rooting gel or powder?

theres a local store here that sells rooting powder but not gel, will the powder work as well as the gel or should I make the further trip and go to the store that has rooting gel? thanks.

They work the same. It is just a matter of personal preference. Hope this helps. Happy cloning!

The gel doesn't wash off like the powder. One of the advantages of the gel.
You really don't need either a good rooting solution like General Hydroponics Rapid Start is the best stuff I've used.
Clonex cloning solution works well also. Clonex rooting gel is very good. Clonex has some good stuff.
Or you use both together the gel and the Rooting solution, increasing your success rate.

topfuel29 said:

The gel doesn't wash off like the powder.

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Not much in the gell type in SA but I have found with the powder if done well it clings like crazy.
Make cutting, dip in water for about 10 seconds, dip in powder and twist a bit.

3 days later there is still powder on the stems, inside my bubble cloner.

I was in the same boat as you, only powder available locally.

If you have a setup (like a cloner) where the roots get plenty of oxygen and plenty of water, then it isn't really gonna matter either way. I've had a really hard time getting the powder to work, fwiw.

If you want something with a great success rate, look for rooting plugs. All kinds of stories on here about people trying to clone with no success until they started using rooting plugs.

From what I've been seeing lately cloning is just one of those things that takes time, practice, and sacrifice. Many sacrificial cuttings.

It's personal preference as they do the same job. I'm a gel man myself i use clonex but a mate of mine prefers to use the powder. So it's up to the individual, test both and see which you find better.

Yeah they sell rooting plugs called Root Riot they aren't cheap about $30 for a bag of 100 but they come already damp and they work really well.

I use what ever rooting hormone is on sale/cheapest at my local home improvement store.
Have done this for the last 15yrs with around a 95% success rate of the clones rooting.
Have used the expensive powders and gels from the hydro shops with no better success rate then the cheap shit.
Im currently using Schultz Take Root, picked it up the end of summer last year at Menards for around $3 on clearance stuff works great.
My advice dont spend money on packaging and advertising, the cheap stuff is basically the same thing and work just as well.

Yeah I have some of that also never had any luck with it though.

Dr. Skunk Bud said:

Yeah they sell rooting plugs called Root Riot they aren't cheap about $30 for a bag of 100 but they come already damp and they work really well.

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OK, cool I was in my local grow store today and asked about them, dude wasn't there but his wife was (not quite as knowledgeable, to say the least, but she's cool). I asked about them and she showed me the bag of the brown blocks, and I could tell they were wet BC of the condensation on the inside of the bag. Don't think they were called root riot but I may be wrong.

I wasn't sure if they were for cuttings or for seeds, I saw the little hole in the top to put whatever (giggity). I'm sure they work great on both that's what they were using in their display grow.

topfuel29 said:

The gel doesn't wash off like the powder. One of the advantages of the gel.
You really don't need either a good rooting solution like General Hydroponics Rapid Start is the best stuff I've used.
Clonex cloning solution works well also. Clonex rooting gel is very good. Clonex has some good stuff.
Or you use both together the gel and the Rooting solution, increasing your success rate.

Click to expand...

yes it does in an aeroponic cloner....

theexpress said:

yes it does in an aeroponic cloner....

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You don't use gel/powder in a aero-cloner. You use a cloning solution. For that reason you stated. It would just wash the gel/powder off the cutting.

ThorGanjason said:

OK, cool I was in my local grow store today and asked about them, dude wasn't there but his wife was (not quite as knowledgeable, to say the least, but she's cool). I asked about them and she showed me the bag of the brown blocks, and I could tell they were wet BC of the condensation on the inside of the bag. Don't think they were called root riot but I may be wrong.

I wasn't sure if they were for cuttings or for seeds, I saw the little hole in the top to put whatever (giggity). I'm sure they work great on both that's what they were using in their display grow.

Click to expand...

You can use them for seeds or cuttings. They come in the bag of 100 because they sell flats of 50 so the bag is replacement plugs for the flats. I don't buy the flats but the plugs work great they also have some kind of rooting hormone inside the plugs. The bags are resealable so they could last a long time. They have crazy root development and work really well.

Here is a link for Root Riot http://hydrodynamicsintl.com/rootriotplantstartercubes.htm

Hi,
im also wondering if i should buy some of that rooting stuff.

But I read somewhere else where people said that they ran out of rooting enhancer, tried without and figured that it just works as well without and never bought that stuff again (clonex).
Have u experiences like that or r u sure that they r really a big improvement?