cloning temps...

nickelz419

nickelz419

Active Member
I switched around my areas and since then ive been having problems getting cuttings to root. ive come to the conclusion it has to be temps. so I added a heating pad. My question is can these heating pads get too hot and overheat the roots or cook the clone? should I get a thermostat or put the pad on a 30-30 minute on-off timer?
 
J

jaybray

Member
nickelz419 said:
I switched around my areas and since then ive been having problems getting cuttings to root. ive come to the conclusion it has to be temps. so I added a heating pad. My question is can these heating pads get too hot and overheat the roots or cook the clone? should I get a thermostat or put the pad on a 30-30 minute on-off timer?
Click to expand...
30/30 is a good idea. The pad will add humidity so make sure you shake your dome. Too much heat and humidity will cause root rot and algae. If I ever have problems with clones I start with the mother and give her some B1. Some growers don't like B1 but its all a matter of opinion I will provide a post about the benefits of B1 when cloning. Thiamine (Vitamin B1):
B1 is produced in the foliage of plants and transported down to the root system where it has an effect on root growth and development. In tissue culture and rooting preparations, B1 helps to stimulate the growth of roots on new plants but this is best used in combination with rooting hormones. B1 can assist at any time in a plant's life with root regeneration where the root system has been damaged or stressed through high salinity, pathogens such as pythium, nutrient deficiencies and toxicities, high fruit loading etc but only if the foliage of the plant is unable to produce sufficient supplies for this purpose. Use of B1 is seen as a 'back up' or 'insurance policy' as it is difficult to determine if a plant which has come under stress is capable of producing sufficient B1 to send down to the root system to assist in cell development. Use of Vitamin B1 in plants is the same as in humans - it is most useful where a deficiency exists for some reason. B1 is best applied as a seed soak to speed up germination (root growth), or as a foliar spray. B1 is an organic compound and as such is rapidly broken down by microbes in the nutrient solution (they love to eat carbon based compounds), adding high amounts of B1 may ensure sufficient thiamine stays in the nutrient for a few hours for some plant uptake, but generally microbes will break this down rapidly as well. http://www.quickgrow.com/gardening_articles/plant_hormones.html
 
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bigsteve

Well-Known Member
Be a smart shopper. The heat mats I buy and use state right on the label that they only elevate the temperature 5 degrees or so. You want to keep a half-inch of standing water at all times in your clone dome. You need to see condensation on the inside of your dome every time you check. Also, I keep a spray bottle in the dome room so I can spray the leaves 3-4 times a day. Works 4 me, BigSteve.
 
JohnnySocko

JohnnySocko

Active Member
yeah I used to use a dome, heat mat, pH adj rockwool, all that stuff....

I'm still no expert but anymore I just dip my cut ends in a weak bleach water solution (about 1/4 tsp/gal) then in cheap rooting powder then in moist cheap perlite, no heat mat (74F), no dome, rh about 40% and get root strikes on pretty much every cutting....

I just make sure the perlite stays moist (I do water from the bottom, no standing water) ...takes about 7-10 days
 
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