It's alive! silly clones

Took 12 clones a while back; 10 in rock wool and 2 in soil. All different sizes, messing around trying to figure out how to clone. Followed pretty good procedures I think. Then one day I think I fried em with their heating mat, accidentally forgetting to unplug it. Well the 10 rock wool clones all started going down hill. The ones in soil survived and started perking up a bit. I slowly started introducing them to the hps light. Looking good.

The dog thought they looked good too and tried to eat one, sneaky bastard. That one dead, one left.

Put the remaining clone under the hps permanently at ground level between other pots. This last clone I think was the smallest of the lot and today I woke up and looked lovely!

I wouldn't be too quick to blame the heat mat. The most common mat sold to growers is made to increase temps only 5-10 degrees. This should help clones root and is the reason we all use the mats.

Years ago I switched from rockwool for cloning to jiffy pellets. Reason is that I found most of my cloning failures were the result of the media, rockwool or pellet, was too wet to inspire rooting. Come to find out we need to let the media get mostly dry so the roots will start searching for moisture. If the pellet just sits there soggy the clone has no purpose to start throwing out roots. I switched to the pellets because it is much easier to gauge the medias' moisture level with the pellets.

Another hint is that I discovered better luck by wringing out the pellet as much as possible right before inserting the cutting. Without roots the clones need to have their leaves sprayed with room temperature water a couple times a day to keep them hydrated without getting the pellet soggy.

Works for me, BigSteve.

Yea I'm not sure what went wrong, try something different the next time. Since I only got the one survivor I'm just going to leave her in my tent where the others are flowering. I was pulling her out for a cpl days and putting her back under the clone light but now I'm curios to see what happens if I just flower this lil midget clone.

Rapid Rooter plugs and lil greenhouse im a lazy grower so i place the clones under the hps 1000 watt on the floor and i usually hit 100% made 50 overkill but someone in need would take them

Your medium must absolutely not be wet - it encourages rot, and also inhibits root growth because the roots don't need to "seek out" moisture in a wet medium. Only tiny amounts of light are necessary at first also - you don't want to encourage loads of photosynthesis particularly to grow roots. Wait until you have roots showing before giving them anything other than ambient light.

As the clones have no way to take in moisture, and you want to remove as much nutrient content from the clone as possible, regular misting and high humidity is the other main thing.

This is just what I find, I get 100% using rapid rooter style things, though rockwool is also fine if prepared right. Once you've tried a few times and got it right, you'll be fine.

bigsteve said:

I wouldn't be too quick to blame the heat mat.
Another hint is that I discovered better luck by wringing out the pellet as much as possible right before inserting the cutting.

Click to expand...

.
A common myth is that excess water in stonewool/rockwool should be
removed by squeezing the block or plugs. Do not do this!
The structure of the fibers in the stonewool contain beneficial
water retention and air porosity properties that allow root system
to develop.
Crushing the wool damages the structure and the air pockets that
were initially present will never be restored.
If stonewool is squeezed too much, the material will become a wet,
soggy mess with no aeration whatsoever.
.

Milovan said:

.
A common myth is that excess water in stonewool/rockwool should be
removed by squeezing the block or plugs. Do not do this!
The structure of the fibers in the stonewool contain beneficial
water retention and air porosity properties that allow root system
to develop.
Crushing the wool damages the structure and the air pockets that
were initially present will never be restored.
If stonewool is squeezed too much, the material will become a wet,
soggy mess with no aeration whatsoever.
.

Click to expand...

I use a salad spinner. Removes excess without crushing em.

Pinworm said:

I use a salad spinner. Removes excess without crushing em.

Click to expand...

Thank you, what a great idea! I will now go buy a salad spinner but where
do I get one? Target, Walmart etc...?

Milovan said:

Thank you, what a great idea! I will now go buy a salad spinner but where
do I get one? Target, Walmart etc...?

Click to expand...

Like $10 on amazon. Walmart may have one for cheap, too.

Just found one at Ikea for $3.99

The spinner sounds like a good idea.

BigSteve.