Cloning question

[Hydroguy]

Hi all,

So I'm gonna kick off my clones this weekend, kinda have to as 4 plants i have in veg are getting to big and i will run out of room when i try to flower them, had a few delays in setting up veg/clone area. Will be using led only for veg, interesting to see how that goes.

so my problem is this, i don't have a dome to put clones in, so i am looking for alternatives, if anybody has any ideas i would appreciate it.

thanks in advance

 

[GimmieGreenie]

i used a big empty cake container. The clear all plastic kind like when you buy a cake from Cosco or Pathmark. Worked for me even my clones are tall and touching the top. All 4 of mine rooted within the 2 week time period.

 

[BWC BayArea]

When growing avoid clear container for planting and reservoirs. They expose roots to light. In reservoirs it allows light in for algae to grow. Roots turn green. Probably get some algae or fungi problems for sure. Either slowing root development of ultimately killing the plants. Not sure of science behind it, but everywhere I read says don't use clear containers. If u do paint the outside or cover the outside with dark colored paper.

My mistake, I thought u meant to plant in. U meant for cloning. I guess the clear cake pan would work as long as u transplant when roots pop. I use black propagation trays. They're like $1.50 each (2 trays one with drain holes and one without them $3.00 total). The dome is on average in Bay Area hydro stores $6.50 USD. If u can't get to a store just use a deep container and cover with plastic wrap with a couple small holes for ventilation.

 

[Tead]

Plastic wrap.... hmmm... givin me ideas!

Cheers!

 

[Hydroguy]

Hi all

thanks for the info, I will try the plastic wrap/dome effect with a couple of holes for in it for air flow,, cheap and cheerful for the moment until the bank balance recovers,,,

 

[BWC BayArea]

A few tooth pick sized holes will work. As time passes they'll require less humidity. The dome have adjustable vents. I gradually open mine as time elapses. U'll c condensation on the plastic, that's what u want at this stage.

 

[Medifreddie]

Hey Hydro, I'm a bit confused. Do you have clones or cuttings? If you have cuttings, the dome way is an option. Some folks use em, some dont. As BWC mentioned, the easiest way is to purchase a couple. The regulation, olympic approved type have adjustable air vents built into the top. Cheap n cheerful.

But if you have actual clones, (rooted, 3-4 inches in height) they should be ready for the long term medium and IMO youre past the dome stage. peace n good luck MF

 

[BWC BayArea]

MF, he has 4 plant in veg that he want to flower but he has height issues. His solution to top and clone the tops, then place the shorter moms under 12/12. At least this is how I understand it. As of post #1 he hadn't taken cuts yet. He asked about the dome set up in preparation. A planner.

 

[Medifreddie]

BWC...you lead the way bro, I'll follow. Just every now n then, look back and tell me what's goin on...LOL MF

 

[Tead]

I always clone any toppings I take. Why waste them? Sometime I have to wait a few days for the top of the plant to grow out to a point where I want to take the clone.

My 2 cents

Cheers

 

[Hydroguy]

thanks all,

Yeah, 4 plants in veg, and i am going to take cutting from them (first time doing this)
this will be my second grow, went straight form seed to veg to flower on the last 4. also will be using led for clone/veg stage. will start a journal as there is a lot of debate around these lights so should be interesting,,, yeah got a little of point there,, it happens to me a bit these days

i will go with the plastic tray with a plastic covering with holes and see how i go,, will invest in proper cloning equip after this grow.

Thanks for the help

 

[BWC BayArea]

Be sure to checkout the cloning guide Ductman's Cloning Advice. I've never made cuts under water. I do however make it a habit of immediately placing fresh cuts in a cup of water until ready for rooting hormone. Good luck

 

[Tead]

I hate to even mention lighting... but.... I supplement my led lighting with household CF bulbs. Very simple, very cheap, and highly effective. I screw 3 light socket "Y" adapters together to for a 4 socketed "light blossom" so I can run 4 cf bulbs from one socket.

Cheers!

 

[Hydroguy]

hi all,, thanks for the tips...

done the deed over the weekend, have to say not too confident in my work.

LED gives of no real heat, thus no misting up in plastic over clones,, might suffer due to this.

also i was cloning off some pretty big plants so my custs where by large longish limbs,, thinking about this should i have cust theses limbs down to a smaller size, so plant wouldn't have to work so hard pushing up nutes etc.

cloaked in failure......

 

[BWC BayArea]

Ur good. As for the condensation or lack of, U can take a spray bottle and mist them in the morning (or shortly after light come on if there not under 24/0). This should take care of that problem. Depending on how u preped ur mom and the strain as well as ur cloning method will determine the rooting time or if they even "stick" at all. Keep misting them. What media are u cloning in? As far as too big. 2-5 node or sets of leaves u should be cool. Some1 else may have a different opinion or method. I like to at least trim one set of leaves and insert the newly exposed and dipped in root hormone area into to the media with the trimed nodes below the media (rockwool, oasis, soil. ect) line.

 

[Tead]

cloaked in failure......

It's only failure if you fail to learn from it. I would use the phrase experience rather than failure.
If it were failure, I'd have quite a failure wardrobe rather than a cloak or two.

Cheers!

 

[Hydroguy]

Thanks Bay and Tead,

Yeah your right, anything learnt from is not wasted time.

My method was this.

Cleaned all cloning equip with alchol
Clipped off at 45degree angle, placeed in water.
Cut up a little in bottom tip and shaved off some of the outer (bark) of the plant then placed in conning gel.
placed them into rockwool which had been ph'd and also a little rooting agent.

But the dome is a homemade bascally plastic tray with some clear plastic over it. As i said only using led so i am worried abouyt clones not getting the heat they need,, sho7uld have got on of those heating mats,,,, recession has me smashed man!!!

i will post some pics later tonight

 

[BWC BayArea]

If ur worried about lack of heat a heat mat and thermostat combo may be purchased. IMO these are overpriced. I was thinkin of placing panda plastic over an electric blanket. In a pinch u can place ur prop tray on top of the fridge toward the rear where the radiator is. If this isn't feasible place a small space heater in the room with the clones only. Keepin them covered to retain moistur is the important part. Cervantes recommends RH for clones 95%-100%. Ambient air temps 65-75F, media temp75-80F Marijuana Horticulture: The indoor/outdoor Medical Grower's bible (Jorge Cervantes 41). Also when using rockwool, be sure to follow the (PH) instructions on the packaging. One last thing, are u pinching the rockwool around the stems to maintain contact between the tip dipped in a rooting hormone and the rockwool. When Using ur technique U should be getting plenty of roots by splitting the stem and scrapping away part of the cambium layer. I do this as well with about a 97% success rate. I normally see roots in 10 days average. Mazar once took 2 weeks. Anything else just ask. If I've made a mistake, please correct me.