water-cloning
- Thread starter dubtrice
- Start date
primeralives
Well-Known Member
As easy as cloning is to the masses that use powder, liquid/gel rooting hormone, bubblers and soil, etc. There is an even less complex method of cloning that is so easy, it must have been around for decades, if not centuries. The only ingredients involved are water, light, and the cutting you would like to root. In the example I?m going to show, I?ve cut three different sizes of clone. The first with two leaves and a single growing tip (S). The next has four nodes, but still only a couple large leaves (M). The third is 6? tall, has seven nodes and several sets of good-sized leaves (L).
As with normal cloning, you immediately dip the cutting in the water for about 15 to 30 seconds, tweaking it to dislodge any air bubbles that may be present. But the biggest difference is, you won?t be removing the cutting from the water until it has roots big enough to support the foliage above. Make sure the cup, which contains the cutting, is opaque. This prevents the light from shining directly on the roots.
So far, I?ve mentioned the cuttings and the water, but the most important part is the light. I have made this method work 100% of the time simply by sitting my cuttings on a windowsill that receives no direct sunlight. In fact, slightly shaded would be even better. In the evenings (short days), I sit them on an end table over 7 feet from a ceiling mounted 100-watt incandescent bulb. At bedtime, I just turn off the lights like normal, and when I get up in the AM its back to the windowsill. During the longer daylight hours they can be left on the sill full time. Remember, no direct sunlight.
The picture shows my three cuttings in their water cups. M & L have barely an inch of water to sit in. Any more and it would cover one of the leaf stems. The smaller one stayed in the plastic because the stem was too short to sit in water and stay upright in the cup. Do what?s necessary to keep at least ½? of the stem in the water.
Notice the glass that diffuses light, an extra measure against too much light exposure.
The clones grew roots at far different speeds. S showed in seven days, with a small ¼? long root and another small protrusion.
By the time S?s roots reached this level of development (nine days), L was just putting out the first nubs that would be roots. M has shown no inclination of rooting at all. Searching for an answer, I changed the water in Ms cup, but I think it boils down too the thickness of the stem. Both M&L have the same size stem but L has far more foliage on top.
S is doing far better than the others (seen below) and M is finally starting to show.
M showed roots in 14 days and was planted on day 18.
This picture was taken just before transplant.
L showed roots on day 11 and was in soil at day 18.
This picture was taken just before transplant.
S showed roots at seven days and was in the soil at 15.
This picture was taken just before transplant.
Transplanting is as easy as it ever is. I use a pre-fertilized potting soil, mixed with 1/2 perlite. I like the clear cups as I can see how soon they can be removed from the humidity dome. Fill a 4 oz cup with soil mix and swirl a hole an inch deep in the top, insert the plants roots and cover.
DO NOT WATER!! Watering will actually delay the roots growth into the new medium. You want it almost dry below so they search for the moisture. Make whatever mix you use semi-moist before transplant.
The dome you see is a cheapo Styrofoam cooler available from any grocery store for $2-$3. Toss the lid and cover with saran wrap with a 1/2 dozen 1/4" holes in it. What you see in the picture is a spare piece of plexi I have. It sits off centre to provide some venting. Simply set an open jar of water inside and close. The jar itself will keep the humidity at around 75%. If you don?t like this, just spray a couple times a day with plain water.
L showed itself almost overnight.
All were in the 320-watt veg area in roughly three weeks from cutting to final transplant.
That?s it, the easiest cloning method there is. No spraying, no overheating, no drying out, no hormones, just plant, light and water. Following these instructions, I?ve had a 100% success rate (The one that died actually drank all her water and I forgot to refill!). Good luck!
Added on: Saturday, March 24, 2007 Viewed: 2520 times
As with normal cloning, you immediately dip the cutting in the water for about 15 to 30 seconds, tweaking it to dislodge any air bubbles that may be present. But the biggest difference is, you won?t be removing the cutting from the water until it has roots big enough to support the foliage above. Make sure the cup, which contains the cutting, is opaque. This prevents the light from shining directly on the roots.
So far, I?ve mentioned the cuttings and the water, but the most important part is the light. I have made this method work 100% of the time simply by sitting my cuttings on a windowsill that receives no direct sunlight. In fact, slightly shaded would be even better. In the evenings (short days), I sit them on an end table over 7 feet from a ceiling mounted 100-watt incandescent bulb. At bedtime, I just turn off the lights like normal, and when I get up in the AM its back to the windowsill. During the longer daylight hours they can be left on the sill full time. Remember, no direct sunlight.
The picture shows my three cuttings in their water cups. M & L have barely an inch of water to sit in. Any more and it would cover one of the leaf stems. The smaller one stayed in the plastic because the stem was too short to sit in water and stay upright in the cup. Do what?s necessary to keep at least ½? of the stem in the water.
Notice the glass that diffuses light, an extra measure against too much light exposure.
The clones grew roots at far different speeds. S showed in seven days, with a small ¼? long root and another small protrusion.
By the time S?s roots reached this level of development (nine days), L was just putting out the first nubs that would be roots. M has shown no inclination of rooting at all. Searching for an answer, I changed the water in Ms cup, but I think it boils down too the thickness of the stem. Both M&L have the same size stem but L has far more foliage on top.
