Took some clones tonight, and they wilted quickly! What went wrong?

[slowandeasy]

So I took some clones tonight. They were all dipped in Root Tech gel and put into moist coco. I lightly sprayed the tops and put under a 65 watt CFL. Within a few minutes, they all wilted. So I made individual humidity domes for a few, to see if that would help...so far nothing. This is my first try cloning in coco, not sure what went wrong. Temps are 77 and humidity is kinda low at 35 percent.

Could be too much light? Coco not moist enough? Because I sprayed? Humidity? Any advice or help? Help me save them please. Thanks!

 

[High Country]

Give them a bit of time, they should perk back up.

 

[Wait...What?]

did you go straight from plant to gel to coco? I like to take cuttings and put the cut end into cold water while im working with them. COLD water. I also recut the end with a slash cut to make it nice and pointy [as well as give good surface area for rooty goodness] while the end is under the cold water.

I dont know if that's my secret, but i havent had a clone wilt in years. Had em stall, sure, but that's more the temp after they're in the rooting medium.

It also helps to have the mother as healthy as you can get her before taking the cutting

 

[slowandeasy]

did you go straight from plant to gel to coco? I like to take cuttings and put the cut end into cold water while im working with them. COLD water. I also recut the end with a slash cut to make it nice and pointy [as well as give good surface area for rooty goodness] while the end is under the cold water.

I dont know if that's my secret, but i havent had a clone wilt in years. Had em stall, sure, but that's more the temp after they're in the rooting medium.

It also helps to have the mother as healthy as you can get her before taking the cutting

Yes I went right to Gel. Can I save them? How damp do you moisten the Coco at first?

 

[Duckmang]

I'd be suspicious of the light. I try not to put fresh cuttings under a strong light right away, ambient is sufficient until they start to rebound from being cut. Even after I've rooted clones I've had them wilt if put under strong flourescents too soon. Most of the time moving them from under the strong light is the fix and the wilted ones will rebound. I've never used a dome and have propagated many clones from many different strains so I doubt that would be a fix for the prob.

One other consideration is that your mom may not have been in good shape for taking cuttings. The mom should be well watered but hungry for N for a few days prior.

 

[High Country]

Yep, I really nurture the mums very well for a week or so before taking cuts. Make sure they are very well hydrated and fed and in tip top condition.

 

[slowandeasy]

7 out of 8 look much better this morning! Hopefully they all take.

 

[Mud Man]

Give them a bit of time, they should perk back up.

agreed, i took some last week and they looked as bad a can be
they now look sooper dooper, new growth is pointing up and lush green, stems seem sturdy and locked!

i was gonna chuck em! Stay calm man, keep on the ball!

good luck and good vibes!

7 out of 8 look much better this morning! Hopefully they all take.

Excellent news dude! I love rooted ninjas!

 

[Mud Man]

I'd be suspicious of the light. I try not to put fresh cuttings under a strong light right away, ambient is sufficient until they start to rebound from being cut. Even after I've rooted clones I've had them wilt if put under strong flourescents too soon. Most of the time moving them from under the strong light is the fix and the wilted ones will rebound. I've never used a dome and have propagated many clones from many different strains so I doubt that would be a fix for the prob.

One other consideration is that your mom may not have been in good shape for taking cuttings. The mom should be well watered but hungry for N for a few days prior.

i think my light was too intense. juggling space and i think that was a factor! Nice one K+

 

[GDK]

7 out of 8 look much better this morning! Hopefully they all take.

Thats good man...i think the intense light combined with a 35%RH did it. I try to keep RH as high as possible for the first few days and combine with low light/shade..Nice to hear they perked up for ya.

Stay Safe

 

[Danks2005]

I also take cuts from mom, put cut side down in cold water, cut at an angle under water, dip in hormone, put into rockwool (after 24 hour soak at 5.5ph), place in humidity dome with just enough water(ph 6.0, and small dose of maxicrop) in troughs to keep rockwool wicking, and placed 2 trays under 4 t12 32w lamps, I leave vents closed for about 4-5 days but open lid 1-2 times per day for 10 min, then leave vents wide open till roots are busting out.

That said, I almost always have wilted plants a little after planting, by the next morning they usually all look great. I am always at or very close to 100%, under 2 weeks.

PS. Always take plenty more than you need so you can pick only the most vigorous to carry on

 

[High Country]

agreed, i took some last week and they looked as bad a can be
they now look sooper dooper, new growth is pointing up and lush green, stems seem sturdy and locked!

i was gonna chuck em! Stay calm man, keep on the ball!

good luck and good vibes!



