First off, This cloning tutorial is for my own reference. I have switched to full stealth and this is my safe haven to store my logs, methods, and findings. This is MY way of cloning that works with MY tapwater. In my experience, cloning using my tap water root faster then when using filtered water. As always in my threads, questions are welcome and I hope to help new growers in what was my toughest hurdle to overcome. With that being said, Lets do This. [Materials Needed] Rapid Rooter cloning tray and plugs [Here] Humidity Dome [Here] seedling heat mat [Here] Any "Bloom" nutrient of a 3 part lineup [Here] Any "Micro" nutrient of a 3 part lineup [Here] Superthrive [Here] Clonex Rooting Gel [Here] about 3 foot worth of 3/4 pvc (very important)
[Preparation] Begin by mixing your soak/clone solution 3ml Micro 4.5ml Bloom 7 drops of superthrive PH to 5.5 Soak Rapid Rooters 15 minutes in plain tap water squeeze excess 1 hour in soak solution Sterilize all tools scissors/razors cloning area hands Prepare Propagation tray insert pvc lifters plug in heat mat place dome on tray place tray on mat to pre-warm environment
[Method] I am not going to beat a dead horse here about taking cuttings, If you dont know how or where to take a cutting then I suggest you stop reading here and then come back after reading this thread. Cloning 101 Cut 3 pieces of the pvc and place under the honeycomb tray that comes with your Rapid Rooters. This will give you a nice lift from the bottom of the tray that will aid in keeping your RR's from over-watering. Keep about a 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the tray at all times. The pvc will make sure that the RR's stay far enough to keep from getting water logged, while the heating mat will be constantly evaporating the water creating almost a "greenhouse effect" keeping the RR's at the perfect moisture level. Day 1,2 and 3 Keep all the vents closed and DON'T TOUCH! Day 4 Remove the dome for 5 minutes to give clones fresh air. Make sure there is still water in the bottom of the tray. Leave the top vents open from now on, keep the sides closed. Day 5 - 9 Keep an eye on the water level in the tray, with the top vent open and the plants roots beginning to grow the water will have to be checked more often. Day 10 Check for roots, most of my strains have SOME roots showing by this point though not ready for transplant. Day 11 - 14 Check water level everyday On day 14 they should be ready for transplant, anything not showing roots by now should be discarded. Here are a few Do's and Don'ts that I live by. DO clean everything thoroughly with alcohol and/or bleach solution before taking any cuttings. DO use a reputable cloning gel. Clonex is a proven product that i keep returning to after testing over 20 products. DO NOT cut clones underwater, it is unnecessary and reduces success rate depending on environmental variables. DO use the hole provided by the Manufacturer, after cutting is set in your RR, tear a small piece from the corner and fill in the space around the stem. DO NOT mist clones after placing in the humidity dome. Using my method it is not necessary and can cause problems.
Sorry i smoke, Its gonna take about 2 more weeks to gather enough pics and illustrations to complete this tutorial. I wasnt aware that so many new blades were in need of such tutorial as my original plan was only to log the way I clone with consistent results. Though i havent completed this article yet I am more than willing to offer help with any issues you are having. Just shoot me a PM and I will lend a hand. Thanks for stopping by!