How important is heat under cloning tray?

hey gang. I'm sick of not being able to clone shit. I'm gonna try my root riots again. Then I'm putting the moms into flower. If these cuttings don't take fuck em. My question is how important is a heating mat? I just bought a new light so I can't really buy a seedling mat. I'll just put a heating pad 15 min on 15 off. Any input would be great.

Very important.
having your temp and humidity is everything when dealing with seeds.
If you cant afford a mat keep it in a warm place.

I agree with trippyness. Where I'm from the heat mat setup is about $20. Well worth it to keep humidity high and root growth warm. I run mine at 88F all the time.

Have used an old sky tv box in the past, top gets warm enough for clones to root a little faster

Steelheader3430 said:

hey gang. I'm sick of not being able to clone shit. I'm gonna try my root riots again. Then I'm putting the moms into flower. If these cuttings don't take fuck em. My question is how important is a heating mat? I just bought a new light so I can't really buy a seedling mat. I'll just put a heating pad 15 min on 15 off. Any input would be great.

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Put the cuttings in a glass of tap water.Change it every day.In 2 weeks or less you will have roots.No [powders, no heat mats.Don't place the glass in direct light. Otherwise I can't picture you turning a heating pad (bad idea if wet) off and on every 15 minutes.

That works ? Hell I'm gonna try that sometime ^ Like Steelhead here I've been growing for a few years now and still suck at cloning. The only survivors I've had were shoved into a small cup of plain Vermiculite and it actually worked, although it was the smallest of tiny taproot that developed and actually took. I've never tried a heatmat though.

Take two solo cups, poke holes in the bottom of one and fill it will what ever soil or seed starter you like. Then cut long stem clones and strip the bottoms off. Dip in rooting gel/powder and insert into your solo cup. Water it and allow all excess to drain out. Then get a regular sandwich baggie and place it over your cutting and around the cup. After that all you have to do is place the cup/cutting with the baggie inside the other solo cup(w/o holes) and boom! You got a mini greenhouse for less than $1. I don't use a heating pad and I just put it under a CFL or my t5.

If I needed a shit ton of clones I'd use a tray and dome, but if all you need is a few, this is as easy as it gets.

85% r/h and 84-86*, no heat mat. I use the t8 light above (about 6" from top of dome, vents 1/4 open x 2 vents) to heat up my humidome.

Thanks fellas. Everything I've learned has been online. I wish a friend could come over and show me. It was fun wrestling these moms into flower. Both in 15 gal cloth pots and are up to my shoulder.

I have been having inconsistent results so I finally broke down and ordered a heating mat for the cloning tray. I have done everything from rapid rooters-cups of water, and it honestly feels like a lot has to do with the genetics fhemselves

Steelheader3430 said:

hey gang. I'm sick of not being able to clone shit. I'm gonna try my root riots again. Then I'm putting the moms into flower. If these cuttings don't take fuck em. My question is how important is a heating mat? I just bought a new light so I can't really buy a seedling mat. I'll just put a heating pad 15 min on 15 off. Any input would be great.

Click to expand...

watch out with the heat pad, dont leave it on all night. what i do is I take a humiedome the clear plastic dome that goes on top of the tray, and I cut a hole on both ends. then I put a 2 foot t5 bulb threw the inside. put a wet towel over the top and it will build up humidity real nice. dont let the cubes sit in water and let them dry out eventuall when they dry they will push fat roots. then you can hit them with a lite dose of rapid start.

and also just put then tray in a warm place like a veg room. put it on a blacket not on the floor so it doesnt get cold. works fine

I am making my own clone tray because its hard to get big cuts with the method I just told you. I mean you can get 4 inch cuts all day but Im going for 10 inch cuts. I'm going to get a clear plastic container from wallmart like one that is used to store clothes like a dresser type. then im going to attach a 2 foot 4 bulb t5 inside. drill some holes on top for ventilation. put like 6 trays under it and the dome just fits all the way over it. should be bad ass

Gary said it. I haven't used a heat mat since early on in my growing days. Keep your cuttings in a reasonably warm place and keep plenty of humidity under the dome and you'll have clones. The heating pad may be working against you

droopy107 said:

Gary said it. I haven't used a heat mat since early on in my growing days. Keep your cuttings in a reasonably warm place and keep plenty of humidity under the dome and you'll have clones. The heating pad may be working against you

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real shit. heating pads I wouldnt suggest using them. just keep in warm area

hotrodharley said:

Put the cuttings in a glass of tap water.Change it every day.In 2 weeks or less you will have roots.No [powders, no heat mats.Don't place the glass in direct light. Otherwise I can't picture you turning a heating pad (bad idea if wet) off and on every 15 minutes.

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good idea, throw a heating pad on a timer every hour to turn on for 15 minutes

Not trying to be an asshole, but I don't understand everyone's problem with cloning. I've cloned just about every way there is to clone and have had great success. Jiffy pellets, rockwool cubes, rapid rooter/riot whatever in the fuck, dirt cups, bubble cloner and never had major issues. Keep your temps around the 80's to mid 80's and use a dome, bag, or cloner and you're good to go. Also makes sure you're not using too strong of a light, clones don't need a lot of intense light. They need a weak light like CFL or t8. I use t5 for clones too, but I keep it at a good distance. Hell, I've rooted a whole tray and dome of clone with a single 23 watt cfl.

I think my problem with plugs in the past was I was under the impression they were suppose to be touching an d soaking up water. It's 85 and high 60's humidity in my dome. Should be ok I think.

You can be an asshole if you want Gary.

yeah if you keep the sitting in water they are going to just rot and die