To prep my 1" cubes ( leave the paper on the cube)
I submerse in 1/2 strength Oliva'cloning solution ph set to 5.85-5.95 for 10 minutes.
To make use 2-tsp per half gallon of water, it will be about 80PPM of nutes
So I soak the cube than I use a Salad Spinner to remove the excess water because squeezing the cube makes it tighter and harder for roots to grow.
So 1 quick pump on the salad spinner and they are almost dry, very damp is what you want.
I take my cuttings and drop them in a Glass of tap water, 5 nodes is what I look for as far as a minimum length.
I never take them before I have 5 pointed leaves, I like to wait till 7 points.
Cut all fan leaves by removing 1/2 of the leaf on the bottom nodes but leave the top growth alone.
Remove any branch that will stop you from shoving the cutting in the cube.
scrape off any leftover branch to expose the white material.
So I remove clone from water and using a razor blade or a scalpel
( like me, disposable scalpels are cheap)
Scrap about 1/4" strip of surface exposing the white just below the green exterior, down one side to the end of cutting.
( Not wide scrape maybe 1/16" inch wide)
Next Cut the base at a 45 degree angle about 1/8" long removing the end.
Next cut vertically about 1/8" splitting the face of the 45 degree cut in 2.
Next dip in any rooting gel or powder, let sit 5 minutes.
Cubes have a hole, I don't use it, it's to large, I make a slit on the opposite side and insert the clone in the slit.
Next you need a seedling warming mat and black seedling tray and a humidity dome.
Mild light and a good misting spray bottle are needed.
Wet clones 3 times a day w sprayer also always spray the inside of the hood to add to the humidity.
5 - 10 days roots will be coming out the bottom of the 1" cube.
Now dip a 4" cube in same mixture 10 minutes and then let them sit for 2 hours, remove the paper and insert the 1" cube into the 4" cube, no need for hood now.
These cubes should have roots out the bottom in 4-6 days.
My clones have always survived since I starting using the exact cutting method above.
I am not crazy about sterility of the blade, I have used and just wiped off the same blade about 25 times and I never have a problem.
As soon as the roots come out of the bottom of the 4" cube start crushing the vertical stems between your fingers.
squeeze till you feel the vertical fibers Seperate, Do this to all stems and start low. Do this once a week and in 3 weeks you will have 1/2-3/4" diameter stems on your clones.
I grow a Sativa right now ( it's a Bagseed that flowers in 9 weeks)
so I top early and often.
I use LST and super cropping to make a better canopy.
That's it in a nutshell.
Foliar feed with the Olivia's solution once a week, flood 2x a day.
Bless,
DZ