Cloning Using Bubbleponics

Hey guys,

If you would like to see my specific layout, please refer to one of my previous posts. (I don't know how to link) or take a look at my grow journal.

I have recently been trying to start 4 clones in my Bubbleponic system, and for some reason they don't want to develop roots.

When we first got the system up and running, I started one seedling off our mother plant. I cut, dipped in "Stim-Root #1", and right into my waiting Rockwool cube.

After a few days, the leafs didn't droop or turn any off color's, but I didn't notice any root growth after about few days and plucked it.

As I mentioned in my Grow Journal, last Wendsay this is when I replaced the water, cleaned the system and added 4 new clones.
For those clones we cut on a diagonal with a sharp razor, trimmed off the lower leafs. dipped in the same root hormone, and into waiting Rockwool cubes. It's been about 2 - 3 days now and again I don't yet see any root growth.

What do you guys think? Is there a tutorial for cloning plants specific for the Bubbleponics system, I'm just not aware of? Maybe this could be related to my high PH issue?

Any and all help is appreciated guys, I'm still pretty new at this, so hoping to learn the ropes.

Thanks a bunch!

Diabolik said:

Hey guys,

If you would like to see my specific layout, please refer to one of my previous posts. (I don't know how to link) or take a look at my grow journal.

I have recently been trying to start 4 clones in my Bubbleponic system, and for some reason they don't want to develop roots.

When we first got the system up and running, I started one seedling off our mother plant. I cut, dipped in "Stim-Root #1", and right into my waiting Rockwool cube.

After a few days, the leafs didn't droop or turn any off color's, but I didn't notice any root growth after about few days and plucked it.

As I mentioned in my Grow Journal, last Wendsay this is when I replaced the water, cleaned the system and added 4 new clones.
For those clones we cut on a diagonal with a sharp razor, trimmed off the lower leafs. dipped in the same root hormone, and into waiting Rockwool cubes. It's been about 2 - 3 days now and again I don't yet see any root growth.

What do you guys think? Is there a tutorial for cloning plants specific for the Bubbleponics system, I'm just not aware of? Maybe this could be related to my high PH issue?

Any and all help is appreciated guys, I'm still pretty new at this, so hoping to learn the ropes.

Thanks a bunch!

Click to expand...

Well guy, just from reading... The only thing I see that I have question about is making sure your rockwool keeps moisture in it,

I have had 100% successful cloning using a very simple method..

cut, leave in room temp water for about 25-30mins, then directly into my plug, that is kept moist with continuous running water, and a couple flourescent cool light bulbs (that are not kept to close), on for 24hrs.. You have to remember they have no roots so they need the constant supply of moisture/water and that the lights too close may quickly dry them out..

Plus it may take anywhere from a min of 1wk-2wks before you start to see root shoots.. 2-3days is a doubtful wish!!

as far as the 24hr thing, you may have a lil leeway, 20hrs on & 4 off... I'm not quite that sure, either way wouldn't hurt..., most importantly is keeping the rockwool with moisture I believe.. And as I said, I do this without any kind of root hormone, just snip, plug, soft lighting, moisture.. has worked for me everytime.. HOpes this helps you out any...

I've mentioned this in a few posts already but most of the people on here seem uninterested in the simplest way of cloning, EVER!!!!

But I'll mention it again.

All you need is water, a small cup or container, rooting gel and something to cover up your container and are able to poke a hole in it. I used aluminum foil the first time I tried cloning.

Diabolik: To start, do everything like you did when you put them in Rockwool but instead of the Rockwool, let the stem just hang in water. Then all you have to do is wait. You don't even need to change out the water.

I included 2 pics. The first pic shows my crude cloner which is just the bottom of a 1 liter bottle that I cut off and some aluminum foil to cover it which supports my clones hanging in the water. In the same pic, you'll see one of clones that rooted in a Rockwool cube. I don't put the clones in the cube until AFTER I see roots. That way, I could visually see if my clones are going to be successful or not but so far, I'm at 100%. The clone in the rockwool only took 3 days before a root looked like it was going to pop out and on day 4, a little root popped out. I put the clone in the rockwool on day 5 and about 6 days after that, a tap root stuck out of the bottom of the rockwool.

The little yellowing plant that you see that's in my crude cloner didn't show roots until 14 days later. It was taking so long that I didn't think it was going to make it but it did. So Diabolik, just have some patience. As you could see from my experience that some clones root in 4 days and some take WAY longer.

The second pic shows my whole growbox but I put it up so you could see the new cloners I made. They're the containers with the blue lids. They're just food containers I got from Walmart with 2 inch holes drilled out of the lid. I got some 2 inch Neoprene plugs from my local Hydro store and they fit in the holes perfectly.

I hear of some people using tap water but I always filter my tap through a Brita. My tap water seems pretty hard and nasty. Also, I use the cloning gel because it seems to make the clones root a little faster but I'm going to have to experiment more. If I don't have to use cloning gel, I'm going to stop.

I love this system because of its simplicity. I don't need a humidity dome and there aren't any parts to fail like in an Easy Cloner. Also, a 100% success rate isn't bad at all.

Thank you both greatly for the speedy and informative replies. I'm sure that in no time, with help from all of you experts I will soon be a crafted grower myself.

Thanks again, and please follow my grow journal to be updated

Diabolik said:

Thank you both greatly for the speedy and informative replies. I'm sure that in no time, with help from all of you experts I will soon be a crafted grower myself.

Thanks again, and please follow my grow journal to be updated

Click to expand...

Just keep them in the cloner. Make sure your air pump/stones are probiding enough oxygen in the water as well. Lots and lots of bubbles! But like what someone said above, clones will never root in 3 days. Id say a week at the,very least if its a freak strain. But most of mine take close to 2 weeks

Diabolik said:

It's been about 2 - 3 days now and again I don't yet see any root growth.

Click to expand...

Patience grasshoppah! The earliest I have ever seen roots is 7 days. Just keep your res proper and they will throw roots eventually.

i use an aerocloner now and start to see roots pop out in 5-8 days, but when i use the rapid rooter cubes, i have seen them in 4-7!

there is something about not overfeeding the plant you get the clips from, from what i've read you want to starve the donor plant a little in order to make sugar buildup in the leaf, that way when you cut it , it has extra sugar to use like food and with proper conditions put alot more energy into rooting

also something that is overlooked when cloning is too much light
i use a single 23w cfl 1 foot away minimum from the top of the canopy . When you get the light too close , things take much longer

when using a dome setup, i use a heat mat with a heat controller. It's a little expensive but worth it in my opinion. I use the heat controller for other things during the winter cause i grow flowers herbs and vegetables
seedling mats are supposed to keep roots 10 degrees above ambient temperature, when placed on a flat surface . you can increase the heat transfer with a special pad that you moisten, the water makes the heat transfer to the propagation tray better

i keep root temps at 68 as best i can

i only use plain water until i see roots, in an aero cloner or bubble cloner setup. this helps keep things clean and more sucessful, i don't think the clone really needs any nutrients because it's stored in the plant, and any miniscule amount is most likely in my tap water anyways (120ppm)

once i see roots i have a bottle of rapid start, i plant them into pots that i've given a solution of the rapidstart (root excel) and for the next week or two i just give them water.
I make sure in the next week or two, once the roots can hold the soil, that I transplant into the new pot.