Clones

[RickyLafleur]

Hey guys, I'm really excited to get into cloning. But I'm learning as i go. Im going hydroponic, idk what it's called but just hanging roots being sprayed with water. So I know about cuttings, an I know clones move faster. But I have no clue when to move stages. I guess by looking at how the plant is doing. But I'd really appreciate some knowledge

 

[SmokingWings]

Welcome to the group.

Could you tell us what you are getting at when you mention 'move stages'.

 

[RickyLafleur]

Welcome to the group.

Could you tell us what you are getting at when you mention 'move stages'.

As in when to take the clones out of hydroponic an plant the clone in soil. Then when to switch the clone from veg to flower. Again I have very little knowledge. Thanks

 

[Regrowth]

Just transplant once you've got some decent roots.
The clones are the same age as the plant they've came from, so if the donor plant has reached maturity,
so have the clones and they can be flowered at any time you'd like.
Some people switch right away with a bunch of clones that have just rooted (Sea of Green / SOG),
others will grow and train them (Low stress training / LST) to fill their floor space first.

 

[alpacaman]

Once your clones show roots (usually in 1-2 weeks), you can transfer them to a more stable growth environment

 

[SmokingWings]

As in when to take the clones out of hydroponic an plant the clone in soil. Then when to switch the clone from veg to flower. Again I have very little knowledge. Thanks

Pretty much what I was thinking but I felt it best to ask to be sure.

As in when to take the clones out of hydroponic an plant the clone in soil.

If you are already going with a type of hydro already it might be best to continue and transplant the clone into a hydro just like what you already are becoming familiar with. It will keep the new plant in a method that you are becoming familiar with instead of having to learn two different methods at the same time.

Starting to root a cutting in a water method is common. Taking that plant once it has roots and then transfer over to a pot of soil is not always as easy as it seems. There are several types or methods of hydro growing that could be used for the new clones. One is growing the plants in pure Perlite or pure coco coir or a mix of the two.

Somethings to consider.

 

[Wastei]

Pretty much what I was thinking but I felt it best to ask to be sure.


If you are already going with a type of hydro already it might be best to continue and transplant the clone into a hydro just like what you already are becoming familiar with. It will keep the new plant in a method that you are becoming familiar with instead of having to learn two different methods at the same time.

Starting to root a cutting in a water method is common. Taking that plant once it has roots and then transfer over to a pot of soil is not always as easy as it seems. There are several types or methods of hydro growing that could be used for the new clones. One is growing the plants in pure Perlite or pure coco coir or a mix of the two.

Somethings to consider.

Why would rooting a cutting in water be a problem? It's what I've been doing for the last 30 years. Always rooted cuttings in water and transplanted to coir, peat, pucks or straight in clay pellets in DWC or Aero with plugs in the air. Never ever been any problem going from one medium to the other with healthy rooted cuttings.

If you disturb roots and remove a lot of them from transplanting from one system to another then it's a whole other deal, but simply rooting a already healthy developed cutting is not. It's usually messy going from perlite to another medium and why use any medium growing in pure water cultures when it's in no way needed and many times contra productive?

 

[Regrowth]

Roots grow differently in water than they do in soil and when you transition from hydro to soil the roots need to adapt. I don't see that being an issue though just moving some cuttings, maybe with larger plants that have spent their life in dwc or something. I don't do the hydro thing but I've rooted clones in water and moved them over. Hydro has a steep learning curve, or seems like it to me anyway, so I think it's probably better to stick to soil. Keep it simple. JM2C.

 

[SmokingWings]

Why would rooting a cutting in water be a problem? It's what I've been doing for the last 30 years. Always rooted cuttings in water and transplanted to coir, peat, pucks or straight in clay pellets in DWC or Aero with plugs in the air. Never ever been any problem going from one medium to the other with healthy rooted cuttings.

