Clones and their environment

i currently have some WW x BB clones and was wondering if anyone had used a reptile heater mat placed under the propagator for warmth and if so would this be too hot and be more probmental than beneficial. many thanks in advance.

DrOfWelshMagic said:

i currently have some WW x BB clones and was wondering if anyone had used a reptile heater mat placed under the propagator for warmth and if so would this be too hot and be more probmental than beneficial. many thanks in advance.

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I've done it BUT only when I was using the dome to germinate seedlings in rockwool or plugs and they had to share. Your medium dries out much more quickly and you have to not soak your cubes/plugs or face the stem rotting or wilting. I would suggest no heat mat for clones only. Others may feel differently and I would listen as some may have ways!!!!

hotrodharley said:

I've done it BUT only when I was using the dome to germinate seedlings in rockwool or plugs and they had to share. Your medium dries out much more quickly and you have to not soak your cubes/plugs or face the stem rotting or wilting. I would suggest no heat mat for clones only. Others may feel differently and I would listen as some may have ways!!!!

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ok m8 cheers for reply, i forgot to mention, they are in 35mm (quite large), jiffy pellets 4hrs pre soaked in A.N. voodoo juice, b-52, no shock, sensi grow A + B, (all half strength) in tap water that has been left 24hrs for chlorine evaporation. im in a good water area but even so i dont ph it as its 'ph'd' thru nutes with ph perfect technology from A.N. ....apparently. Oops, thats the purists calling me everything.....

Anyways, my ears are always open to new ideas and i love to experiment too so if anyone wants to try summin, even if totally irrelevant to this post, but cant for whatever reason then i may be able to give it a go and if i can i will..... +

I have to run my heat mat intermittently and keep them uncovered when I do or the stems rot

DrKingGreen said:

I have to run my heat mat intermittently and keep them uncovered when I do or the stems rot

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hi there fellow doc lol, I currently have them on a folded over towel to take the sting, as it were, out of the reptile mat, even so, think i'll turn it off for hour or 2 now, its been on for a few hrs now and looking really humid in there, big droplets gathering on the roof humid lol. thanks for reply m8.

If droplets of water are accruing on the top it is too humid and they are going to rot for sure. High humidity is good, but I found out through 15-20 clones 95+% humidity is too high! If there is water on the top chances are you are close to 100%. I learned the hard way, take the advice and get less humidity in there... Sucks how everyone always spews "more more more humidity."

humidity 100% lol
the babies
a little water to stop them drying out due to the heat rising
the towel 'absorbing' most of the heat, hopefully!
the heat mat itself in the large propagator tray
as it looks half stripped
20w heatmat.... too much?????

hopefully this post will kinda put you in the picture as to where i'm at!!!!!

+ to all that want it!!!!

i have a vented propagator, rather than uncover them totally this early, 1 day old, would opening one or both of the vents suffice??

hotrodharley said:

I've done it BUT only when I was using the dome to germinate seedlings in rockwool or plugs and they had to share. Your medium dries out much more quickly and you have to not soak your cubes/plugs or face the stem rotting or wilting. I would suggest no heat mat for clones only. Others may feel differently and I would listen as some may have ways!!!!

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thanks m8, just been giving them ten minutes at a time with the vents open, 3 times a day, then closing alternating vents one at a time so there is always one open. early days but look ok so far.......