\tHow I clone plants, simple water-cloning method\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAs easy as cloning is to the masses that use powder, liquid/gel rooting hormone, bubblers and soil, etc. There is an even less complex method of cloning that is so easy, it must have been around for decades, if not centuries. The only ingredients involved are water, light, and the cutting you would like to root. In the example Im going to show, Ive cut three different sizes of clone. The first with two leaves and a single growing tip (S). The next has four nodes, but still only a couple large leaves (M). The third is 6? tall, has seven nodes and several sets of good-sized leaves (L). \t\t\t\tAs with normal cloning, you immediately dip the cutting in the water for about 15 to 30 seconds, tweaking it to dislodge any air bubbles that may be present. But the biggest difference is, you wont be removing the cutting from the water until it has roots big enough to support the foliage above. Make sure the cup, which contains the cutting, is opaque. This prevents the light from shining directly on the roots. \t\t\t\tSo far, Ive mentioned the cuttings and the water, but the most important part is the light. I have made this method work 100% of the time simply by sitting my cuttings on a windowsill that receives no direct sunlight. In fact, slightly shaded would be even better. In the evenings (short days), I sit them on an end table over 7 feet from a ceiling mounted 100-watt incandescent bulb. At bedtime, I just turn off the lights like normal, and when I get up in the AM its back to the windowsill. During the longer daylight hours they can be left on the sill full time. Remember, no direct sunlight. \t\t\t\tThe picture shows my three cuttings in their water cups. M & L have barely an inch of water to sit in. Any more and it would cover one of the leaf stems. The smaller one stayed in the plastic because the stem was too short to sit in water and stay upright in the cup. Do whats necessary to keep at least ½ of the stem in the water. \t\t\t\tNotice the glass that diffuses light, an extra measure against too much light exposure. \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tThe clones grew roots at far different speeds. S showed in seven days, with a small ¼ long root and another small protrusion. \t\t\t\tBy the time S`s roots reached this level of development (nine days), L was just putting out the first nubs that would be roots. M has shown no inclination of rooting at all. Searching for an answer, I changed the water in Ms cup, but I think it boils down too the thickness of the stem. Both M&L have the same size stem but L has far more foliage on top. \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tS is doing far better than the others (seen below) and M is finally starting to show. \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tM showed roots in 14 days and was planted on day 18. \t\t\t\tThis picture was taken just before transplant. \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tL showed roots on day 11 and was in soil at day 18. \t\t\t\tThis picture was taken just before transplant. \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tS showed roots at seven days and was in the soil at 15. \t\t\t\tThis picture was taken just before transplant. \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tTransplanting is as easy as it ever is. I use a pre-fertilized potting soil, mixed with 1/2 perlite. I like the clear cups as I can see how soon they can be removed from the humidity dome. Fill a 4 oz cup with soil mix and swirl a hole an inch deep in the top, insert the plants roots and cover. \t\t\t\tDO NOT WATER!! Watering will actually delay the roots growth into the new medium. You want it almost dry below so they search for the moisture. Make whatever mix you use semi-moist before transplant. \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tThe dome you see is a cheapo Styrofoam cooler available from any grocery store for $2-$3. Toss the lid and cover with saran wrap with a 1/2 dozen 1/4" holes in it. What you see in the picture is a spare piece of plexi I have. It sits off centre to provide some venting. Simply set an open jar of water inside and close. The jar itself will keep the humidity at around 75%. If you dont like this, just spray a couple times a day with plain water. \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tL showed itself almost overnight. \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tAll were in the 320-watt veg area in roughly three weeks from cutting to final transplant. \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tThats it, the easiest cloning method there is. No spraying, no overheating, no drying out, no hormones, just plant, light and water. Following these instructions, Ive had a 100% success rate (The one that died actually drank all her water and I forgot to refill!). Good luck! \t\t\t\t\t
Thanks for sharing! I'm constantly amazed at how complicated we tend to make things. There are always better ways but I'm a big fan of the KISS mindset. My last grow: Outdoor, bagseed, planted directly in soil but enriched with cheap mushroom castings/soil, and a weekly lite dose of cheap walmart all purpose fertilizer. 5 plants produced over 1lb of dried good quality bud with very little time, stress, or money invested.
I couldn't agree with you more man!! Ive read many of these threads on here man and it kinda freaks me out at how scientific and technical such a simple grow can turn into a laboratory botanist trippin out on the brown spot leaf emergency trying millions of nutrients just to OD the little bitch before its smokeable. Maybe Im just an old ate-up stoner~ but that's my 2 cents worth... Peace Man!
what kind of water do you use for this method? tap, ro, distilled, mineral; I like that no hormones are used here and no medium is necessary. This would seem to go great for an aeroponics set up if you didn't want to use an aero cloner
I use just regular tap water out of the kitchen sink. My earlier days in this country(china) I would buy bottle water until I looked out the window and seen the neighbor watering her flowers with a garden hose, I thought hmmm... so I tried one plant with tap water and waited two weeks, it didn't do no harm at all to it, cool!!! I was a bit freaked about the fluoride water here, but the plants seemed to dig on it so I stopped buying the bottles of water and just use tap water. My choice with water cloning is regular tap water, sweet&simple.
do you let it set to evaporate out chlorine. I'm still debating how important it is to do this but do you?
Oh! hey man! If you've got Chlorine in your tap water then don't use that brother! You should definitely use bottle water and not your tap water. The water here is Fluoridated(fluoride)water which is safe for plants but not drinkable. "Don't Use Your Chlorine Water, instead buy a bottle of drinking water" Peace my friend!
Almost all treated tap water has chlorine in it. Using chlorinated water is fine - everyone does it. Big greenhouses, golf courses, etc. Fluoride is added to water to help make strong teeth. The active ingredient in toothpaste is fluoride. Fluoride is not used to treat water, it's an additive commonly added to water for health benefits - like how they always add vitamin D to milk.
Good search my friend!! Simply put, I couldn't drink the water(treated city water) here in this China until its been boiled first but the plants can consume it straight from tap without any problems man, unlike in the United States I have good old well water and we both can drink it up raw from the tap... However, hippies prefer less toxin's in our plants diet, so my generation buys the 1 ltr bottles of drinking water because I've found the treated water here in China spoils to a rotten egg smell within a few days of sitting out, At any rate, the water cloning without hormones really works man! Peace!