Overheated(?) clones worth saving?

I took 45 clones (only need 30) the other day, placed them in rockwool, after applying Rootech cloning gel, and placed them in a 7" dome under a 125w 6500K CFL. This is my second time taking clones (yes, I know, start small, obviously we are past that, but I do understand), the first time the vents on the dome were left open for a little cause things felt a little warm... fell asleep, clones got crispy and died.

My clone/mother box is about 2x1x4h with a 125w CFL attached to the ceiling, and a second on chains in the middle which can be raised and lowered. Mothers are on the bottom, and I intended to put the clones in the middle on top of the lower light. I have a computer fan venting the area, but I don't remember the CFM (I used one of those calculators and it was more than needed though).

I was with some friends and we hydroplaned, went sideways into the end of a barrier at around 80MPH, luckily we are all alive, however five broken and two dislocated ribs kept me in the hospital for a couple days. Upon my return, the clones were totally on their sides and limp... the leaves were not curling or anything, the plants were just... very supple. Removing the dome I found it to be VERY hot, and so I immediately removed them. After dipping them all in PH adjusted water, I placed them on a table back under the dome with a 15W 4200K Sun-Glo T8 (left over from a fish tank upgrade) and left them for a few hours, upon my return a few have stood back up, and all are no longer limp... but some of them, while having ridged stems, are still on their sides or curling...

I have a new plan for future clones which is much better, but what I would like to know is, are these are worth saving, or if they even can be saved...

PS. I pulled a couple out of the rockwool, stems are still green to the bottom, no browning or goo as came up in a lot of my searching on overheated clones.

Sure they can be saved, unless you have a bunch of new cuts ready to go there's no harm in it.

I would prop them up and continue on with them, if you have time into them and they are starting to produce roots. But if you only had them under the dome for a few days before this happened, I would trash them and start over. In other words they are saveable, but they might be stress'd enough to cause you trouble down the road.

they are fine just keep them far away from the light. it's because you had them to close to the light. I clone with great results.

And as for the heat a ong as it's not over 90 degrees you'll be ok check out this thread: https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/388273-homemade-cloning-box-cheap.html

I have nothing to prop them up with at the moment, but I'll go by Starbucks tomorrow and acquire a bunch of stir straws... the first time when they dried up I just trashed them, but this time I have no new cuttings that can be taken, so I'm gonna see what I can do. If they get worse I should have a new batch in a few weeks and by then the new set up will be done and they overheat...

Just kinda wanted to get started before the new year, ya know? :/

REALSTYLES said:

they are fine just keep them far away from the light. it's because you had them to close to the light. I clone with great results.

View attachment 1343986View attachment 1343987View attachment 1343988View attachment 1343989 And as for the heat a ong as it's not over 90 degrees you'll be ok check out this thread: https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/388273-homemade-cloning-box-cheap.html

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DAM RealStyle, You love your Roots!! You better keep those away from the $50 Hookers. They will be plopping that on top of their heads with High heals, and asking for $75.

REALSTYLES said:

they are fine just keep them far away from the light. it's because you had them to close to the light. I clone with great results.

View attachment 1343986View attachment 1343987View attachment 1343988View attachment 1343989 And as for the heat a ong as it's not over 90 degrees you'll be ok check out this thread: https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/388273-homemade-cloning-box-cheap.html

Click to expand...

Nice set up! I agree, I felt they must have been too close, and having a dome in that tiny room probably KILLED the air circulation as well. The light was a good 7-8 inches from the top of the dome, but with that reduced air flow heat probably built up faster. The light I'm using now is probably only 3 inches above the dome, but the bulb is also only 15W, not 125W, and only slightly warm to the touch... plus it's out of that cabinet now, so heat isn't going to build up...

Sadly I'm very specially limited at the moment, my entire grow area is a 2x7x6h, so I built a cabinet attached to the ceiling for mothers/clones over the reservoir of my Aeroflo2 30. I'm going to have just a single light and only the mothers in there from now on and either relocate the clones, or get neoprene collars for the Areoflo and just put cuttings straight in there with a cup over each plant. I like the later a bit more as it gives me a little bit more individual control, though it'll add a week or so to the cycle as I won't have rooted clones ready to go as soon as I harvest...

air for the dome is bad you want it very humid the first 7 days with it being warm to help speed up rooting

REALSTYLES said:

air for the dome is bad you want it very humid the first 7 days with it being warm to help speed up rooting

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I meant the air in the whole cabinet, thus the heat from the lights would build up outside the dome, and then heat would transfer in, and the temp would spike...

