the best way to root clones

olds442

Well-Known Member
im trying to clone for the first time and have about 13 clones for my medium im useing dirt pucks and im using root X gel i was wondering what the best way to clone a plant and what kind of food a could use to inspire root growth

when i cut my clones i then cut them under water agin then placing them in the medium then i put them under a 27 watts cfl but now there all wilted:mrgreen:
will they pick back up or are thery fucked one is still standing tall
 

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beenthere donethat

Well-Known Member
get a plastic clear dome/etc over em quick and see if they perk up. ANY dryness will wilt an unrooted clone..that's why a dome is always recommended

bt dt
 

mogie

Well-Known Member
Slowhand's Oasis cubes in soil, cloning method

Contributed by: Slowhand

This is ONLY for soil growing, there are a lot of ways to clone for hydroponics but this is not one.

If you are having cloning problems, please try it like this:

The "key" to my problem was my great difficulty to get roots before damp off problems, etc. Oasis recommends that the cubes be sat in shallow nute solution and left there. I found that was far too wet for oxygen hungry MJ. To "buffer" the cube, we shall use regular soil mix that is kept moist, rather than standing in water. This will allow much more oxygen to the rooting area.

Lets get started:
Start with standard 3" seedling pots (I prefer the very thin and flexible breeders pots found in large flats), some Oasis cubes, and a sharp box cutter or knife.

Have your soil mix prepared and ready.
I use:
60% Scotts seedling starter mix
15% worm castings
10% vermiculite
10% perlite
5% lava sand






Good drainage:
Using the knife, cut all four corners out of the pots, the provided drain holes are NOT enough.
MJ does not like "wet feet".





Plant the Oasis cube:
Now dig a hole in the pre-moistened soil mix deep enough to bury an Oasis cube nearly all the way in. You should finish with something like this...





Prepare the cloning solution:
Now we should prepare our cloning solution. I use Olivia's Cloning solution and gel, per instructions; it works quite well. Start by mixing 3 tablespoons of the cloning solution (large bottle) with 1 quart of pH adjusted water (anywhere between pH 6 and pH 7 is good). Add one teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) to the mix to "supercharge" it. Set some of the solution in a separate container in the refrigerator to chill.





Prepare the cuts:
Now to the mum chamber to select a cut. Show is an Aussie Bush female mum. I should have trimmed the prospective cut YESTERDAY and given it a day to "heal and recuperate" before final removal. I'll cheat for the sake of continuity. Let's try the left secondary.





Like I said, this part should have been done 24 hrs ago..
Also, for you "mummers" out there, you can see that I have ruined the left secondary as a future clone site. By removing the first (lowest) node as well as the clone (it's for science!), I have effectively killed the left secondary. Leave that first node alone!





Take the cutting(s):
Now take the cut at a 45 degree angle, and pop it directly into the slightly chilled solution. Let it soak and uptake solution for 10 to 20 minutes. Please note the exacto-knife and the alcohol wipe, remember, this is an OPERATION! Wash your hands carefully and sterilize the cutting blade after EACH cut. Also, a new blade is recommended for every cloning session.





Re-cut the clone and place it in a small amount of the cloning gel. Let it soak and uptake gel for 10 minutes or so. *PLEASE NOTE* DO NOT dip the cut into the whole bottle. Any viruses or other nasties you may have on the cut WILL contaminate the entire bottle and thus ruin all future cuts you try to make from that bottle.

Finally, roll the cut around in the gel to thoroughly coat the outside of the stem for an inch or so; try to "pick-up" as much of the gel as you can with the stem as you transfer the cut to the Oasis cube you have prepared.





Inserting the cuts:
After "stabbing" the cut slightly down (about 1/2") into the bottom of the hole in the cube, slightly pinch the side of the cube to "close" the hole around the stem. Gently, gently please! Now, irrigate the entire pot thoroughly with cloning solution until it runs out the bottom.

She is now ready to go into the cloning domes. As you can see, I use two clear plastic tubs to form one dome assembly. They are not airtight, but we don't want that anyway.