Excellent news dude! I love rooted ninjas!

Hoorah, patience is a virtue when cloning. Give them the right environment and all should be fine.

Wilting on the first cut is not unusual.

Don't prod, poke and pull the little things.

Just put them in a good environment and everything should be fine.

I don't handle mine until 2 weeks are up, keep moist.

 

[Danks2005]

HighCountry, I also don't handle any of the cuts untill 2 weeks are up. Except one time, I actually had caterpillers on mom and didn't know till I found em on my cuts, Took severl days of checking on cuts like 5 times a day and culling damaged plants, and killing all eggs and caterpillers found. Ended up losing 75 clones to em, but ended up with excactly 128 to fill a 4x8 table. Always take more than you need, it would have taken me weeks to get my mothers able to put out another 200, plus rooting times, saved myself a lot of time and money by taking almost twice what I needed, you never know whats gonna happen.

 

[High Country]

HighCountry, I also don't handle any of the cuts untill 2 weeks are up. Except one time, I actually had caterpillers on mom and didn't know till I found em on my cuts, Took severl days of checking on cuts like 5 times a day and culling damaged plants, and killing all eggs and caterpillers found. Ended up losing 75 clones to em, but ended up with excactly 128 to fill a 4x8 table. Always take more than you need, it would have taken me weeks to get my mothers able to put out another 200, plus rooting times, saved myself a lot of time and money by taking almost twice what I needed, you never know whats gonna happen.

Caterpillars, glad I don't have to worry about them here.

Yep, I take more cuts than I need and I'm just about on a 95% to 100% strike rate.

Stupidly I turn the extra clones into new mums. I hate throwing out clones with roots. The plant numbers get bigger by the minute. Freaks me out sometimes though.

 

[Danks2005]

HaHa me too, I quit running those big #'s some time ago. But there is always more paranoia in those two weeks of waiting for roots, but I got no problem culling plants getting me back under that magic #, more are easy enough to come by

 

[Dirtfinger]

I don't know if the light caused the wilting but you for sure only want to provide barely enough light for clones.

They don't have roots and if you put them under too much light they try to grow instead of making roots and use up what is stored in the plant. When that happens sometimes they'll fry and die before they have a chance to grow roots.

 

[High Country]

I don't know if the light caused the wilting but you for sure only want to provide barely enough light for clones.

They don't have roots and if you put them under too much light they try to grow instead of making roots and use up what is stored in the plant. When that happens sometimes they'll fry and die before they have a chance to grow roots.

Agree, vegetative growth is not a priority for the developing clone. We are trying to get them to develop a healthy root mass, bottom heat certainly is of assistance. Under intense light a clone will wilt due to high transpiration.

 

[slowandeasy]

They are all perked up now. I dont think it is too bright, but can hook up smaller light if needed. Temps are perfect with this light, will see if smaller bulb keeps temps up. Have used this light before, just in a bigger cab. All standing now, so thats a good sign. Hopefully in a week or so I see some roots! 1st time cloning in Coco, so we shall see how it goes. Using a double cup method, clear cup to see roots... set inside of a cup taped with foil tape for light blockage. I have a good feeling about these clones, 4 are really large clones and will only need 1 week veg...then flower. Going to keep a couple smaller ones for mothers and will veg them out good. That is if they all root.

 

[High Country]

They are all perked up now. I dont think it is too bright, but can hook up smaller light if needed. Temps are perfect with this light, will see if smaller bulb keeps temps up. Have used this light before, just in a bigger cab. All standing now, so thats a good sign. Hopefully in a week or so I see some roots! 1st time cloning in Coco, so we shall see how it goes. Using a double cup method, clear cup to see roots... set inside of a cup taped with foil tape for light blockage. I have a good feeling about these clones, 4 are really large clones and will only need 1 week veg...then flower. Going to keep a couple smaller ones for mothers and will veg them out good. That is if they all root.

Hoorah, give them the full 2 weeks don't play with the little things.

One must be patient when cloning.

I propagate on a commercial basis for work and those plants take up to 8 weeks to put out roots.

Wish it was as easy as this shit!

 

[slowandeasy]

They are all stiff now, a bit droopy...but not wilted. Firm stems, but droopy leaves. I swapped out the 65 watt CFL for 26 watts. Going to monitor temps, hopefully they take. Took 2 more right now, just to see if they do any better.