

over-watering and / or too cold... possible bad air circulation but don't dry them out too much. they look still alive so that's good, i think humidity is ok

Click to expand...

I would spray them with h2o but not water the soil untill until it dries out significantly.. This will stimulate root growth, get some air to those roots

*BUDS said:

You will find the problem is they have no roots or very ordinary small brown roots.
Be a good idea to make sure they have a good healthy roots before trying to veg them in the grow room.

Click to expand...

Hi,

Here is what the roots look like for about 5/9 plants that were transplanted at the time... the 1 in the back left was actually the 1st to root but has since shown almost no growth. very very little in the past 4 weeks. but a few have taken off and are on the road now but i am waiting for the others to catch up...

......?

OldMedUser said:

That's pretty weird. The only time I've had that happen was when I used soil infested with fungus gnats. The clones looked healthy and green but didn't barely grow at all. Finally while watering I caught a glimpse of some movement on the surface of the water that hadn't sunk in yet. I put a small sample of the soil in a shot glass then filled it to the top with water. Then I laid a sheet of white paper towel over the glass to pick up everything floating on the surface and checked it out with my Radio Shack 30x scope. Tiny little larva all over the place and it took a trip to the library to figure out what they were. Put up a couple of yellow sticky traps that soon had lots of adult gnats stuck to them. I'd seen tiny black flies around but thought nothing of it. Checked the bag of soil and it was chock full of them too. Now I check every new bag I buy as the gnats often get into the soil through tiny holes while it sits outside at the gardening stores.

I'd check for gnats.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

I hate gnats............
I freeze any new compost I get in a chest freezer for a week or two. That gets rid of 'em..