EZ Clone Headaches

you're experiencing damping off, a common problem in taking clones in general, not just with an ez-cloner (yikes you dropped $ on a ez-cloner). gratuitous amount of h202 (depending on whether you got the drugstore kind of horti grade), a few drops of bleach, and frequent cleaning is the answer you seek. and then more cleaning. clean plant sites, sprayer manifold, razor you take cuttings with, so on and so forth.

cleanliness is next to godliness. esp for aero and esp for taking clones. if you have problems with basic cleanliness in regards to your plants, aero really isn't for you. i try to keep every surface sterile and clean. the first thing and last thing i do when i tend my plants is clean the garden area. no amount of $ spent at the hydro store can ever replace basic cleanliness period.

 

Damping-off caused by Pythium

 

I think your problem is you shut off your pump. I have read a lot about the ez cloners and I have never heard that before. I am on my second run not very much luck myself. My water will not go below 80 and then the PH is all over the place. I think you almost have to run a chiller.

 

there is nothing wrong with putting the pump on a timer. its an effective way to keep temps down. the only problem I had was an old pump didn't like to start up every time. our problem is with dampening off brown slime sh!t.

 

I always get 100% and I do the same thing every time.

Take the cut and put it into the cloner without any dip or anything. Put tap water in with nothing else. Set my cycle timer to 1 min on, 4 off. I leave them under 24 hours of florescent light. They pimple roots at around 7-10 days and by 20 days I have 10"+ roots on all of them. No dome, no nutes or anything.

Towards the end if I'm not ready to transplant them I may throw in a cup full of veg nutes from another system, but thats ONLY if they start yellowing.

I have some power clone that I will use if I need roots faster, but I usually just take the cloners early so I'm in no rush.

 

oh and as for cleaning, since I don't use anything really it never gets very dirty. I just run it under hot water in the sink for a few and them just let it sit and dry for about a month. Then I'll rinse it again in the sink and fill it with water for the next run.

Don't even use soap.

 

So you shut the pump down maybe that is what I need to try.

 

Did you COMPLETELY break the cloner down after each cycle and clean with hot water and bleach? And how long have the neoprene collars been in use? Might want to get new ones if it's been awhile. Also, Clear Rez (by EZ-CLONE) works to keep it clean, and is supposed to be added to the water at the start of the cycle. Have you tried that? But honestly, it sounds like you have a cleaning issue and may have trapped bacteria in some of the small pieces. :: EZ-Clone, Inc. TV:: - 5 Commonly Overlooked Cleaning Steps

 

if you clean it with bleach, make sure you let everything dry before using it again.

neoprene collars def should not be reused, especially if the last plant that was in it died. I guess you could try cleaning them, but i personally just throw them out as they never come off the plant (i grow in aero all the way through.)

also, DO NOT blow your $$$ on Clear-Rez. TOTAL rip-off (like pretty much everything you buy at a hydro store.) here's a replacement:

HTH Shock-N-Swim Swimming Pool Shock - 1 lbs

its the EXACT same ingredients. 1gram to a gallon. make sure its the non-ph buffered kind. i actually found this at kmart last june, i'm still using the same bag. one bag of shock-n-swim = CASES of Clear-Rez. you're paying 1000% mark-up for marketing and shipping water. your $$$, your choice, but at least be informed.

 

In this case, less is better. A good water source is all you need. Reverse Osmosis is a great option. No Clonex necessary. Just plain water! I like to introduce beneficial microbes after a few days. Either way, I always have success. PS... Make sure the unit is undoubtedly 100 percent light proof. And water temperatures should never exceed low 70's.

Maintenance: Soak everything in a tub of bleach solution for 20 minutes. Air dry completely. Run system with RO H2O before each use. Rinse thoroughly and start cloning.

Dunny, thanks for the link. Good stuff right there!

 

using turboklone and after 3 weeks nothing.. no roots just bumps on the stem.has anybody ever heard of this or seen this>? need help nothing but probs

 

I just read quickly the posts in this thread.

I get clones in a rainforest, which doesn't seem to be exactly the same thing as EZ's.
But from what I've read you should:
- Keep the clones roots in absolute darkness to avoid alga and bacterias (very important point),
- Clean before each cycle with water and bleach,
- Keep temps at the recommended degree,
- Clean with 90% alcohol your tools and hands before cutting your clones off mothers,
- Use low EC/PPM nutrients in your water,
- Get the water to be between 6 and 7 Ph,
- Get the water to 0.85 up to 1 EC,
- Keep your water at the same height into the tub during the whole process,
- Right when you cut them, put your clones in a glass full of the same water that's in your EZ,
- Clean all tubes, pumps and other parts with "running water" (not letting them into bleach and water and wait, but use a current),
- Test you EC/PPM, Ph and temperature everyday,
- Don't touch your clones during the first week, and when adjusting Ph, EC and temp, try to make it with as low light as you can.

That's it, works for my rainforest but I hope maybe you'll get new ideas or good info from that.
I always have my first roots on day 10, rarely before, and usually I end up with 90% of success in 14 days.

I do let my rainforest working 7/7, never stopped it, never knew you could use a timer, what am I missing with this technique ?

Edit: And I use Hesi - Root complex from first day, then I had some AN piranha from day 9.

TBITH

 

See, I use the little rocks (sorry, not a native english spoker) in empty bucks to avoid light getting inside.

At first try I had this strange yellow/brown jelly on the stems instead of roots. Now I never get that anymore and I have lesser yellow leaves appearing dunring the cloning period.

Do you guys know if putting your clones in total darkness is useful? I don't do that but it should be logic for the leaves to stop their jobs and for the roots to get into play.
But what's not logic is that there are no roots yet so how would they do their job?



TBITH

 

the only thing the timer does is make it easier to keep the temps down. by running it on an interval the pump don't get so hot.

thats all poor mans chiller.lol

 

Another way is to freeze some water in a pop bottle and let it sit in the reservoir..

 

what kind of bugs are you using?