Terrified to Take Clones: Why Do They Always Die On Me?!

[Adjective]

Hi everyone,

I'm a fairly experienced grower (I've finished about 6 crops over the past several years), but cloning remains my weak point.

I've got a late-veg Purple Kush plant that's looking eager to be cloned, but I'm afraid to start cutting, because 90% of my clones always die on me. Yes, I've tried to follow the tutorials, but it seems like my rooting environment is always too dry, too wet, too cold, or too warm. And I can't deny that it's painful to chop up a perfectly lush plant, only to watch the cuttings slowly wither away.

So, is there something obvious I'm missing? Should I try a solution like Clonex? Do I need to make a root bubbler? Should I be approaching this more like an incubator than a garden?

Seriously, I'm all ears. This the last major hurdle that's standing between me and growing prowess. And I want to get over it!

 

[BigManRestles]

I've been using an aeroponics cloner for years, and it has served me well. I have a Bionicare Jet Gro which uses 3 spinning spray heads, and I have rarely had problems. Stinkbuddies have plans for a cloner which is relatively simple and inexpensive to make. I just built one of their veg units and am in the process of building my first flower unit, and the design seems very valid.

 

[hiway]

I had all kinds of trubble with clones dieing and tried everything
the only thing that worked for me finnaly was a home built airopnics cloner with spinning sprinkler heads.
also had trubble with this until I got the temp under 75 deg.[very important] consistantly .
hope this helps

 

[Adjective]

Thanks for the tutorials, BigManRestles...those look really in-depth. Maybe I'll start gathering parts this weekend.

hiway: Ah, under 75 degrees. I'd been keeping it around 80. No wonder.

 

[420chris69]

after i cut i dip in a 50 % hormex/water solution, let it sit there for a min or two and then dip in clonex then into a small rockwool cube, put in a humidity dome with a heating pad under it set on low. I spray them with Ph balanced RO water once a day after i leave the dome open for 20 mins. I've had about 90% sucess with this method. Its easy and cheap.

Hope this helps

 

[Dr FrankenKush]

It all starts with the cloning gel. ROOTECH is THE SHIT, 100000 clones can't be wrong...The givens are 1. Healthy mom or moms.2. EZ CLONE mach,I have a 30 and It,s usually 100% If I was to recommend, the 120 is the best, because the res. is more temp stable than the smaller 30. Yes there are many excellent methods discussed and most work for someone. I'm just convinced that atmosphere is less of a problem by using one of these. 5 to 10 days done deal...No mus no fus.....Oh and plain water with 25% grow solution and 10ml of superthrive in the 5gal res....5.8ph...

 

[Adjective]

OK, so last night I took about 10 clones with a razorblade, dipped them in Clonex and Hormex, and put them in rockwool cubes in a covered rooting tray. I didn't use a heating pad (because it's in the 70s here in SoCal, even at night) and I didn't directly water; I just sprayed the interior of the cover.

Every single one of them looked dead this morning. I watered the rockwool a little and went off to work. When I returned, they looked just as droopy as before.

Did I water them too much, maybe? Should I have watered the rockwool right when I planted them? Any other advice? It's much appreciated!

 

[420chris69]

I always soak the rockwool cube in 5.5ph water with maybe a little hormex and hygrozyme (at most 1/4th strength) before putting the cutting in the cube. Did you soak the cube before putting the cutting in it?