Cloning issues..

Ender87i · Feb 7, 2013

I've tried multiple ways of cloning before..
Rockwool cubes, Oasis cubes, and Aeroponic.

The only way that I can seem to get roots to pop out lately is with my homemade aeroponic tub.. But since it leaks (tried 2 different kinds of tubs as well as sealing techniques) I most recently decided to try the Oasis cubes because people keep suggesting them.

So I took my clones as usual:
Cut off the plant with sterile blade, cut them at an angle, scrape the bottom half inch or so lightly all around, dip in rooting gel, and insert into cubes that I dipped in ph'd clone solution water, and sit them under a fluorescent.. The rockwool I usually let soak for an hour and then whip to get excess water out, the oasis cubes I just dipped and moved around for about 10 seconds and then let excess water run out the corner. Every few days if I check them and they feel like they're getting too dry ill moisten them lightly. All the normal things I should do.

Anyways, its been 10 days and no roots, so I broke a cube open and the stem has nothing! I'm so frustrated.. Am I doing something wrong here?

Pretty sure I'm doing everything fine, but there's only a couple ways to screw it up really: either scrape the stem too much, or the cubes are too wet/dry.. Right?

What could I possibly be doing wrong here?

topfuel29 · Feb 7, 2013

Tempature....

budbro18 · Feb 7, 2013

temp and humidiy are really the only things fucking you up.

Ive taken clones from a plant i found in the woods. Carried a cutting for about a half hour out of the woods and stuck it in a pot of dirt under a cfl and it rooted and produced for me.

The main thing is to make it almost 100% humidity. Get a nursery flat (tray) and dome and fill the bottom with about 1-2 inches of perlite.

Soak that with about 4-8 cups of water doesnt have to be ph'd or anything as long as its not abnormally high or low.

And place the clones into the dome under a cfl or 2 on 16-20 hours on and wait about 5 days to a week for first signs of roots.

After the first signs open the flaps on top of the dome to let the air exchange since your clones will be breathing more since they have roots.

2-5 more days later and they should be ready to plant.

Only other thing i could suggest is doing less things while cloning.

Clip, dip, stick. Thats all i do and thats all that needs to be done. Ive tried cutting on the 45 degree angle as well as cutting dipping in water then cutting again then dipping in root gel then sticking in a rooter. I even tried splitting the stem in half a little to increaase surface area for roots to appear and none have been more successful than simple CUT, DIP, STICK.

Best of luck to you! And may i recommend using rapid rooters. Theyre a jet puffed medium almost like a dirt twinkie haha. They have alot more contact with the cuttings stem and ive had amazing results with them.

budbro18 · Feb 7, 2013

Just checked your journal and see that you have a humidity dome/tray but i saw that you were using some pretty big rockwool cubes. Id cut it back to 1"x1" cubes at max for clones.

Your cuttings probably start roots but cant get enough oxygen once they appear and die off quickly.

Good luck with everything im gonna go read the rest of your journal.

Ender87i · Feb 7, 2013

My journal is from my past grow. I have since scrapped it, started a new grow, and just started flowering (which is why I'm rushing to figure out this clone problem). I no longer use big cubes, I use the 1x1s like u said.

Anyway, the temp in the room seems fine, but do you really think using a humidity dome will help? I've always kinda thought it creates too much humidity, and that maybe having the cube too wet was my problem.. But it can't hurt to try.

Also, right now I'm under a fluoro fixture that hangs kinda high above them, like 2 feet above.. Perhaps they're not getting enough light? But I figured they're definitely getting light from it, and less is better than too much since they don't have roots, so I shrugged it off. I know it should probably be closer, but they are getting good light even at 2 ft away, so I doubt that's the problem..

So I don't know, I guess ill try moving the light closer, using a dome, and not scraping much if at all.

Do you guys think I could be overwatering? I mean, after I soak the cubes and insert the cutting, it only takes a few days for the cube to start feeling like I should add water. But is that really a problem?

I don't know what to think at this point. Maybe I should try misting the leafs every couple days.

budbro18 · Feb 7, 2013

Try adding perlite to the bottom of the tray. Probably the best product per $ anyone could ever buy. They practically give it away. A garbage bag size for 10 bucks!

The perlite will add a layer inbetween the water sitting in the bottom of the tray and the cloning medium. Kind of like a double boiler for making budder.