The mum & cloning chamber enjoys year round temperatures between 74 and 76 degrees, just about exactly perfect. Above 80, fungus and rot become bigger problems. Below 70, and the clone just "stalls" and takes FOREVER if it makes it at all. Be SURE to remove the domes at least once (twice is better) every day for a few minutes to allow "new" air in. Mist slightly every time and water only with cloning solution when the dirt is starting to dry a bit or the clone starts to wilt.

Lighting:
Clones have a limited energy "budget", only what they "contain" the instant they are cut. Almost all of that energy is needed just to establish good rooting. Strong light forces photosynthesis, thus food production, transpiration and other process not needed for rooting. For this reason, lighting should be kept quite soft and diffuse until the clones fully root. When using fluoros, keep the tubes about 6" to a foot above the top of the domes. With HID lighting, stay well back, 3 to 5 feet or more (depending on wattage of the light) and shade the dome from the intense HID lighting. I like to use a white paper towel on top of the domes to further diffuse and soften the light. Clones need VERY little light until they root. Just insure they are getting at least 18 hours of light each day and 24/7 is ok too.

Hardening off: (getting them used to being without the dome)
After about a week, start leaving the dome off for a few minutes longer each day. Monitor the clones carefully and replace the dome after misting if they start to wilt. DO NOT forget that you have the dome off. A young batch WILL wilt severely and might die if not caught in time. After several "hardening" sessions, the domes may be left off all together (as long as there is NO wilting). There she is on the lower right...





Special Technique: Trimming fan leaves.
In this example, the clones shown are Crystal Light x AK47 (unsexed).
The fans were trimmed prior to setting them in the cubes because they were already quite large and lush when the cuts were taken, experience will tell you when you have "too much" leaf surface and the clone will just wilt and resist efforts to revive it. So, trim the big stuff before "stabbing it". If it remains "wilty" remove the largest trimmed fans completely, this usually does it for stubborn ones. You can even then trim the smaller fans if you REALLY are trying to save a "special" clone.





Tip 1: When are they starting to root?
Please compare this picture with the picture, 2nd above. Please note that now all of the clones pictured (except our "new" AB clone) have leaves that are strong and turning upward, as compared to the previous photo when they were all "wilty". This is a sure sign that the clones have started rooting, you will also see new growth starting form the grow tips. The 5 older clones in the photo are now ready to be "hardened off" gradually, and finally removed from the cloning chamber and placed in full vegetative mode. Also, please note the grid wire at the bottom of the tub. It works great to keep the planters out of the water.





Tip 2: Humidity control under the dome
This is a good idea for you folks that are too busy to keep an eye on things a least twice a day. Just put an air stone in some water in a container inside the dome as shown. The humidity will be kept at a nice level and you will not need to mist the clones at all. Please notice the wire mesh is still used to keep the planters out of any standing water; in this case, the whole thing is set on a couple of bricks inside the tub.





Here we see the "humidifier tub" in action. After just a few minutes, the humidity is 75% and the temp is 78 degress f. I will try to reduce that "inside" temp to a steady 75 or 76 degrees. Please note that the white lid for the tub is serving as a perfect light blocker/diffuser.





 

mogie

Well-Known Member
Crazy Composer's Cloning Method?
Contributed by: Crazy Composer

Items you?ll need:

1. A very sharp blade.
2. A container that can be covered in a clear membrane (plastic wrap or something like that).
3. A clear membrane or lid.
4. A planting medium. (perlite mixed with vermiculite, or just vermiculite, or sand, or in my case FoxFarm Light Warrior mix) As long as it holds water and doesn't dry out too quickly you're all set.
5. Distilled water, or let the water sit out for at least 24 hours, before using.




The angle of the cut is important. Check the image to read about why it's important. Also, water and feed a few hours prior to taking the cut, this will ensure there is plenty of resident water and nutrients for the week or so without roots, also prevents air from entering into the stem.



