This is a step by step guide on cloning. I am using Root tek powder rooting hormone. Step One: Choose a good clone. must have at least 3 nodes to have a greater chance of survival. Step Two: Find the cutting zone. Remember, at least 3 nodes from the top. Step Three: Place the cut end of your clone into a glass of water, then cut at a 45 degree angle. This will prevent your cutting from getting an embolism. Step Four: Gently pull off the lowest leaf, you should have a little strip of the stalk with the base of the leaf. Step Five: Take cut end and dip in rooting hormone. Tap off excess powder. Step Six: Place your cutting into PRE SOAKED soil. I am using Fox Farms Ocean Forest that has been flushed out to cut down on the nutes a little. Step Seven: Cut larger fan leaves in half. this will redirect energy away from the leaves and into the roots. Finally! Place your cutting into a dark place for 24 hours to promote root growth. Some growers place a humidity dome over the top of the new clone... I do not. there is no reason, I just don't
[quote name='"p0tbelly"']do you use a heat pad?[/quote] No I didn't, I never have. I have never cut a clone that didn't root yet. I literally took these pics as I posted this today
Haha. Yeah I Ph my water neutral. 7.0. I add nothing else. In the little party cups it takes about 2 weeks for the roots to be established. I spray multiple times a day with PhD water
Took 11 days from cut to roots, now to cover the clear cup with electric tape so the roots can get more established without any ill effects from light. After a couple days I will transplant into larger pots
[quote name='"AugustWest"']nice work dude! do you use a dome or anything for humidity?[/quote] Nope, tried it a couple times before, but it seems that they are very dependant on it. Whenever I would remove the dome the plant would droop. Now without it, the plant droops a lot for a couple days and recovers quicker. IMO I do mist daily with neutral h20
So I am assuming that the key here is to mist often? Otherwise the clone will dry out more quickly and die since there is no dome? Im just asking because I have been having some weird stuff going on with my clones. I have them in a chamber but they are taking 3 weeks to a month just to get started! I was told that it might be the heat...so I was advised to take the heating pad out from under the chamber because it makes things too hot inside. My clones look great but no roots yet.
I like the easiest methods, no heating pad, no dome, I water at about 5 days and spray once or twice per day. On the tenth day I pour the rest of the h20 on the new roots. Longest its taken me to root any clone is 12 days
No problem, I have learned that in the beginning after I cut my clone, it will look great for like a day maybe two. then it will damn near die.... I just keep misting with my neutral h2o and act like it's just the best looking little ball of a cutting.... then I go and look into the cab and presto! the weak sick looking clone has hope, every time it's like this, but they always make it.(for me so far at least) I have looked at a cutting and thought about tossing it out, gave it till I got home and she was looking great! I don't give up on them till they are DEAD! without a doubt. till then it's not over.
Yeah, the two plants I have vegging right now were clones that I was very close to throwing out. Instead, I put them in some FFOF mixed with light warrior and perlite. In one weeks time, they got GREEN and are now growing like crazy!! I dont know why they took so long to root. I suspect a few things though. I had them on a heat pad...and I also misted them daily several times with Super Thrive. I dont mean to get another Super Thrive debate going but I started some more clones since then and two of them were soaked in Thrive and some were not...the ones that were not are already showing small roots growing and the ones soaked in Thrive....yeah...nothing yet.
I've had great results rooting in dirt, but my preferred method is to put them in rapid rooters, and put them rooters in dirt right away instead of waiting for them to root first. But I do always use a dome still. And I don't mist my clones because I've had mold problems before from over misting. I just spray the sides of the dome and that keeps it plenty humid. But there is some type of product that you can spray on clones that keeps them from wilting so you don't need a dome. I've never bothered with it though, as the dome method works just fine.