Not a problem rooting in water. I have put the cuttings in a pint jar or plastic cup and had them root. Based on my own experience and the problems others have mentioned in threads here asking for help the problem seems to happen when the rooted cutting goes into a soil medium.

There is the change over from water to soil that the plant has to go through. Also, if the grower is not careful some of the early stage roots can break off when attempting to tamp down the soil no matter how gently it is done. I tried different methods that I saw others using and would have some of the same issues.

One project was just to figure out the best way to go from rooting with a cloning machine that sprayed or bubbled water to then directly into a typical soil. I am close to a method that has a 100% success rate for me. Take a cutting form an actively and fast growing plant. Either from the top or bottom but have been doing better with cuts from topping. I put the cloning machine on a timer so that the cuttings were sprayed for 10 seconds and then the timer turned the pump off for 5 minutes. Theory being that the 10 seconds was enough time to get the stem thoroughly wet and the 5 minutes allowed enough time for oxygen to get to the stem without the stem going dry. Roots starting in 7-10 days and ready for soil in several more days.

Fill the pot with barely damp but very fluffy soil. Using a spoon, trowel or fingers push some soil to the side and build a well deep enough for the roots. Lower the rooted cutting in and holding the leaves so it will not move I use the other hand for a watering can and pour a slow stream of water on the soil which flows into the hole and covers the roots. Add more soil and then water again. No tamping the soil down and the chance of removing or breaking the roots is about nil as you mention above The soil is saturated so the roots are able to transition to the new medium within days. No signs of transplant shock either.

 

[Wastei]

Not a problem rooting in water. I have put the cuttings in a pint jar or plastic cup and had them root. Based on my own experience and the problems others have mentioned in threads here asking for help the problem seems to happen when the rooted cutting goes into a soil medium.

There is the change over from water to soil that the plant has to go through. Also, if the grower is not careful some of the early stage roots can break off when attempting to tamp down the soil no matter how gently it is done. I tried different methods that I saw others using and would have some of the same issues.

One project was just to figure out the best way to go from rooting with a cloning machine that sprayed or bubbled water to then directly into a typical soil. I am close to a method that has a 100% success rate for me. Take a cutting form an actively and fast growing plant. Either from the top or bottom but have been doing better with cuts from topping. I put the cloning machine on a timer so that the cuttings were sprayed for 10 seconds and then the timer turned the pump off for 5 minutes. Theory being that the 10 seconds was enough time to get the stem thoroughly wet and the 5 minutes allowed enough time for oxygen to get to the stem without the stem going dry. Roots starting in 7-10 days and ready for soil in several more days.

Fill the pot with barely damp but very fluffy soil. Using a spoon, trowel or fingers push some soil to the side and build a well deep enough for the roots. Lower the rooted cutting in and holding the leaves so it will not move I use the other hand for a watering can and pour a slow stream of water on the soil which flows into the hole and covers the roots. Add more soil and then water again. No tamping the soil down and the chance of removing or breaking the roots is about nil as you mention above The soil is saturated so the roots are able to transition to the new medium within days. No signs of transplant shock either.

Well spoken words! Small seedling and cuttings with fragile roots should be treated with upper most care and be planted in like you mentioned very airy and light medium. It's never the method, it's always down to operator error. I mostly run Aero and do coir more when I have to but I have more coir grows than Aero under my belt. I think we do many of the same things. I plant cuttings in 50/50 mix coir and perlite and fill the pot with barely some medium, tap it to get it homogenous and then place the cutting with my fingers in the final position and slowly fill around the stem and let the roots be layered in the medium of choice, then I fill some more and lightly fixate the main rot stem by tapping the surface. The pot should be very airy and optimally be sprayed to runoff with a pressure sprayer the first few waterings. At least that what I do in containers with cuttings.

I think one of the main reason for errors is people not letting the roots develop long enoug in the water cloner of choice and with less developed roots there's bigger risk for failure at transplant. Theres a big difference between having 10 well developed laterals coming out the cutting instead of just a couple of tiny early developed capillary ones.