Your new clone has no root system, therefore it has begun a balancing act between having enough leaf surface to continue photosynthesis (how a plant produces it's food) and having too many leaves to support while having a reduced ability to take up water.
I can't perfectly explain how I decide when a clone has too much leaf, that's an instinct that you'll learn as you become more familiar with cloning. But from what I have noticed, when a clone becomes droopy, it?s either from too much light, or the leaves are too big, therefore I will trim some of the leaves. A clone doesn?t need a lot of light, if using fluorescence, a 20w will be fine. How far, anywhere from 6 inches, to a foot will be fine. If using a compact fluorescent, and a higher wattage bulb, than anywhere from 1foot to 2 feet will be fine. If using H.I.D. lights, then around 3 or 4 feet from the bulb will be fine, also depending on the wattage, the higher, the farther.
Here is a picture of what I do (sometimes) when there's too much leaf and I don't want to get rid of an entire leaf. I just take a couple of leaflets from a large leaf, instead of sacrificing the entire leaf.



This is what the leaf looks like after loosing a little weight. Notice the gap in the leaflets where there use to be more leaflets. This extra leaf surface was not necessary, and could have demanded more water than the 45-degree cut at the bottom could provide.



So, now we have our clone ready to plant. If you'd like, you can use a cloning hormone. I like to use Rootech. A cloning hormone sort of gives your clone a beneficial cancer. It causes the plant's cells to rapidly divide and become callused. The roots will appear out of these calluses. Make sure to cover at least 1 inch of the bottom of the stem, and roll it around in the cloning gel. If you cut below the node, and cut the set of lower leaves, make sure to cover the freshly cut side-shoots with the cloning gel as well, and put the stem far enough into the soil, so at least 1 side-shoot node is covered in the soil. If cutting above the node, make sure to get at least 1 inch covered as previously told. To determine how deep to put the clone into the soil, there comes a lot of factoring in. How big is the clone, and where the clone was cut. But anywhere from ¾ of an inch to 1½ inches (Dipping right into the rooting hormone jar should not be done. It should be dispensed into a separate container and used from there. Excess hormone should be discarded to avoid contaminating your jar stock with any virus or other diseases. Also make sure to sterilize the razor blade and or scissors with peroxide or alcohol).



Now make a hole to place your clone into. You can use a nail, pencil, anything that will make a hole.



Just make sure your medium is nice and moist before you plug your clones into it. We don't want the ends to dry up and close before you do your final watering.

Now just tamp the medium around your new clone. Don't press too hard, but make sure that the medium is tight enough around the clone's base to hold it up straight when it is watered.

Some tips while waiting for the clones to root:

Use a spray bottle to soak the medium and the clones when the medium starts to dry out. Be careful! Don't let the medium dry out while the clones are without roots. There's no faster way to ruin a cloning project than to let the medium dry out. Clones love extremely high humidity, and temps from 75-82 degrees (water vapor on your clear cover is a good indication that things are humid enough). The temps can vary slightly from ideal and you can still be successful, but try to keep everything ideal.



Try to keep the leaves from laying on or in the medium, this may cause your leaves to rot, causing a plethora of unwanted results. If taking a clone from a mother plant, make sure to take the clone at the second node on the side-shoot, so new growth will begin on the mother plant, if cut below the first node, no new growth will begin.




Some people have a hard time knowing when root development starts, while cloning in a soil medium. Here?s a picture of a clone, in which root development has just started. You can tell by the leaves, which turn upright.




Here?s a picture of a clone with good root development, and is about a week from the start of root development, also notice the new sets of leaves on this clone, this is a good marker for knowing the roots are developing, and growing within the soil. At this stage, they should no longer need to be covered, gradually taking them out of the humidity dome or plastic wrap. Start at 1 or 2 hours a day, after a few days, they should be ready to go.

 

dew-b

Well-Known Member
get a plastic clear dome/etc over em quick and see if they perk up. ANY dryness will wilt an unrooted clone..that's why a dome is always recommended

bt dt
. what worked for me was a gatoraid bottle cut so it fit over my clone. just make sure to get most of the label off. gl
 

olds442

Well-Known Member
:mrgreen: thanks mogie that was vary informitive and thamks to all the rest of you guys very helpful well for now a have a box with seranrap over it im going to get a dome and some new cone gel
 

olds442

Well-Known Member
well there a standing tall and love the dome i havw been spraying them with thrive alive B1 and they love it
 
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