Noob seeking help with clones

Noober420

New Member
Good Saturday everyone,

I was wondering if someone with more experience than me can weigh in on what I am doing wrong.

Here's the setup. Cloning tray w/ a 7 inch dome. I water 2 x a day with a light cloning solution of 100ppm in purified water, but only enough to keep the rock wool damp. I keep humidity in the dome pretty high and it sits on a heading pad. I have a 23W CFL that I have tried running 24 hour and 18/6 hour schedule.

So far, I have had 6 clones turn out like the one in the pic. The "root" stem turns a dark green and seems to rot over the course of about 5 days.

Any idea on what I am doing wrong?

Thanks in advance!
 

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Rentaldog

Well-Known Member
I would say your rooting hormone isnt being delivered in the quantity it needs to help rooting take place. Do the directions on the bottle call for a particular PPM?

If this is common for you, I would suggest buying some CloneX. Its a gel that you rub on the lower part of the stem before you insert it in your medium. I usually have success with that product. I had a bottle of some water solution... Olivias I think? It didnt work for me, but then again I was probably not giving enough of the liquid to get roots to pop.

You could also probably snip those two fan leaves near the middle of the plant off completely. Just leave the top bit, and cut the tips of those leaves off as well. Also, did you use a blade to shave or scratch off plant material on the new 'root' area? That, and making a 45 degree cut at the very bottom of the plant are both important. Or, they are in every cloning guide I have read so far anyway lol.

Hope this helps.
 

Noober420

New Member
Thanks for the reply. I do scrape the bottom 1/2 inch of the stem to encourage root growth then dip that entire area in cloning gel fur about 10 seconds and then into the rock wool. On this most recent one, I also split the root 1/4 inch with a razor blade.
 

hyroot

Well-Known Member
try fresh aloe instead of cloning gel. Its far better. Also soak clones either in aloe / water or tap water for a couple hours before dipping. You want the wounds to heal first. They wont without soaking first.
 

Noober420

New Member
Thanks Hyroot. I usually go straight from cutting into the cloning gel. No soaking or anything.
 
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NoDrama

Well-Known Member
You need to spray those rockwool cubes with oxygenated water at all times. Put a pump and a aerator sprayer in the nute solution and have a airstone going too.
 

2004play

Well-Known Member
Next time you cut clones try leaving 3/8 of an inch of stem under a node, so the node is inside your cube they will root faster out of the node than trying to get roots out of the side of your stalk with no node in the cube
 

2004play

Well-Known Member
Here's a step by step I found online years ago for a friend


Cloning Preparation.

Have your rooting medium (rapid rooters or rock wool) soaking in 5.5 to 6.0 pH water for a minimum 12 hours.Ensure you have enough cloning gel to complete the processSterilize a pair of scissors or snips with alcohol and a flameSterilize a razor blade with alcohol and a flameHave a cutting board or hard surface were you can cut the clones with the blade as in step 6. This area should also be sterilized with alcohol.Have a spray bottle filled with 5.5 to 6.0 pH water for steps 9 and 10.Have a container available and filled with 5.5 to 6.0 pH water for steps 3 and 4.

1. The absolute best place to take a clone, I have found is from the very top of the plant. I usually count 5 nodes down and cut just above the 5th node. This also serves as topping your plant.

2. Once you have cut the clone from the plant, cut the off the lower 3 nodes with your scissors leaving a slight nub, about 1/8" to 1/4".

3. Place the clone into the container of water to prevent an air embolism.

4. Continue taking clones and placing them in the container of water until you have all that you need.

5. Using the razor blade, safely cut off the remaining portion of the lower 3 nodes as close to the main stem of the clone with out damaging it.

6. Make a 45° cut about 3/8" to 1/2" below the lowest node.

7. Dip the lower portion of the clone into your cloning gel making sure that you cover about 1/2" above the lowest node.

8. Proceed to slide the clone into the rooting medium making sure that the lowest node is completely inside. That lowest node is what allows the rooting to commence much faster than normal.

9. When all clones have been taken, mist them generously with the water in the spray bottle.

10. Close the vent holes in the humidity dome if your model is similar to this one and mist the entire inside with the spray bottle as well.

11. Place the lid onto the tray and tape it down to ensure it will not fall off.

12.Proceed to place the tray of clones into a black plastic trash bag or in dark warm place for the next 24 hours.

13.After 24 hours has passed place the tray of clones under indirect light for 1 day. I have found that T5's work best for this.

14. I have found it best to take the humidity dome off the tray every day for at least a minute or so to allow the clones CO2. This is usually about how long it takes to water them.

15. On day 7, open the air vents on the top of the humidity dome for the rest of the term.

16. Feeding schedule should be plain 5.5 to 6.0 pH water for the first 3 days. Then 1ml/ Liter hygrozyme and water, 5.5 to 6.0 pH, from day 4 to end of term.