S is doing far better than the others (seen below) and M is finally starting to show.
M showed roots in 14 days and was planted on day 18.
This picture was taken just before transplant.
L showed roots on day 11 and was in soil at day 18.
This picture was taken just before transplant.
S showed roots at seven days and was in the soil at 15.
This picture was taken just before transplant.
Transplanting is as easy as it ever is. I use a pre-fertilized potting soil, mixed with 1/2 perlite. I like the clear cups as I can see how soon they can be removed from the humidity dome. Fill a 4 oz cup with soil mix and swirl a hole an inch deep in the top, insert the plants roots and cover.
DO NOT WATER!! Watering will actually delay the roots growth into the new medium. You want it almost dry below so they search for the moisture. Make whatever mix you use semi-moist before transplant.
The dome you see is a cheapo Styrofoam cooler available from any grocery store for $2-$3. Toss the lid and cover with saran wrap with a 1/2 dozen 1/4" holes in it. What you see in the picture is a spare piece of plexi I have. It sits off centre to provide some venting. Simply set an open jar of water inside and close. The jar itself will keep the humidity at around 75%. If you don?t like this, just spray a couple times a day with plain water.
L showed itself almost overnight.
All were in the 320-watt veg area in roughly three weeks from cutting to final transplant.
That?s it, the easiest cloning method there is. No spraying, no overheating, no drying out, no hormones, just plant, light and water. Following these instructions, I?ve had a 100% success rate (The one that died actually drank all her water and I forgot to refill!). Good luck!
Added on: Saturday, March 24, 2007 Viewed: 2520 times
soulflyx2k
Well-Known Member
hmm interesting, thanks for that
jondog123
Well-Known Member
I will give my opinion on water cloning.... it sucks. I tried it before I got my aero cloner and not a single one of like 10 clones ever rooted. I had to take all new clones and threw them into the aero cloner and they all rooted. I followed the directions posted above exactly. JMHO though.
primeralives
Well-Known Member
YouTube - Guide to growing Cannabis part 8 of 10 there that should help
Spartan h20
Member
Nice tutorial, ill definitely be trying this.
disposition84
Well-Known Member
Tried this method twice in the past using those foam meat plates you get from the meat
department of the grocery store. You can punch holes for the clones in the plate, and it
floats on top of the water cuz it's foam. This way you can fill a larger tub if you want and
do multiple cuttings and never have to worry about the water level getting too low since
it's floating. The method works but takes FOREVER compared to most methods, had
some rooted in two weeks and some as late as 3. Compared to as low as 5 days that I've
gotten using other means of hydro cloning which are comparatively easy to do.
I like to use healthier thicker stemmed cuttings for all my methods I've used as I feel
those give the best results as far as roots go, but really most any properly cut clones
should root given proper conditions and time.
department of the grocery store. You can punch holes for the clones in the plate, and it
floats on top of the water cuz it's foam. This way you can fill a larger tub if you want and
do multiple cuttings and never have to worry about the water level getting too low since
it's floating. The method works but takes FOREVER compared to most methods, had
some rooted in two weeks and some as late as 3. Compared to as low as 5 days that I've
gotten using other means of hydro cloning which are comparatively easy to do.
I like to use healthier thicker stemmed cuttings for all my methods I've used as I feel
those give the best results as far as roots go, but really most any properly cut clones
should root given proper conditions and time.
MISSPHOEBE
Well-Known Member
.... I am giving this a whirl.... lets see what happens... they are in the kitchen on the fridge under the floro light... I'll change the water every few days... does anyone think Molasses in the water would help? .... It took me 4 weeks to get my last clones to root - in rockwool - in a heated dome..... got very bored waiting for roots! So lets try it this way......
cuttings will stay alive in a ziplock bag for days with couple drops of water for moisture.
before moving the cuttings into cubes to be rooted the cuttings are put in a cup of water. also the idea was to get rid of air in the stem by letting the cuttings do their photosynthesis and suck up water under a low light before being rooted in a cube. but even when left in a cup of water for hours it wouldn't wilt even without a dome. instead they got perkier than the mother plant. so they were left in there. checking on it everyday the cuttings were still way perky. then one day they just started popping roots. you can transplant them as soon as you see little nodes where the roots are going to pop but you'll need a dome for few days.
sometimes a dome is need after the transplant of the rooted cuttings for a day or two.
water should be changed every couple days if you're using r/o water.
too much nutes (which actually is very little also) may restrict the growth of roots. one drop of seaweed nute per gallon can help but plain tap worked fine.
before moving the cuttings into cubes to be rooted the cuttings are put in a cup of water. also the idea was to get rid of air in the stem by letting the cuttings do their photosynthesis and suck up water under a low light before being rooted in a cube. but even when left in a cup of water for hours it wouldn't wilt even without a dome. instead they got perkier than the mother plant. so they were left in there. checking on it everyday the cuttings were still way perky. then one day they just started popping roots. you can transplant them as soon as you see little nodes where the roots are going to pop but you'll need a dome for few days.
sometimes a dome is need after the transplant of the rooted cuttings for a day or two.
water should be changed every couple days if you're using r/o water.
too much nutes (which actually is very little also) may restrict the growth of roots. one drop of seaweed nute per gallon can help but plain tap worked fine.