Gotcha, how well does that Botanicare Machine work? I myself are only planning on doing 4 of the DWS Buckets, so I like the idea of already having the clones in a 6" Net pot setup for easy transfer. Would you suggest getting one of these or building a design from scratch?
I had to redesign the Botanicare mister base to accept the 6" pots. All it had was a small "T" on top of the pump. The Botanicare's cover does not fit well and tends to leak. The cover i made for the full sized pots does not leak but I had to make it. I like my bucket design much better. You can have lots of lids for the bucket (one for clones and one for full sized net pots). You can even use 3 gallon buckets if you need to go shorter. I would not buy a Botanicare Clone Machine again. If I bought one it would be that $70 CloneBucket 18. You can drill the right amount of holes in the lid that suits your growing needs. I only needed seven so that is all I drilled.
I will post up some pictures of the clones I made during this build. I just have to wait another week (give or take). They have been in six days and will start to root between day 10 and 14. So next Saturday I will post up the clones pictures before I "off-them". I don't need any clones right now so they wont be going any place (my fireplace). Sad but once the roots start, it goes nutz. The tap root will cover that whole bucket in another week or two (can't have that).
would it be possible to flower using this set up? i'm thinking aerogarden style, perhaps not use a round bucket, but a rectangular tub? in my mind i'm picturing a continual harvest using DWC for mommy's and the concepts of the clone machine to make clone-through-harvest tubs that will be put directly into 12/12 after rooting. thoughts?
Yes, but that style of growing is best done with misters that can be removed and replaced during the grow. It would suck to get all plugged up the last week of flowering.
that would be catastrophic. the ez-clone misters can't be replaced easily? or would roots complicate the removal and replacement?
Ok, imagine your mister base caught in the middle of the root ball below: I dont think it would matter what brand of mister you had. You could not get to it regardless.
right. that makes sense. thanks for the help! perhaps a system using a uniform tub/lid. ... or perhaps i'm just trying to fix a thing that isn't broken.
Hi Rumple. I really appreciate the work you do helping others on here. I have a few question for you. I am growing White Widow and am having no luck using a bubble cloner. 1. Would an ecoplus 185 gph pump and a 3 gallon bucket work? I was thinking of trying to recreate the bucket cloner they sell on ebay. 2. You said you would have problems when the water temp dropped below 75. What problems? 3. Have you tried using plain water in the cloner?
Remember some plants can take more then three weeks to grow roots and I have seens some sprout roots in a week. Every strain I try in the clone machine has a different time. My white widow starts to yellow a bit on some of the cuttings when the roots just start poping out. If I keep too many leaves on a cutting, the bottom ones tend to brown up in some cases. But all root if given enough time. Temps play a big role when cloning. Between 80 and 85 degrees seems to be the sweet spot. When it goes below 75 degrees, they dont root, die, or do anything. They just sit forever suspend. Right now my clone box is around 90 degrees. I can't do much to help it get any cooler because it's 90 outside. I can count on waiting a few extra days to see roots when temps get above 90, but they still root. I have cloned in temps above 95 degrees, it just takes longer. I have not tried tap water. It might work, but if you are trying the machine for the first time, I would not take any chances. It's best to do tap water tests when you are not counting on the clones. But you never know until you try. I have not tried any other pump, but a 185GPH pump should be just fine. I have a feeling the pump I am using is a bit over-kill. I bet a 3 gallon bucket will be the best size for a clone machine. Don't rise the mister base above the pump, screw it directly into the top.
i can vouch for that i used just water and clean tools & working space, when i started my clones. i used a flowering mix for the first week, i read that it helps make it root faster dunno if it worked but i do have roots on one already.After the first week i switch to a veg nute.
I don't know about uning flowering strength nutrients while cloning. Does not sound like a good idea to me. Even if it was, pure water is simple, easy and effective
Hey Rumple! Thank you for another great thread I have only one question, do you keep the pump constantly on or is it on a timer?
Great thread as always rumple. I always enjoy reading a DIY from you, your setups are always clean and professional quality. To answer the leaf cutting question, its all a matter of evaporation. Your cutting does not have roots to supply it with water. This is why some cutting wilt for the first few days during cloning. So until our babies have new roots to supply themselves with water, we do all we can to make sure the plant does not evaporate off water faster than it can take it in through its open stem at the bottom. we know plants transpire water through pores on its leaves. The greater the surface area on a leaf, the more pores there are for water to evaporate from. Cutting the leaves is a simple measure taken to reduce surface area, thus reducing the amount of pores on the leaf that can evaporate water. Which in turn leads to less wilting and greater success. I have heard of people using sprayed on wax to seal the leaves from losing water, however it has the added drawback of not allowing your plant to transpire AT ALL.
I finally was able to finish a Rump's thread. Wow. I am a medical grower and had no idea of where I was going or what I was doing until I stumbled accross the original thread on building a Bubble Bucket which led me here to a cloning machine. To say I am inspired is a gross misrepresentation. To say we owe a debt of graditude for all the time, patience and understanding given to us by Rump is also a gross misrepresentation of the facts. But the above statement paints a clear picture of the true reason behind this; Someone helped Rump years ago and taught him a few tricks of the trade. He's returnng the favor that maybe Lucas, or Neville or some ghost from the past shared with him. I think he is doing this because he has too. There is so much mis-information out there that I think Rump just want's to get it right and show someone that doesn't have a clue, how to succeed in growing a thing of beauty. So with that being said, I just wanted to come in from the shadows and state for the record, Thank you. You have done a service that is far greater than you will ever imagine.