17. After 10 to 12 days the clones should be ready for transplant. After day 9 it would be a good idea to check each clone for roots.

18. Clone ready to transplant.
 

thenotsoesoteric

Well-Known Member
Here's a step by step I found online years ago for a friend


Cloning Preparation.

Have your rooting medium (rapid rooters or rock wool) soaking in 5.5 to 6.0 pH water for a minimum 12 hours.Ensure you have enough cloning gel to complete the processSterilize a pair of scissors or snips with alcohol and a flameSterilize a razor blade with alcohol and a flameHave a cutting board or hard surface were you can cut the clones with the blade as in step 6. This area should also be sterilized with alcohol.Have a spray bottle filled with 5.5 to 6.0 pH water for steps 9 and 10.Have a container available and filled with 5.5 to 6.0 pH water for steps 3 and 4.

1. The absolute best place to take a clone, I have found is from the very top of the plant. I usually count 5 nodes down and cut just above the 5th node. This also serves as topping your plant.

2. Once you have cut the clone from the plant, cut the off the lower 3 nodes with your scissors leaving a slight nub, about 1/8" to 1/4".

3. Place the clone into the container of water to prevent an air embolism.

4. Continue taking clones and placing them in the container of water until you have all that you need.

5. Using the razor blade, safely cut off the remaining portion of the lower 3 nodes as close to the main stem of the clone with out damaging it.

6. Make a 45° cut about 3/8" to 1/2" below the lowest node.

7. Dip the lower portion of the clone into your cloning gel making sure that you cover about 1/2" above the lowest node.

8. Proceed to slide the clone into the rooting medium making sure that the lowest node is completely inside. That lowest node is what allows the rooting to commence much faster than normal.

9. When all clones have been taken, mist them generously with the water in the spray bottle.

10. Close the vent holes in the humidity dome if your model is similar to this one and mist the entire inside with the spray bottle as well.

11. Place the lid onto the tray and tape it down to ensure it will not fall off.

12.Proceed to place the tray of clones into a black plastic trash bag or in dark warm place for the next 24 hours.

13.After 24 hours has passed place the tray of clones under indirect light for 1 day. I have found that T5's work best for this.

14. I have found it best to take the humidity dome off the tray every day for at least a minute or so to allow the clones CO2. This is usually about how long it takes to water them.

15. On day 7, open the air vents on the top of the humidity dome for the rest of the term.

16. Feeding schedule should be plain 5.5 to 6.0 pH water for the first 3 days. Then 1ml/ Liter hygrozyme and water, 5.5 to 6.0 pH, from day 4 to end of term.

17. After 10 to 12 days the clones should be ready for transplant. After day 9 it would be a good idea to check each clone for roots.

18. Clone ready to transplant.
I like this write up but I honestly stopped using rooting hormones and gels years ago and rarely ever have clones fail. Just ph the water then soak rock wool, cut clone and let soak in water while I cut more, then I scar up the bottom stem and place in rock wool. I also cut the larger fan leaves in half which keeps the clone from perspiring and loosing water. No dome, no humidifier. Also I set the clones in the shadows for the first day or two, instead of direct light. Cheers, also get a heating pad if it is cold.
 

bigsteve

Well-Known Member
I use jiffy pellets instead of rockwool because it is easier to see moisture levels with the pellets. My success rates were OK for years until I figured out about the moisture level with clones. I also kept the medium "damp" and now I'm convinced that was my problem. I used to quickly dip the pellet in water every 3 or 4 days while they were in the dome, along with spraying the leaves 3-4 times daily. After I quit dipping the pellets my success rate is nearly 100%. I am getting more roots and faster rooting by letting the pellet dry out more. I believe that reaching for moisture is what motivates the roots to grow and by keeping the pellet wet I was allowing the plant to hydrate itself without having to rely on roots. Works for me.

Good luck, BigSteve.
 

CenkTripper

Well-Known Member
Sterilization is very important in cloning, keep everything as clean as possible as the plant can't protect itself until new roots emerge.

First scratch then cover the cutting point on the stem with a wet sponge / cotton a week before you cut the clone, that's my trick for cloning the hardest plants :-)
 

mr sunshine

Well-Known Member
Good Saturday everyone,

I was wondering if someone with more experience than me can weigh in on what I am doing wrong.

Here's the setup. Cloning tray w/ a 7 inch dome. I water 2 x a day with a light cloning solution of 100ppm in purified water, but only enough to keep the rock wool damp. I keep humidity in the dome pretty high and it sits on a heading pad. I have a 23W CFL that I have tried running 24 hour and 18/6 hour schedule.

So far, I have had 6 clones turn out like the one in the pic. The "root" stem turns a dark green and seems to rot over the course of about 5 days.

Any idea on what I am doing wrong?

Thanks in advance!
To much water.. Also try spraying the leaves every so often.
 
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