They've been in for about 2 weeks now. I added a very small dose of this stuff the guy at the hydro store recommended called Hormex to the water. Supposed to be real good for rooting. I usually use a dome and by now would have had rooted clones. Just had a problem with foliage rotting before roots were fully established. So I figured I'd give this a try.
I'll post more info when I get back home this afternoon
Throw out the clones, throw out the water, get fresh water and pH it to 5.5 - 6.0. Also go buy a clear tub you can use as a dome over your tub, and then try again. I forgot to also say, when you are taking your clones, trim a portion of the fan leaves, remove the tips, maybe about 30-40% of the leaf material.
You are right about a lot, the temperature of the water does need to be higher, but you are wrong about not pHing your water. Are you telling me that once your clones immediately put on roots you will be removing them from the cloner? No, most likely you will wait for the majority of the clones to show roots, so while those early clones have shown roots they are dying because they can't uptake any nutrients. Also why wouldn't you add a dome? I have seen the arguments for trying to stimulate clones to root, but if you are heating the water why do you think that is? It is to allow the clone to uptake moisture more easily since it doesn't have roots, it is being absorbed through the plant material, which maintaining a high level of humidity allows the clone time to root while not dying of thirst.
The dome doesn't make alot of difference on my aero-cloner. I don't PH my water either, just regular tap water with a dash of bloom nutes and rooting gel. I see roots in about 8-14 days on average, depending on the strain, when/where I cut it, etc. Honestly, the rez temp is what makes the difference for me. I lost an entire run of 20 cuttings due to the heating mat getting unplugged. That is the only time it has happened, and that is the only time I've had less than a 90% success rate. Fact is that domes can become temperamental if you aren't making sure to keep good circulation in it. Mold, mildew, and the like all love warm and humid places like the inside of a cloner dome. The water is splashed on the area inside the cloner, where I want it to root. It gets plenty of moisture that way. Not saying it's bad, but it is pretty trivial in my experience and the bonus of my cloner being "autopilot" outweighs the minor gain I might get.
By seeing the days it takes you to clone, 8 - 14 days, I can tell that you're cloning isn't as efficient as it can be outside of strain genetics, and it is probably due to a few of the things I'm discussing. I'm not denying that you can get roots in tap water, I have cloned with a simple glass of water multiple times sitting on a window sill. However, when you go to a botany lab and you see how THEY process clones and what THEY do to ensure clones get roots you will realize the environment you are creating is not ideal. The warm water keeps the moisture in the air high, the dome traps that moisture, you can root either way, but I would love to see you build two exact cloners and side by side with and without a dome.
Why do you want you plant to start growing when you have roots that are 1/8 of an inch long???? I let my clones stay in the cloner for 3 weeks and have 10-15 inch long roots! I have no idea why you dont need to use a dome on an areo cloner, you just dont!!! I don't want to give the clone water while I am cloning, if the clone wants water, well, it needs to grow some fucking roots!!!! I jave roots between 5-8 days! I do appreciate you pointing out all my mistakes, maybe I can get to 100% instead of 99%!! On second thought I will just keep doing it the way I have been doing it, 99% is good enough for me!!
I want my plants to start growing when they have roots so that I can cut down on flowering time. I run a SOG style grow, clones for me are the make and break of my schedule. You leave clones in a cloner for 3 weeks? Inefficient, by that time I am nearly halfway through flowering those same clones and producing bud. You don't know why you do or don't need a dome, so your opinion on the subject is irrelevant. Lots of methods work, nobody is denying that, and no one cares if you have 99% success rate with your clones. This is about finding out the most efficient and cost effective way of growing so that we can progress the knowledge of cannabis cultivation. Yes I use an aero cloner, bubble cloner, rockwool, 100% perlite, 50/50 perlite/vermiculte, I use all methods of cloning because I am trying to figure out the most efficient ways of getting clones.
I grow big plants and harvest every two weeks under 4000w in flower and average between 30-35 oz every two weeks so I must be doing something right! Answer me this, how does starting to grow them when they have roots cut down on flowering time??
Shorter veg - faster bud? Shorter time between the actual cutting of the plant and the harvesting of the mature bud. If you root your clone in 5 days, veg for 2 weeks, then bud(or use an auto) if your clone is rooted in 4 days compared to his 14 days your clone will finish 10 days faster- therefor cut down on flowering time
You leave your clones in a cloner for 3 weeks, I don't. What don't you get about why I would be able to run more plants than you? It cuts down on flowering time on my grow in comparison to your grow. You know, since you leave your clones in your cloner for 3 weeks.
That is not the point, the point is "My plants start at the same time, and finish faster because I do not take as long to clone them" that is cutting down on the time. His plants root, veg, and flower in the same time it takes yours to root and veg
Ahhhh, I am glad to see someone understood what I was talking about, even if I wasn't that clear since I should of just said overall growing time, but since I am thinking about my own grow, I said flowering time since I have no veg time.
