A couple friends wanted a tutorial on this "master clone " technique so here it is. This is not for the faint of heart or new growers. It takes steady hands and a clear mind, but the results are worth it. Here is the end result we will be aiming for: Sent from my ADR6350 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Alright Here's what you'll need, nothing special, if your already cloning you'll have most of these: cloning gel/powder Exacto knife Scissors Zip ties or wire Ziplock baggie Soil(I use a custom mix I use especially for this technique but potting soil works) This air layer will be done on a burmese kush, but can be done on ANY plant, not just cannabis plants. First off, you need to prep the root site. I cut away about 1.5 to 2in of growth on the branch, between 2-4 nodes. The more nodes you strip and put under soil,the more vigorous the rooting will be. This technique is hard to pull off on branches that are vertical, so prior to the next step I tie down the branch to nearly horizontal for the rest of the cloning period. Take your exacto knife and press it GENTLY (KEY WORD HERE) into the branch a quarter inch below your selected nodes. It doesn't take very much pressure to go through the outer most layer on the branch, you can feel the difference in resistance once it's through. Rotate, DO NOT SLICE, with the exacto blade, making a small circular incision all the way around the branch. Perform the same incision a quarter inch above your top selected node. After both circular incisions are complete, join them with a third incision running the length of the branch between the 2 circular incisions. Using your nail or a blade lift the outer layer of the branch and begin stripping it Take your rooting gel and apply it to the root site. I use a dropper for this but it isn't necessary Then take your Ziploc baggie and cut into into a rectangle with the width slightly larger than the wound. Pack your medium onto the Ziploc baggie and secure it with ties or zipties. This is WAY easier said than done. This is THE HARDEST step for me so don't freak out If your first attempts don't go so well. This is what you end up with water with a dropper or Turkey baster every other day and within 20 days you'll have a fully rooted plant. I'll post updates as it roots Sent from my ADR6350 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Cheers brotha that is a great tutorial. As advanced as it is it seems quite simple and most of us can do it requiring stuff most of us already have. What is your success rate with this method? Ever had it go bad and fail and rot a branch off or anything like that?
Awesome tutorial! Between you and hemp lol. Great it should be a sticky! IgOTbAdAdDs0rRyIfICoNfùSeDu #d@bbin
It roots almost any size branch without stressing the clone. Almost never any nutrient loss, and because the branch is still attached and receiving nutrients and water it actually continues growing while rooting. I've never had one fail on me, and I've never had a branch rot or anything, I honestly didn't think that was a possibility haha Sent from my ADR6350 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Awesome man 100% success rate! How about have you ever rooted a branch so large that it didn't have a big enough root structure?
Biggest I ever took was the NLxBB it was a little over 2.5 feet. It's the one at the top. When I put it in a 1 gallon it was root bound in under 10 days. No growth died off. Sent from my ADR6350 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
This is 4 days after transplant, zero shock, the nitrogen deficiency the mother plant was experiencing has fixed itself, and as you can see there are roots already coming out the bottom of the pot. It'll be a little bush here in 2 weeks, ready to flower. Sent from my ADR6350 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I am a curator at a botanical garden we are in the process of constructing, soft opening scheduled for spring 2015!(yeah!) I, and a couple other master gardeners, recently used air layering to propagate a rare Magnolia tree we acquired. Some of the branches used were 1.5"-2" in diameter. We had about a 80% success rate, (hard wood, harder to take). There are many ways to propagate cuttings, but I like this method because once you wrap the site it requires no further attention until ready. You don't need to devote extra time and/or space to raise your cuts. The newly rooted plants are also hardened off and can be immediately placed in/under full light, saving us again, time and money. I have not found a plant or a tree this method did not work on. It was the ONLY method that allowed us to make cuts from the Magnolia!(we tried many!) Some plants/trees are harder to "take", but this method has a great success rate and is easy and virtually maintenance free! Keep it Green! Peace!
nlxbb what breeder was it? I got some freebies from herbies. Was it any good? I think mines from world of seeds. IgOTbAdAdDs0rRyIfICoNfùSeDu #d@bbin
it was good enough that I'd be interested in trading you haha mine to was a freebie from herbies and mine was phenomenal Sent from my ADR6350 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Cool deal! I've know this could be performed on canna but have not seen anyone do this in a long time. I've done this to my camellia before but I use tin foil wrapped around a wad of moistened sphagnum peat. Just wondering if you've tried foil? (I know roots tend to avoid light like through the clear ziplock...? but it looks like yours are doing great!)
I've never tried foil, only Ziploc, but here in a week or so I'm going to be trying rockwool, so I'll update this IF it works. No reason it shouldn't,and it might even prove easier. Sent from my ADR6350 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
This looks pretty cool. Here is a dumb question... once it's shot out a bunch of roots do you just cut it under the root growth? Sent from my SM-G900V using Grasscity Forum mobile app
exactly right!! Just lop it off, as close up as you can, and transplant it like you would any other plant Sent from my ADR6350 using Grasscity Forum mobile app