Cloning a top

[Pandemic]

I have several plants that need topped and sexed.

I am sure it is possible to clone a top but I have not been able to find any posts concerning it. Searched this site and several others.

What additional steps should I take, i.e. pruning top foliage. This will be my first go at cloning.

I will be cloning with clonex into rapid rooters and then into the standard humidity dome with a propagation mat underneath.

It is not essential that these clones survive. My plants are all about 20 - 24 inches tall and have never been topped so that is the main concern here but since I will be taking off 4 - 5 nodes I'm thinking why not....

If anyone has some bookmarked posts that I have missed please post links. I would love to see pictures.















Nothing special, just good bagseed. The Sour Diesel is in the other room.


Pandemic

 

[medgrowr02]

I would think you'd treat the top as if it were a regular clone, like you said, cut it, dip it into your choice of cloning solution and let it ride.

Good luck, keep us posted, I'm interested to see if it works out.

 

[george j warner]

lo man if this is your first clone then dont expect the top to survive ... expect to get around 60/80 % of the clones to survive ...but not the top !!!

ive been cloning for 8 years and have never suceeded to root the top ...
all my others are at 100%

if you want to try the top go for it but make sure the clones isnt too big ( 2-3 inches max)

.........................................................

when you clone , take your clones off with scissors and put them straight into a glass of water carry it around with you if you want..

this will stop embolisms in the stem (air bubbles..... same as in human blood .. "pop"... heart attatck...death!!!!) lol

remove 1 clone at a time from the water and cut a 45 degree on either a join or just after one dunk the end (2cm -3cm) in clonex and leave in it for 20 seconds . remove carefully and place in your starter cube then push your fingers down around the stem to secure in the block...

now you want 1 set of leaves on the clone no more ... cut off the others so there are 2 leaves (1 set) then cut the tips off off the last leaves showing (this might seem strange but it speeds up vegerative growth and therefore rooting : ) , place in a propagator with the air hole completely closed and water every day about 0.5 teaspoons of water(mixed with 4 drops of superthrive per liter) or as i do i mist them with water mixed with formulex (2-3mil per litre of water)... they should root with in 10 days depending on the strain : ) ..... exspect roots to start coming out the side after 7- 12 days
when they start to go a little yellow open the air holes up a quarter

hope this helps
laterz

 

[Haps]

Young tops clone alright, but I just lost a batch of top clones, the previous crop they worked just fine, no losses. My take here is they are harder to clone. So I took another half dozen, then also cut about 8 to just put in a bottle of water like Granny used to do, as backup. For some reason, clones never die in my bathroom, so I have the backup batch in there. I was overwatering, and got them weak, then made a minor light change and death ensued. Take extra clones.
H

 

[Albert Hofmann]

Pandemic- if you have the time spray your plants with water every morning for 4 days to help leach N from the plant. Lowering the N will increase carbohydrate buildup in the branches and main stem, this lowN high carb environment is the absolute best scenario for taking a clone and thus will give you your best chance for success. The reason that tops are tougher to root is because most of a plants root hormones are located lower on the plant. As you work your way up the plant, hormones get older and less concentrated, hence tops can be tough.

albert

 

[Pandemic]

I did it

I did it

Thanks for the replies.

When I got home today I went ahead and did it. I was nervous and didn't want to cut my plants but I knew I at least had to top them if I want any mother structure at all.






I cut the tops 4 to 5 nodes down, trimmed a lot of leaves and halved many remaining. Also taken were 2 other clones, one on each side from the bottom. It went smooth once I did a few, saved the best plant for last.

I was wondering if pressing them down into the rapid rooters would squeegee off the clonex. I did widen the hole with a bamboo skewer but still forced it in a little.


One plants' cuttings seemed to fall right over, is that o.k.? I tried to prop them up the best I could but they were falling over before I got the top on. They are not any longer than the others and were in the middle of the batch...huh?






The top of each plant in in the center of the 3 clones. Took 3 cuttings each from 9 plants.

I will let you all know how they go.

Day one - 03.20.08





Pandemic

 

[Murphy]

Interested in your results, Keep us updated.

 

[Haps]

I cut the rrooter down the side so I can open it up and put the seed or clone in, works for me.
H

 

[Uncle Remus]

Make yourself a $20 bubble cloner...Do a search, I'm sure there's 10+ threads somewhere here on it

All I use is a bubble cloner and I get 100% success every time (well close to it)...I just recently cloned a plants top and it rooted alright...Took it down because of a mushy main stem that caused the plant to break off at the base (grower's error DOH)...Cut the top at 10 days of 12/12 and had roots in like ahhhhh...HOLD ON...Lemme check my log

Cut the top on Feb 23rd at 15 days of 12/12 along with 12 other cuts taken between 12 and 15 days of 12/12...By March 6th ALL had rooted...100% success...Top is now on 1/2 strength nutes and will be ready for veg in 7 more days

In my experiences, cuts taken later in flower will take longer to root...I always find myself checking the cloner every day wondering "WTF is taking so long", then one day POOF...Roots



EASY as pie

EDIT...I use TAP WATER only...No rip-off cloning gels or any of that garbage...Straight H2O...Change the little res every 3-4 days with room temperature tap water

 

[Pandemic]

Thanks for the encouragement Remus. I have gotten answers from no way to hell yeah.

I am going to build a cloner. One of the Aero ones, seems cheap and easy. For the cost of 50 RRs and 100ml of Clonex I can have it made. I have had mixed results with DIY stuff in the past (different hobby - mycology) but 20-30 bucks I can waste.

Everyone says they use straight tap water in them, I am assuming that it's Phed tap water...and Phed to somewhere in the 5.2 - 6.2 range.

Thanks

P

 

[Uncle Remus]

Your welcome

No I don't even adjust the ph...But I DO like to let the water sit over night to get to room temperature...I only use cold water from the tap...Don't like to pick up any crap from the hot water heater...Cold water will shock the clones, just like it will shock mature plants...I once changed the nutes in my res with cold water and the plants shriveled up for a few hours until the water warmed up...Scared the hell out of me

Here's were I first saw this technique...Basically exactly how I did mine...AWESOME

Link:http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=26473

EDIT...I use a slightly larger Rubbermaid tub, I think its for storing CD's...And I use a larger airstone thingy I found at a local pet store...I can easily fit 14 or 16 clones in it

 

[Pandemic]

Numbers in

Numbers in

15 days and I guess all that were going to root have rooted.

4 out of 9 tops rooted, remember this was my first attempt at cloning.

The answer to if cloning a top is possible/practical is definitively YES!

The numbers:

1 - 3 of 3 top: Yes
2 - 2 of 3 top: No
3 - 2 of 3 top: No
4 - 3 of 3 top: Yes
5 - 2 of 3 top: No
6 - 3 of 3 top: Yes
7 - 1 of 3 top: No
8 - 3 of 3 top: Yes
9 - 1 of 3 top: No



This is an unknown Chronic plant, all three clones rooted. This is the top



Clones recovering after transplant



This is a phenomenal little clone, tons of roots coming out of the RapidRooter



More views of all the clones that made it - Chronic got the big pots.





About to make a better method of cloning



And this is a Sour Diesel and some cousins..Hops



Pandemic