cloning for n00bs: can you break it down for me? and help on my setup! plz! thank you

ive been growing for 5 years and ive never successfully cloned anything. lol. pathetic i know.

since my grow has been scaled back from 1200w to 150w (for flowering) and 96w (for veg) i have to maximize my yield and i figure cloning is the best way to get the most from my lighting.



what will i need? cloning trays w/ dome...cubes...and a cloning solution. am i missing anything? also whats the best cloning solution to use? ive tried cloning by soaking the plant in water but they never made it. not once so i figure that method just wont work for me lol.




the following might help you explain to me what i can do to maximize my yield/harvests

my plan:
VEG area
lighting: 2ft 4bulb t5 setup (about 96-100watts)

i plan on running the t5 24/7. grow out my plant for the first month/month and a half then make as many clones as i can that will fit in a 2x2 space. then move them to flowering

flowering area:
lighting: 150w hps

put the clones under the 150 (as closely as possible) in a 2x2 area and go to 12/12 immediate and harvest


one plants go from the veg area to flowering area i plan on germinating a new bean in veg and repeating the process of growing it out for the first month and a half and moving to flowering 2 wks after the clones are taken from the mother (long enough for them to root decently etc) .

good idea? or do you have a better one?

I've tried cloning in a variety of ways, from straight into soil to rockwool to just soaking in water.

One of the easiest and most stress free ways for me as well as the seemingly quickest is to use an airstone and a lightproof container.

I usually use a plastic coffee can as it's moderately light proof and of a size I can easily move around if necessary.

Toss your airstone into your container, add an EXTREMELY light nutrient solution. I mean like 1/20th of the recommended dose for vegetative. High nitrogen.

Now, this part is up to you. If I don't have the proper materials I simply place a piece of tinfoil over the lid of the can and secure it with tape.

Next poke your holes into the lid, allow some space for the roots to develop but at this age there will not be much tangling or damage done when removing them.

There's no need for cloning powder or gel in this, and in fact it can speed up the growth of bacteria in your water which is not good.


With this technique my plants do not wilt and stay green and healthy for the duration of the cloning process I have had a 100% success rate, though one of my clones took nearly twenty six days to begin to root.

Cloning: take the cutting and place the cut end in a glass of tap water. Make sure it is a light-proof glass. Change water every 2 days. Basically the same as the poster above in method. His sounds very viable as well.

you can try stinkbud's home made cloner.
https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/116859-harvest-pound-every-three-weeks.html

you buy some cheap "ez-cloner" spray heads. and some pvc pipe. inside a 27 gallon tough box. with a pump.
the most expensive part at the heart of the system is a "recycle timer" around $50 or so.
thing is if your going to invest in the timer, you might as well do his veg, and flower areoponic systems too.
because they can all run off the timer.
There is a member named "Super Stoner" who has taken the stinkbud system to the next level.
you can find his thead here.
https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/533650-my-3-stages-flower.html

stink bud used to have a website where he had the basic plans up for free. "stinkbuddies"
But he got butt hurt, because someone started giving away the book he was selling for the advanced plans.
and i think he took everything down.

Mama and Babies in the Nursery

I prefer rockwool and root powder. No matter which method you use make sure you use a SHARP razor for your cuttings. These four were taken two nights ago, I whack up a milk jug which provides a nice tight little terrarium like environment. SAve the top in case you need a lid. This method has been very effective for me but I am leaning toward the air stone method down the road. I want to eliminate the rooting agent.

im thinking i wanna go tray, rockwool cubes...cloning solution (either gel or powder)

ive heard you're supposed to cut the piece to be cloned off the plant..then submerge the part you cut off and while submerged cut it again at an angle?

is this needed wen u use cloning solutions?

it can help but is not entirely necessary. occasionally when the final cut is made in open air the stem will get a air bubble in it and the clone usually dies, normally i just take alot more clones than needed and throw out the worst ones.

DonPepe said:

it can help but is not entirely necessary. occasionally when the final cut is made in open air the stem will get a air bubble in it and the clone usually dies, normally i just take alot more clones than needed and throw out the worst ones.

Click to expand...

thanks for the tip.

so im not missing anything? try to hold rockwool cubes w/ dome....rockwool cubes...and cloning solution.

thats it?

how long after i take the clone till it can be planted in soil? and once its ready i stick the whole thing (rockwool cube and all) in the soil?

im hoping to get a 12/12 2 liter bottle SOG type grow going.

will this work for everything i need 2 get started?

Cutting under water not necessary. Just make sure your work area and tools are clean.

Cloning tips:

Maintain 75 to 80 degrees in the dome.

Keep the humidity hi in the dome, by spray bottle, NOTE::: Spray the inside of the dome lid not the cuttings.

With rock wool or soil keep a very small amount of water in the tray bottom, medium needs to stay moist but now soggy.

Cutting should have AT LEAST 3 nodes (much higher survival rate). Cut the bottom node branch & leaf off,,, this scar will be a prime root site.

If growing in soil you might as well start your clones in soil. It is still my preferred method even though I grow in soilless hempy buckets.

If you are planning on a 2L bottle sog, you should look into hempy's, might be a good fit for your conditions. https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/546006-world-hempy.html

thanks for the tips.

unless someone says different i think i have everything i need in the cart from htgsupply. is oliva's cloning gel ok? note its the gel...not the solution.

what am i missing? i wanna make sure i get it all in one order

themanwiththeplan said:

is oliva's cloning gel ok? note its the gel...not the solution.

what am i missing? i wanna make sure i get it all in one order

Click to expand...

Cloning gel is fine, try to only apply to the stem area that is getting buried into the medium.

Looks like you have everything you need. Is the heating mat thermostatically controlled?? If not you'll need a thermometer under the hood to tweak the temp just right.

WattSaver said:

Cloning gel is fine, try to only apply to the stem area that is getting buried into the medium.

Looks like you have everything you need. Is the heating mat thermostatically controlled?? If not you'll need a thermometer under the hood to tweak the temp just right.

Click to expand...

no controller. it was $40 for a thermostat and according to the description of the heating mat it says it only raises the ambient temp by 10-20 degrees which should be fine for now. i thought $40 was kinda high for a controller. lol.

so only the most bottom part of the cutting should be dipped. got it.


i was a little put off by the descriptions of many of the cloning gels...most said, "not intended for plants that will be consumed".

call me crazy but dont we consume the plant? if not in the form of edibles we still smoke it.

how is this safe?

i went with oliva's because it didnt say that in the description but it DID say it in the descriptions of many of the products i hear people around the forum using.