Hi, all. I'm new to cloning (and somewhat new to organics) and was wondering if there was anything I could do organics wise to help my small clones take root. I have all the stuff to make ACT's, earthworm slushies, botanical teas and nutrient teas. Is there anything I can brew-up/use to help my little clones take root? Also should mention that this is my first time cloning and the cuttings were taken from plants 5 weeks into flowering (I know, good luck, right? ) The clones were cut, dipped in cloning powder, placed into peat pods and are misted and residing in a small domed seed starter greenhouse. I also snipped the buds off as best I could without destroying the clones. Any help or advice is most appreciated! M.G.
Here is something I copied and pasted for my own notes from LD... As i reread your question I see that you were asking what to water with and not what to actually use as a cloning gel, but it cant hurt right?! In my limited cloning experieces, and from reading plenty here, just throw a little aloe in the water to help it get rooted? Thats all I do and I have yet to lose a clone. HTH 1. Aloe Vera: Salicylic acid is a plant compound which has been used as a rooting agent for over 120 years in the nursery industry. This is the compound that's found in Willow trees which you might have run across in posts on rooting a cutting 2. Kelp: Kelp contains the natural forms of rooting compounds that you find in commercial products, compounds like Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), 4-Chloroindole-3-acetic acid and Phenylacetic acid which are auxins (hormones - all auxins are hormones but not all hormones are auxins). These compounds perform different functions as far as facilitating root development, i.e. IAA creates the actual root sites on the cutting's shaft whereas IBA causes root elongation. All of these are in soluble form and are in an organic form vs. the versions found in Clonex, Dip-n-Grow, Olivia's, whatever. 3. Honey: Honey contains a slew of enzymes, amino acids and also contain compounds which function as a biofungicide exactly like Aloe Vera extracts. So there's the basic mix but you'll need to go one step further to get this into a gel. For that you can go to Dip-n-Grow and purchase a product that they call Dip Gel which is simply an inert carboxmethly cellulose product. When it's mixed with water it becomes very thick, i.e. a gel. The price was around $16.00 for a pound and you mixed it something like 10 grams to a quart of water and shake it and then let it sit overnight and the next morning you have gel. So you would use the kelp, aloe vera to create a rooting compound to the strength you want, add the Dip Gel powder and the next morning you'll have a quart of organic, effective rooting compound. The versions used in some of the commercial rooting compounds are registered pesticides (NAA in particular which is the one in Clonex if I remember correctly). Add some BioAg Fulvic Acid and increase the effectiveness even more. HTH LD
Hmmm. ok, I already bought and used organic cloning powder, but this is great info for making my own later on. After reading this I'm wondering if I couldn't aerate a combo tea from aloe, kelp meal and honey that would help kick start them even more (would use to keep the peat pods moist). Any other ideas or opinions on this? Thanks! M.G.
[quote name='medical grower']Hmmm. ok, I already bought and used organic cloning powder, but this is great info for making my own later on. Haha ya sorry about that, realized after i copied and pasted, thn I figured it was a good little recipe to bring back. AFAIK, there are no "true" organic cloning powders.. I could be wrong, and there are just no organic gels or liquids.. Aaanyway, I think someone will chime in here in a min about your idea for the brew, Id like to know too, I just worry that at that stage it might be too much for them?
Yeah, I'd like to know to. I just know that cloning flowering plants looks particularly difficult and didn't know if I could use anything to help them along. Like you I'm thinking teas might be too strong. Hope someone with experience with this chimes in. Thanks!
I have heard good results from friends who run a power cloner and use nothing but water. They dip the cuttings in water with no type of rooting hormone as well. -OSUB
Yeah, but I don't have a power cloner, man. I found plans to make one for about $50.00 that's supposed to be similar to the EZ Clone. Might try to make it sometime. Not paying $300.00 for an EZ Clone, though. No freakin way.
i dont blame you. i dont have one, and neither does anybody I know. we roll with homemade clone buckets around here as long as your pump has an apparatus attached to it with nozzles on the end to spray a fine mist, it will work fine. -OSUB
LD's Stupid Easy Cloning Method - almost organic even. Close enough for many. Buy RapidRooters or one of the knock-offs. Doesn't matter 'cause they're all made at a single factory in Springfield, Oregon. They're made from cellulose from the wood products industry. "Waste not - want not" - Grandma Dawgz Make a kelp & alfalfa meal tea. On this one either dilute the standard recipe by 50% with pure water or, more logically perhaps, start with 1/2 the material for usual recipe that makes 5 gallons. To each gallon of diluted tea, add 1/4 cup of aloe vera juice/extract/gel/whatever, 1 tsp. of Dyna-Gro Pro-TeKt and soak the RapidRooters in this for a few minutes. Remove and you want to press out the excess water/tea. You want it a bit more hydrated than they were when they arrived at your home. You'll figure that part out. As far as rooting gel, liquid, powder, water, honey - whatever (redux) just use what you're comfortable with. It's a discussion I can't do any more. Put in a tray with the 8" dome, spray the inside of the dome, leave the cuttings alone, spray the inside on a regular basis when needed. You want a solid beading of water on as much of the surface of the dome. You're looking for high humidity on this part. Dat's it. LD
Exactly! Thanks, Lumper! I can do most of this, and in fact have already done a lot of it already. Looked at the Rapid Rooters (should have gone with them but I didn't because they were twice as expensive as the peat pods but will try them next time). I have the dome and the meals, will just have to pick up some aloe extract. I will use the diluted tea to keep them moist. Thanks!
If you like using peat moss and a valid argument can be made to do so assuming that you start with Sphagnum peat moss, just fill some small Dixie cups with good peat moss, hydrate with the kelp & alfalfa tea, aloe vera, liquid silica, the rooting product you are using and you're done. IMHO, having a larger mass (strata) is preferable to using small cubes, blocks, whatever - let the roots form, push out and get established. "Tough Love" helps in this process, again IMHO LD
Tough love it is. Eight hours since the clones have been cut and planted, and thus far they're hanging in there like champs. Green and crisp leaves standing at attention in the humid mini greenhouse. Long way to go, though. But I'm hopeful as always.
The Chinese figured it out 3,500+ years ago. They also invented what stoners call Sea of Green - knowing how to root cuttings was a required skill for their agricultural processes. The rooting deal only got goofy about 30 years ago - ahem. LD
May the gods bless the stoners. I grow and yet I'm such a fucking lightweight. Two hits off a proper joint and I'm toast. But such a nice, tasty toast it is!
It figures you would ask me that while the bottle of rooting hormone is in the fucking grow room during the dark half of 12/12... Hormex? Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what it was. I'll have a peek at 8:00 tomorrow morning and get back with you on that! Thanks so much for your sweet ass advice and help, L.D. 2. It really does mean a lot to me. Sleepy, M.G. over and out
MG: Just a quick thought here. I believe LD touched on it when he was telling you to spray the dome. My rookie mistake when doing my first clones was directly misting the plants. They ended up getting water logged,wilted and died. My second time around I never misted the plants themselves. I only sprayed the dome. When only spraying the dome I have been 100% on many cycles of clones. As LD said I keep the inside of the dome beaded up with water droplets.So that was my lesson learned in my first cloning attempt and I thought I would share it with you. Hope this helps and have a great day! MGB Oh and one more thing if you have a way to keep the medium you are using a constant 72-75 degrees F this will help as well, but I am sure you already know this. Good luck!
Yep - spray the inside of the dome, and not the clone itself. Voice of experience - like many...*lol* jerry.