Bubble cloners - how long?

How long on average does it take to get roots in a decent bubble cloner?

I have 2 built and running at the moment
- 4.7 gals tap water(water is ph8.2 and 100ppm .7conv from tap)
- plenty of air, 2x 12" airstones in each cloner with its own 400 litre per hour pump, loads of bubbles
- 2 drops superthrive
- few drops ph down (phosphorus based) to bring ph to about 5.8-6.3
- aquarium heaters in each keeping water @ 73-75F
- air temps @ 73-75F, humidity@ 50-65%
- tips of stem are submerged about 1/2 inch and I let it drop to about 1/2inch below them so bubbles are popping and keeping stem wet at all times
- cloner was light proof afaik, i spent hours making sure it was by filling any pinhole light leaks.
- cloner and all equipment were cleaned with light bleach and rinsed a lot before use, so it was clean and the blade i used for taking clones was cleaned with iso-alcohol also.
- I only top up the cloner with plain water and ph to required level

When I took the clones and cut from mother plant with a very sharp blade (did the angled cut for more surface area), i scraped the top layer at the bottom of stem (as many guides state to do), dipped in rooting gel and straight into cloner. about 10% of them drooped for a few hours and then were fine.

I have cloned the strain before in root riot cubes in a propagator and they roots started showing in about 9days (same mother plant as current batch). But it has been 4 days now and no sign of rooting at all (i know its early days though). Leaves are perky/ no yellowing/ no drooping

However I tried before in a bubble cloner with the same strain and within 2 weeks there were no roots and only about 40% of plants had the lumps on the stem where roots form (i didnt have an aquarium heater at the time and water temps were real low, so i put it down to that). Some people say they get roots in like 4-6 days, some say up to 3 weeks. why do mine seem to take ages (or not happen at all)? What are some other factors that can affect it? The clones seem to stay healthy and no sign of mold/blackening/air embolisms etc, its as if the clones are thriving but without roots. Anyone any suggestions (+rep given)?

I use a DIY cloner too and at about 7-10 days i have roots.14-21 days you should be done with that batch.7-10 to see roots usually.PH set to 5.8 water temps about 75-78 with tank heater with Cfls above it.

another good thing to remember is this...
after taking the cut, immediately dip the stem of your cutting into water as to make sure there is no air bubble inside the stem itself. doesnt sound like you are having this problem but its a good thing to remember. 7-10 days as HghFlyr said....

Ebb n Flo said:

another good thing to remember is this...
after taking the cut, immediately dip the stem of your cutting into water as to make sure there is no air bubble inside the stem itself. doesnt sound like you are having this problem but its a good thing to remember. 7-10 days as HghFlyr said....

Click to expand...

How can you tell if there is a problem with an air bubble?
Also will roots just "appear" one day or do you see the progress slowly? Still no sign of anything

I've had them root in as little as 3 days and up to 4 weeks. you'll see little nubs start then they take off. I've found if you can keep the rez temp around 80 they do better. With my first diy cloner. I was thinking I could clone sticks it was working so well. Then I couldn't get anything to work in it. I figured out my temps had dropped about 5 deg and every thing stopped working.

stumps said:

I've had them root in as little as 3 days and up to 4 weeks. you'll see little nubs start then they take off. I've found if you can keep the rez temp around 80 they do better. With my first diy cloner. I was thinking I could clone sticks it was working so well. Then I couldn't get anything to work in it. I figured out my temps had dropped about 5 deg and every thing stopped working.

Click to expand...

You reckon 80 is better? Does it not "cook" the clones? hmmm... could be something to try

I just checked the temps there, its @ 74.5F, I turned the aquarium heaters up a bit.

Water is @ 78-80F now, also my light schedule is 24/0, I was told this is best for cloning. Could that slow root production down?

You got dark covered so must be nutrients? Tomatoes are breed dependent: determinant very slow and indeterminate very fast rooters. Not tagging everything but rooting time lets me know which mother it came from. I have 3 different cut the same day a photo what am idea?

grizlbr said:

You got dark covered so must be nutrients? Tomatoes are breed dependent: determinant very slow and indeterminate very fast rooters. Not tagging everything but rooting time lets me know which mother it came from. I have 3 different cut the same day a photo what am idea?

Click to expand...

Im sorry I cant understand some of the post. when you say "must be nutrients", do you mean I need to add some as I only have a few drops of superthrive as any form of nutrient, the ppms of the solution is only around 100ppm @.7

I use two 4' 40w tube flour's about 2" of the tops of the clones and run 24/0 fact is clones don't need much light. I use them more for heat. 80 is great for starting roots. if you stay in a bubbler type system the rez temps need to go down to 65-70 after roots start. I use tap water and a little super thrive. I have all so used cloning powder and jell's but don't need them when the bubble cloner is right on.

I use a 125w blue cfl about 6" from tops. So all in all there should be no problems with my setup as it is? I cant see why I can clone quicker in root riot cubes from this mother than in the bubble cloner

setup that works best for me is
1 40watt blue CFL , straight water @78 degrees...clones split up the middle 1/16" and dipped on ROOTS gels
i get roots starting in 4 days , fully rooted by 7-10 days...have never lost a cut yet

I can't claim 100% but I have had batch's go 100% other not so well. keep track of what you do when it works try to repeat it.

stumps said:

I can't claim 100% but I have had batch's go 100% other not so well. keep track of what you do when it works try to repeat it.

Click to expand...

i shloud rephrase that..ive never lost a clone in the bubbler yet...ive lost many of cuts in peat and soil lol

I run clonex in my cloner with no dippin in rooting hormone had roots in 7-10 days. After the numbs form around day 5 or 6 then they really take of after that like a little explosion of roots. I noticed in my first design I wasn't getting even coverage and some of the cuts were not doing as well as the other so I changed the plumbing around a bit and got better all around coverage. Ofcourse I use a low pressure aeroponic cloner but still the same premise, I even put the heads at the top of tote pointing down instead of at the bottom of the tote pointing up. I NEVER have a leak and use no weatherstripping ect.

7 days and still nothing happening, what am I doing wrong ?

karmeron said:

7 days and still nothing happening, what am I doing wrong ?

Click to expand...

your temps may be off a lil.....my brothers temps were a lil low so he wasnt getting a good turn around...he added a heat mat and hes never lost one since

Dizzle Frost said:

your temps may be off a lil.....my brothers temps were a lil low so he wasnt getting a good turn around...he added a heat mat and hes never lost one since

Click to expand...

I have an aquarium heater in the cloners set around 75-80

I don't use a dome but I do give them a quick mist 3 or 4 times a day. Give them some time. When they start, they go fast. you have good bubbles? how many air stones or what ever do you have? Is the lid of your cloner wet. "inside" trying to hit all the bases.