Question about cloning....

[csedge]

I didn't think of this until now... Here's what's going on I switched from cloning under a 96 watt cfl set-up on 24 hrs., to a 400 watt mh on 18/6. Is switching the light schedule going to change the amount of time it used to take to root my clones because it's now off 6 hrs. a day?

 

[FreezerBoy]

I've always done 24/7 so I can't comment on dark periods for clones. I can say that a single 23 watt cfl will easily cover several hundred clones. A 400 is just wasted electricity.

 

[Frozenguy]

I clone under a 23watt CFL as well, but I use 18/6. I get roots in about 12-16 days depending on strain.. I don't know if/which one is better. I have used both, and am getting better results these days (basically 100%) but I also changed other things, like going to straight pH'ed water instead of adding something. So all I know is that it works, and two weeks isn't too long for me to wait for roots in rockwool.

I've never vegged 24/7, so I figured the clones would like night time too and it doesn't seem to adversely effect them. Maybe I'll try a side by side next time to see what varies. Kinda surprised I haven't done that yet..

Yeah as FreezerBoy said, 400 is a waste of electricity..

 

[Matanuskan Flo]

i just took 4 clones. i am worried about one of them. i accidentally put one cutting into a ph'd water/h202 solution. very light on h2o2, but was still there. i noticed after a few mins, that tiny tiny bubbles were congregating around the bottom cut & trailing even tinier bubbles upwards. i did not notice this at all w/ the other clones placed into plain water, thereafter. i am wondering if the h202 extracted oxygen from the stem somehow through some equilibrium attempt....will this be harmful?? i guess we shall know soon enough.

OP, i have known the majority to just do 24/0 for un-rooted clones. but, i also have heard about 3/10 peeps use 20/4 & 18/6 w/ success as frozen guy says. i am running them at 20/4 myself. just made the cuttings today into vermiculite/ffof/LW mix. i placed a dome over each clone. but, my domes are punctured with a few tiny holes. i want good air circulation more than humidity. i will mist every 3 days or so or as needed. i hear misting & domes can be great or horrible. just depends on your enviro i guess. gl man

 

[FreezerBoy]

i hear misting & domes can be great or horrible.

If misting/domes are what keeps your girls alive, don't stop. However, I believe they are required only in instances of excess plant material. This requires transpiration which requires roots and... D'oh... we don't have any roots yet.

By keeping cuts short and leaves well trimmed, I regularly root in about 20-30% RH but have done so successfully with as little as 15% RH.

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

FreezerBoy is right that leaf trimmed cuts don't really need a humidity dome. In fact, too much humidity prevents them from growing so it's a good idea to at least keep those vents on the top part way open. Also important to take them out soon as you see roots. Also, too much light makes cuttings root slower. You can tell when the light is too bright because they'll be trying to grow new leaves, and the new growth will be yellow. Back them off from the light until they don't try to grow and roots should show in a week or a few days more.

 

[kiwiboy]

I also think that the 400 mh is too much for clones with no roots. Unrooted clones only need a little bit of lighting. I use 2 1 foot glowlux t8 floros at 2 feet above the clones..

 

[darksith]

the 400w is excessive, but I know lots of peeps that run 1 for clones. It will work fine, and you can root the clones on 18/6 no problem. The don't need light as much as they need warm medium. A warming mat will allow you to root clones in under a week, well worth the $30 they cost. I find that the best clones for the strain I have are clones with larger leafs that aren't cut, but that could just be my strain. I run close to 100% success, and always cull some b/c I always take extras.

 

[csedge]

See the reason i switched from the 96 watt cfl to the 400 is b/c i do all my veg/clones/moms in the same cab and for my new flower I'm running 2000 watts compared to my old 400. But anyways to save some electricity I kept to having clones/moms/veg in the cab.

But back to the question, does anyone think the 18/6 schedule will make a difference, I should know in about a week anyways.

 

[dagnabit]

it shouldnt make much diff..
unless the temp drops during the dark period...
i have found over the years that clones want consistency more than anything else

 

[Frozenguy]

Just dont let the dark period get too cold. I try to keep my clones at a constant temp around the mid 70's. Other then that, 18/6 light period WILL root clones. It will. And I get roots around 12-16 days so maybe 24/7 is faster, maybe it is other factors of methods that make it faster, but it does work, and is fast enough for me.
Plus it allows me to keep my clones with my mom's/veggers