I took REALSTYLES's advice and turned a box into a clone room, though mine is a little different as I incorporated the disused top of my fish tank, and it's awesome! I can see in without opening it because of the glass portion on top which the light shines through. I can open the small access door to get inside without letting too much humidity out (unless I want to of course). I also threw an electronic cigar humidifier in there set to 80%, so if it drops below there, it turns on... just in case... There is another hygrometer/thermometer on the other side to make sure things are even, and the small fan pictured is in the back circulating air (not enough to move the plants, just enough to even the temp/humidity).

Right now they are just under that 15W 4,200K T8, but I just realized I have another light which is on a tank that doesn't need it right now, two 24W 6,700K T5 tubes, think I should put that on the clones? I also have 18,000K tubes for that light, though I don't see those doing anything helpful...

I use a single layer of gravel for drainage and other reasons, and I use a drain/airhole for drainage and ventilation. A pump up water sprayer is almost a neccesity to do clones properly. I use a #2 powdered rooting agent. The brand name is stimroot. Cool white flouresents tubes are best for rooting. Daylight tubes are best for after rooting, then hps. Clones need to be sprayed with fresh water after 5-7 days in the bin. After they are rooted foliar feed. If your drain/airhole is correct there should be no reason to open the bin for at least 5-7 days. Temps should be kept between 75-80 degrees F. Avoid touching the rooting area of the clone with your fingers because the acids from your fingers will stunt rooting. Leave the lights on 24/7 except when your changing the lightbulbs.

So I should stick with the 4200k light? Google says cool white is 4100-4400k.

EDIT: I had actually switched to the 6700K tubes last night (this morning before sleeping all day, close enough), feeling like 15W was a little weak; just checked on them, contemplating switching back, and they made way more improvement in their time with this than the 4200K; that said, they may have just been starting to recover from over heating and the light switch just happened when they were starting to stand back up... Any opinions?

Temp: 75-77F
Humidity: 85-100%
Light: 2x 6700K 24W T5 tubes

Everything has been put in a grow journal over here: https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/395413-first-grow-maximizing-space.html

Though, this is still an issue that should be under OMG WTF DID I DO?!

bird mcbride said:

I use a single layer of gravel for drainage and other reasons, and I use a drain/airhole for drainage and ventilation. A pump up water sprayer is almost a neccesity to do clones properly. I use a #2 powdered rooting agent. The brand name is stimroot. Cool white flouresents tubes are best for rooting. Daylight tubes are best for after rooting, then hps. Clones need to be sprayed with fresh water after 5-7 days in the bin. After they are rooted foliar feed. If your drain/airhole is correct there should be no reason to open the bin for at least 5-7 days. Temps should be kept between 75-80 degrees F. Avoid touching the rooting area of the clone with your fingers because the acids from your fingers will stunt rooting. Leave the lights on 24/7 except when your changing the lightbulbs.

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My friend suggested using pearlite in the bottom of the tray to keep humidity up, so pretty much the same thing... his tray had a flat bottom, mine has pretty deep ridges though, so any excess water simply falls out of reach of the rockwool and collects in there. That extra water helps keep the humidity up I feel, and with it in a cardboard box... I feel like keeping water out of the box as I feel I sealed everything nicely, but I wasn't about to check with a test fill as I would on a fish tank...

Also, the cigar humidifier has anti-fungal shit in it, so it turning on aerosolizes that which is good as I never used any anti-fungal in the soak... so I'd rather get my extra humidity from there. It has a fan that sucks air across one of those green foam cubes used for floral decorations and stuff... pretty cool design, though too pricy to justify using unless you already own one as they run $50-100 for the most part and are just a failsafe more or less...

when your at home, take off lid and spray when the water on them has evaporated. If your sleeping or go out all day leave it on. let more air get to them. they should come back if no rot has set in.

*BUDS said:

when your at home, take off lid and spray when the water on them has evaporated. If your sleeping or go out all day leave it on. let more air get to them. they should come back if no rot has set in.

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Though I never used a spray bottle, so what do I know, but I'm finding the cigar humidifier to be perfect, about once an hour it'll come on and circulate all the air while humidifying it and aerosolizing the anti-fungal in it... the clones seem to be loving it, considering they probably should just be dead... :/

Alright, well I was taking a look at them today, and one fell out of the rockwool... :/

Anyway, no roots, but here's a picture, how's it look?



I placed it back in the rockwool and put it back after taking the picture.

looks fine

Alright, watered them today, can see roots where the rockwool meets the stem on a few though they are still quite sideways...