It gives the water an easy way to mix with air as well as keeps the cloning medium wet but not soaked. Ever since i switched ive only had about 6 out of over 75 clones not root and that was probably caused by my choice in cutting. hahaha

It also helps by storing alot more water in your cloning tray without drowning you cuttings.after you put 2 inches of it in the bottom ofthe tray you can fill the tray with an inch of water and that usually lasts me til all clones have shown roots. In winter/drier climates maybe about 5-7 days.

budbro18 · Feb 7, 2013

one more thing i completely forgot

Do you clip the tips of the leaves of your clones???

If not i highly recommend that as well. It seems to help the plant spend less energy keeping its leaves from falling over and less energy the non existent roots have to make for the leaves.

Another one of those things that i didnt know did anything until i switched and it helped alot.

It also helps too because you can see all new growth on clones easily because it has leaf tips. good way to identify if a clones just being slow or not growing.

So you dont have to rip open a cube to see nice healthy roots that only needed a day or 2 more. (which ive done several a time in the past)

*BUDS · Feb 7, 2013

Bro there are several people here telling you its a temp issue and this was your answer. We need the temp in degrees. Its a temp issue if you have been successful before,temps change, you have no heat mat and no clone box, how cold does it get??? you may need a dome if its too cold and you will need heat mats all year round.

Anyway, the temp in the room seems fine

Ender87i · Feb 7, 2013

Do you guys think I should use Rockwool cubes, or Oasis cubes? (only answer if you know what both are, and have a reason for your opinion. If you don't know what both are, say so)..

Also, how long should I soak my cubes for? I usually do like an hour. But some people say to do 24 hours, and others say just dip it for a few seconds, so I suppose I'm just going in the middle of the conflicting opinions.

I had another question I can't remember, ill post it when I'm not so high and it comes to me

Ender87i · Feb 7, 2013

PS. Its not too cold in the room I put the clones, probably around the 60s. But I'm just guessing because I don't trust the thermometer I have in there so I didn't bother to look.

PPS. When I use my aeroponic cloner, they root fine.. so that eliminates temp being the issue I suppose. Also the aero cloner doesn't have a dome, so that eliminates humidity being a problem too

I just don't want to use it because it leaks, and I always end up putting them in cubes carefully anyway. So I'm trying to just root directly in cubes. Dunno wtf is wrong.

budbro18 · Feb 7, 2013

Oasis cubes are similar to the rapid rooters i use and i prefer them more because they are a tighter fit around the stem of the cutting so i feel the rooting gel has more contact with the cutting/medium for a better all around clone.

Just my opinion although i got way better percentages when i switched from rock wool to rapid rooters.

budbro18 · Feb 7, 2013

Also i soak mine for seconds. drop it in wait till its fully soaked then squeeze excess water so none is dripping out when i hold it regularly.

hotrodharley · Feb 7, 2013

Try cutting the shoots and placing in a glass of water. Change the water every day or every other day to keep aerated. Worked for Granny and works for you..

Ender87i · Feb 7, 2013

Budbro - Although I agree a couple seconds is probably plenty, I'm shocked to hear you suggest squeezing water out of the cube! This is a huge no-no! It will remove the small pockets of air within the cube, and cause the cube to have no aeration. Instead, you should always just whip it with your wrist to remove excess water. In fact I read somewhere on here an exact wet-weight the cube should be (in grams) to know how much water is within the cube.

Does anybody remember the weight it should be by chance?

Hotrod - I've done this by default many times. By this I mean, I put each strain in separate cups of water before I place the clones in the cubes, and I don't always use all the clones, and since I'm lazy sometimes those cups of extra clones just sit out for a while lol. Usually after many weeks, I notice one or two incredibly thin roots coming out of a few clones. So I have to disagree with you as well. I just haven't seen it produce good results..

Just because I'm asking a question doesn't mean I'm not an experienced grower

sorry if any of that came off blunt, I just felt the need for correction that's all.

But anyway, does anybody remember how much a perfectly wet rockwool cube should weigh? I can't remember where I read it..

budbro18 · Feb 7, 2013

I forgot to specify that i only squeeze the water out using rapid rooters i remember i did thatwith some rockwool my first times and it killed my clones. but live and learn. with the rapid rooters they bounce back. almost like a sponge. you soak it with water and squeeze excesss out before use.

That is crazy someone took the time to get an exact weight measurement.

I found with clones the easier you keep it the easier it is to get good clone %s

Also i meant to say this earlier but in the highness forgot haha

As you may know certain strains are harder to clone than others. i ran into a similar problem with a pineapple chunk i was growing a while back.

Thought everything was my fault when really the strain just took like 3 weeks to root haha.

What strain you got goin now??

Ender87i · Feb 7, 2013

WhiteRussian, G13xHaze, BlueWidow, and PurpleWreck.

hotrodharley · Feb 7, 2013

Cloning issues..

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member