clones in soil - lots of questions - help much appreciated

I'm about to use Uncle Ben's topping method and I'd like to root the cutting in a peat pellet with dirt. I'm 0 for 3 on trying this so could use some help. All the threads I've found pertaining to cloning in soil cover the mechanics and not so much the materials, so here goes the questions. I have some soil that I picked up at the local nursery that's about half sphagnum peat moss and contains pine bark, perlite, vermiculite and limestone; I also have some FFOF - should I go half and half? Too hot? Too weak? Or should I use just the local stuff to start and use a low dose of nutes (it would be humboldt's oneness).

As for water, Greenphx's soil cloning method recommends that the water be ph'd at 7.0 - I thought soil grow's preferred water slightly acidic like 6.5 and that younger plants preferred something closer to 6.2 - am I completely off base here??

If it matters, the strain is ghs big bang (from seed).

Thanks to everyone in advance who might be of help

whats wrong with using the peat pellet without dirt?

You can use a peat pellet alone and when roots pop out put it in the dirt or use very lightly fertilized soil, stick your cutting in and place a dome above.
I wouldn't use prefertilized soil for that. Just add it later when transplanting.

A good pH to soak your pellets \ soil in to make a clone is around 5.7-6.0.

all i can say i follow this i have excellent sucess

https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/385905-cloneing-made-easy.html

There seems to be a lot of debate on cloning techniques. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I very recently took cuttings from my plant which is due to be chopped in 1-2 weeks. In less than 10 days they've all rooted, and one has shown massive growth over the past 24 hours. Luck or not, it's seems incredibly easy to get MJ to root from cuttings, regardless of the medium you use. I just chucked a load of strawberry growbag soil in a pot and put the cuttings in it. Simples!

I just put a cutting in a cup of water. It rooted.

thanks everyone - im definitely making this more complicated than it needs to be. i guess my one remaining question concerns the ph of the water i use to water the clone once i transplant it into soil. McFonz i appreciate the response, 5.7-6.0 seems more acidic than what i originally thought for a soil base, but i wont argue with results.

anybody else... ph for watering new clones in soil??

The same as your would for soil - around 6.5 if you use nutes or around 7.0 if you use prefertilized soil.

With proper soil there should be a buffer strong enough to buffer any pH from 6 to 8 without a problem.
I haven't used my pH meter in quite some time now.

right on. i'm thinking that i'll skip the pellets and just use dirt. and i'll keep the ph around 6.5 but won't sweat it as much as i have been. i was under the impression that ocean forest was the best soil but now i've been reading that a mixture of light warrior and OF might be the way to go - or maybe happy frog... decisions.

thx again mane.

this is my cloneing exp, which was a mistake.

i was bending a branch down on the side of a plant and it broke off at the main stem.
i had no soil, nothing but a idea.
i used a cup of water and put the branch in it with a air hose from a small fish tank...so the fine bubbles where running up the stem....i also recut the stem under water(tap water to be honest) at a 45 degree angle.
i also have no humidity dome to keep water in the plant.

remember with no roots, leafs will not get water, so misting is a must about 3 to 4times aday or when leafs are dry.
if not the leafs will dry out and die.
in about 7 days i had roots on it and.
i thought it was a fluck since i have no rooting gel and no where to get any.
i tried it again with 4 other cutting and it worked each time.
with soil and how high moisture level the odds of stem rot at the soil line will be great.

so if you can avoid soil the better thats my advice

thx for the response mem - did you keep your cup under some lights? window sill?

Just tried the "cuttings in water with 2 days prolonged darkness" technique and now I've got small roots.

Tried one cutting with the typical 45-degree cut, and another which I just butchered at the bottom (similar to how I was taught to prep' Quercus robur cuttings and Salix spp. cuttings in Hungary). Interestingly, the latter rooted faster and in greater quantity than the clean cut.

Didn't pH the water. Should be between 7-7.5. Easy peasy! How are yours doing josefontes?

I haven't topped it yet and I think I missed my opportunity (at least at 4 colas) since its more than 7 nodes grown but I'm definitely going to take some clones from the lower growth and just place them in water using a beer or soda can see if i get some roots then they'll be going in some ocean forest with some added peat moss and bark to tone it down a little bit. I would love to move her into flowering after I take some clones but I'm pressed for space in my 4x2 tent with 3 plants (shoulda switched them over way sooner... shoulda gone with the 4x4 tent).

my tap water is 7.2 so that'll be perfect, thanks doomah. ill let some sit out overnight and get going on her in the a.m. nothing like wake and baking and then doing some garden work

here she is - ghs big bang at 3 weeks. cheap camera phone so sorry for the quality.




and what i have going in my tent are 3 random (dank) bagseeds that are in their 3rd week of flowering. i made the noobie mistake of letting them veg to long and now the two that i let grow without topping have stretched into 4 ft lanky monsters (i'm guessing sativa dominant).