What is the proper water temperature for cloning using a cloning machine

boybelue

Well-Known Member
All you guys running temps in the upper 70s into the 80s, are y’all using oxidizers/sterilizers? I’ve always ran straight tap water but I have problems when my temps get up that high, I don’t really see no gunk but my stems just get soft and sometimes the spray actually washes the epidermis off the stems. Winter time I’m nearly always at 100% but during the summer It drops and I usually go back to conventional trays/domes, but recently I’ve dedicated an air conditioned room just for aero cloning. I’d like to hear from the folks having success at higher temps what there recipes are, water source(distilled,tap), how often you refresh the solution or add additives. TIA
 

fragileassassin

Well-Known Member
All you guys running temps in the upper 70s into the 80s, are y’all using oxidizers/sterilizers? I’ve always ran straight tap water but I have problems when my temps get up that high, I don’t really see no gunk but my stems just get soft and sometimes the spray actually washes the epidermis off the stems. Winter time I’m nearly always at 100% but during the summer It drops and I usually go back to conventional trays/domes, but recently I’ve dedicated an air conditioned room just for aero cloning. I’d like to hear from the folks having success at higher temps what there recipes are, water source(distilled,tap), how often you refresh the solution or add additives. TIA
I run tap with dyna-gro KLN and Pro-tekt at recommended rates (rooting hormone and silica) and a little bit of southern ag (1 ml per 10 gal).
Mine stays 78+ left unchanged for months at a time and roots everything I throw in it.
 

Dead_Eye

New Member
My secret....
Ozone. I inject ozone into my nute tank periodically. When I drain the 27gal tote for a nute change (once per week), I turn on the ozone generator, and I seems to work beautifully. The ozone generator is supposed to be for a jacuzzi but I found a highly efficient use for adding ozone in hydroponics. Ozone allows me to keep my tank at 80 degree all the time. The back draw, I have to supplement chelated nutrients like Fe+ and Mg+ (using Athena-Stack), otherwise works like a charm.
 

boybelue

Well-Known Member
My secret....
Ozone. I inject ozone into my nute tank periodically. When I drain the 27gal tote for a nute change (once per week), I turn on the ozone generator, and I seems to work beautifully. The ozone generator is supposed to be for a jacuzzi but I found a highly efficient use for adding ozone in hydroponics. Ozone allows me to keep my tank at 80 degree all the time. The back draw, I have to supplement chelated nutrients like Fe+ and Mg+ (using Athena-Stack), otherwise works like a charm.
That’s interesting, I’ve never ran an ozone generator. I see the old CAP generators for sale often on e3ay.
I’ve recently been running medgrowers old recipe w/hormex, hypochlorous acid, micro an bloom and while I do believe this speeds up rooting times and helps keep the rez clean my foliage suffers from the bleach I believe. When I ran straight tap rooting was delayed some but the clones would stay green and healthy for an extended time. I’ve had cuts in tap stay green/healthy looking for two to three weeks before yellowing but with the recipes with sterilizers and hormones after a week my foliage is suffering and some to the point the foliage is dead and you pull it out and it has a golf ball sized pearly white root ball. I’m rooting close to 100% but I’m still throwing 10-20% away with this recipe.
 

rogerparker

New Member
Well, the right temperature is vital for cloning success to be effected! My plants were weak and was being nipped in the bud. I didn't know the reason but finally, the experts of Drilly put some light. Followed their tips to produce better and healthier cuttings ant it worked!
 

Keesje

Well-Known Member
Well, the right temperature is vital for cloning success to be effected! My plants were weak and was being nipped in the bud. I didn't know the reason but finally, the experts of Drilly put some light. Followed their tips to produce better and healthier cuttings ant it worked!
I don't see them mention a temperature on the link you gave.
 

rogerparker

New Member
I don't see them mention a temperature on the link you gave.
I've followed the whole giveaway they revealed. It was not only about the temperature but it also about the whole process. The right temperature is between 68-72°. Thanks for replying.
 

Nizza

Well-Known Member
I used to use a cap of bleach in my 25 gal aero tote, and never had any rot issues. I would fill, wait a day, res change, wait a week or two, and then be done.
It was clorox bleach. I could have used hydrogen peroxide but I think that would have been too expensive and evaporate out faster

Now i just use a small "oxy cloner " ( bubble cloner ) with that submersible pump w/ venturi and change res every 2-3 days. The pump is on 24/7 so I'd bet that water is 75 or so. I always get a good success and focus on using sterile , sharp , oil-less blades to cut the clones. I still do the wait a day then swap after putting the clones in to get rid of any possible plant matter swirling around from the initial cut.

Temps are kind of important IMO, but treating it like a surgery when cutting (dont use scissors use a sharp sterile razor, and change res frequently) is more important I think.
 

2com

Well-Known Member
I will just toss in my two cents worth, late albiet...

Clones definitely seem to root faster with the warmer water, I like it up around 80F until they have roots forming, then I drop it to 70 just to help prevent root rot but I have forgotten to do that and nothing bad happened, actually they made massive roots so I think they definitely grew faster with the warmer temps.
I might as well ask my question with yours comment in mind, because I thought you cloned in rapid rooters in a tray w/dome and stuff. But this is a water temperature in a cloning machine (aero, bubble/hydro styles). I was looking for something on rockwool in tray w/dome.

Anyways, my question is more for cloning in plugs/tray/dome of some sort, like Renfro (or anyone else) is; where are you measuring the temp at, to "70*" or "76*" or "80*" and what with?

If you, for example, put water in the bottom of the tray, with some type of "riser" (slotted tray, cell tray, egg crate diffuser, etc.), then plugs in the cells (or have them other wise raised a bit above some water), with a heat mat connected to a temp controller underneath it all, where would you put the sensor? I.e.: where are you aiming to have reach 'x' temperature?

Air temp - sensor hanging in the air inside dome? Water temp - sensor in the water at the bottom tray (making sure it doesn't touch bottom of tray right near the heat mat, or you'll have cold water)? Plug temp - sensor pushed right into a clone plug (or extra, wet, plug with no clone)?
I've tried each...
But much like temp for flowering or vegging, now I'm questioning things since learning about vpd and seeing how big a fact the actual plant temp/leaf surface temp is.
Don't mean to make things complicated or anything, just curious.

(edit: spelling; probably more)
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Are your plugs directly on the floor of the tray?...And I'm assuming your heat mat is outside of the tray, not on the bottom inside...
Heat mat is outside the tray, the rapid rooters are in the tray insert. It's really not very complicated. the heat mat is optional but I have noted that it speeds up the initial roots. Once you have roots starting ditch the heat mat.
 

2com

Well-Known Member
Heat mat is outside the tray, the rapid rooters are in the tray insert. It's really not very complicated. the heat mat is optional but I have noted that it speeds up the initial roots. Once you have roots starting ditch the heat mat.
I just used way too many words to ask my question, that's all.

It sounds like the rooters are essentially directly on the heating mat, so it makes sense that you have the controller sensor where you have it, so as not to cook'em. This wouldn't make sense might not be ideal/accurate in other arrangements. That's why I asked for specifics.

Thanks bud.
edit.
 
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