Never say CFL and too much light in same breath again... ha...
That's an 'Oxymoron' for sure...
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How are you cutting clone off the plant? I mean, what do you use?
If you are using scissors, or wire cutters, STOP NOW and start over...
Use only exacto or equal razor blade to cut off growth to be cloned.
The scissors/wire cutters no matter how sharp, will still squash soft tip end and will not allow up flow... Of your new clone…
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Unlike others, I grow in soil...my clone medium is a soil mix...
My mix: [40% seedling mix/30% perlite/30% vermiculite]
This mix gives me light air-ee mix that holds moisture in.
I fill drilled bottom Dixie cup full and make small hole for clone...
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The mini branches to be planted under [my two nodes] medium, I pull off growth, which exposes soft plant matter, sometimes I scrape, if branch has hardened...
Rooting hormone applied, and clone with two nodes under top of medium mix...
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I then place clear inverted cup, with notches cut in bottom so there is not a air tight closure.
I spray soil with a fine mister, never getting plant wet, just the soil....
Spray/mist/mist three times or so a day...
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The domes stay on for 6 days solid...
On 7th day, I take off in morning, and tend to other plants, if when I come back, to clones, they look fine, then tops come off...for good...
Otherwise, top stays on for 7 days max.
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Clones for first 7 days are within 2-3 inches of CFL/Aquarium grow lights...
In April, the weather turns warmer [here] and clones like a mild night [temps above 65 f]
I run the clones with the other veg plants, at 18/6....
If I had the room, clones would have there own light and place. I'd run it at 24/7...
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I also "Trim" the leaves, if they start to droop. If leaf touches soil, I trim...
I leave as much green top on clone as will fit under Dixie cup, and go from there...
Sometimes, lots trimmed, sometimes, I trim nothing... when I say trim the clone, it's like a hair cut for the leaves...
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My new favorite thing is to FIM the top of plant [when I want to clone the plants tops] one week before I "Top" the plant. I then take cut off top, trim it to fit, and grow new clone with a FIMed top. It's pretty cool seeing my twin towers emerge from birth...from my newest plant...
Good Luck!