Clones are not rooting HELP!

So after a pause I have begun growing again, and cloning as well. For some reason I am not having a very good success rate. I am cloning directly into soil. I use Clonex gel, and follow all the normal procedures of cutting. For the first few days they look beautiful. I mist the humidity dome every 3 hours or so, and very very lightly mist water the soil with b'cuzz rooting solution. A couple of the clones have bent over and snaped at the tips, which is something I have never seen before. I let them rest in the dark for about a week before putting them (still in the dome) under 2 T12 lights. The room temp is averaging 76F. Any Ideas? I really don't know what I am doing wrong here... I have been stuck at this 60% success rate for 2 cloning runs now.

Sounds like damping off. Too wet. No need for rooting solution in your mist anyway.

hotrodharley said:

Sounds like damping off. Too wet. No need for rooting solution in your mist anyway.

Click to expand...

the rooting solution that I am misting is into the soil, and only enough to keep it from drying out. The plants themselves are not soaked nor is the soil, that is the confusing part

I never had one single clone survive doing it the same way as you. I made an aeroponic cloner and have had great success.

and if I am indeed overmisting.. how can I tell where that fine line lies between drying out and thriving?

1. Why would you let clones sit in the dark for any period? Generally weak light is where they should be kept. Never in the dark.

2. After just a few days the cuttings need more fresh air, less humidity. TOO HUMID/MOIST.

3. You obviously have a deficiency going on. At first it looked to me like an Mg problem (yellowing at new grow points) but it could actually be a number of things. You should be adding some mild bloom fert at this point- maybe a 25% solution.

4. I have found there are 2 mains points with cloning: 1) some strains do great and others don't. Some put off roots in just a few days, others can take 10+ days. Just genetics I'm guessing and 2) choosing the right cloning material. I stop giving N at week before the cuts are taking, and mist down the leaves daily (to help drain N out of the plant)- this helps stiffen the stems and they are stronger during the early clone phase.

SSHZ said:

1. Why would you let clones sit in the dark for any period? Generally weak light is where they should be kept. Never in the dark.

2. After just a few days the cuttings need more fresh air, less humidity. TOO HUMID/MOIST.

3. You obviously have a deficiency going on. At first it looked to me like an Mg problem (yellowing at new grow points) but it could actually be a number of things. You should be adding some mild bloom fert at this point- maybe a 25% solution.

4. I have found there are 2 mains points with cloning: 1) some strains do great and others don't. Some put off roots in just a few days, others can take 10+ days. Just genetics I'm guessing and 2) choosing the right cloning material. I stop giving N at week before the cuts are taking, and mist down the leaves daily (to help drain N out of the plant)- this helps stiffen the stems and they are stronger during the early clone phase.

Click to expand...

Hmm so many answers to all of your questions...

1)I leave my clones in the dark because that is more conducive for the plant to begin producing root cells.(you can research the chemical and photosynthetic reaction that a plant's cellulose structure has to light retardation/starvation)

2.) After 3 days I open the dome every 3-4 hours (as stated above) I breath on them and re-mist the dome.

3.) The obviousness of my deficiency ( I assume you mean the mother plants that these 4 strains were taken from) is not so obvious. That light green that you see (only at the fresh growth points mind you...) is actually a sign of new growth before it was taken as a clone. I could post pics of the mothers if you like, but they are all a beautiful green color, and the last thing I would do with a rooting clones is shock it with any kind of nutes. Other than maybe a very very very dilute mixture of seaweed emulsion, but not until they are 2 weeks old. These cuttings are 6 days old right now, and every one of them are springy and standing straight save 1, and the 2 that did not survive.

I believe that you are correct about the sensitivity of certain strains to the stresses of cloning, as I am only having trouble with Chernobyl and Royal Kush... Ny Diesel, Ny Sour Diesel, and my DICE have all been no problem to clone. The Sour diesel I took clones from a budding plant to keep the strain going and they are doing magnificently. I also managed to successfully clone a budding Chernobyl... so again I am confused as to exactly what I am doing wrong. I will try a dryer approach this time and see if that doesnt help.

Ive done clones in soil alot and i find they take longer to root sometimes 3 weeks, yours dont look too bad to me just give them time and keep soil at a good temp and moisture. I dont think a week of dark would help maybe a couple of days, but i think the yellowing could be light deficiency. mine yellow from the outside of the older leaves, from the plant using the nitrogen in them.

Here are some more pics of the mother plants


I have also noticed that soil takes longer than rockwool (what I previously used) But this is the first time I have ever seen this drooping happen... could it be that I just picked an offshoot that was simply too new and supple for this? The deficiency seems just too unlikely to me.. for 1 I dont see it on the mothers.. and I am feeding with b'cuzz, fox farm 6-4-4 as well as having mixed a little dolomite lime into the soil mixture.

And as far as yellowing leaves.. it is a welcome occurrence for me when the lower leaves of my clones start to yellow.. because as you said, I know that the plant is leeching nutrients in order to root and grow.

Some strains are ALOT easier,Had a Sativa just could cut and stick it in Soil and it grew instantly.You seem to be doing all the Rt things.Might try a little warmer in there is the only thing i see different than what i do.I use a Humidifier also,and its over 80f in the closet where i do mine.

BEECH

you could have done a bad cut on the droopy ones or the soil was too moist on them? id say the yellowing is light deficiency ive seen pics of light starved plants and they yellow like that

SOMEBEECH said:

Some strains are ALOT easier,Had a Sativa just could cut and stick it in Soil and it grew instantly.You seem to be doing all the Rt things.Might try a little warmer in there is the only thing i see different than what i do.

BEECH

Click to expand...

I will try bumping it up to 80-82 room temp... it is hard because my veg room is my bedroom as well, and sometimes the hot and sticky gets to be a little too much, but I never let it drop below 75. I also have heard bad things about heating pads and it seems a little counter intuitive to me.

gaztron3030 said:

you could have done a bad cut on the droopy ones or the soil was too moist on them? id say the yellowing is light deficiency ive seen pics of light starved plants and they yellow like that

Click to expand...

Could be.. I am an imperfect being I guess I could just say bad luck, but I really like to know what is going on and get things as perfect as possible I put them under some ambient light, with the dome of for an hour and will see how things progress.

So I put them under the T12's, I misted the dome and not the plants. Is this the wise course of action?

they shouldnt need the dome now, id just mist the plants uncovered

gaztron3030 said:

they shouldnt need the dome now, id just mist the plants uncovered

Click to expand...

really? after only 6 days they won't dry out?

Let the soil completely dry b4 watering cause even the tiniest little root will reach for water

i used to root in dirt (sunshine) it took me 3-4 weeks to get roots....then i switched to rapid rooters...roots in 2 -3 weeks now except wintertime

In my experience...best rooting occurs when the temps are upper 70s...first week you want high RH...removing the lid daily for like 5 mins and wiping the dome off....If you dont have water inside your lid add alitle to the base of your domes container to bring up the RH

after 1 week you can crack the lid to allow fresh air in.....you only need 20-40 watts to root...higher wattage promotes new leaf grow not root devolepment

I use rapid rooters with dome and heat mat. No issues. Scrape stem, dip in clonex gel and great white.. Squirt some gel in the cubes hole and put clone in. I put a cup of water with an airstone going in the dome. Under a weak cfl.

I am a total ghetto cloner. I use the little round pellets and after i soak them i cut my clone, dip it in clonex, and use a cut down soda bottle for a dome.
I mist the clone and the soda bottle, put it in very low light, and I don't touch it for a couple days. Then I'll check it, mist the soda bottle again and leave it be for a couple more days.
I don't fuss over them I basiacly ignore them and let them do what they do.So far, since I re did my grow I have 100% success.
That wasn't always the case. I used to check them and mist them all the time and had maybe 40% success.
I tried bubble cloners and ever other thing I read about.Finally I found what works for me and my conditions.