I did both cover cup and no cover cup. More roots without the cover cup in my tests.
How I got roots in 6 days.
- Thread starter slowandeasy
- Start date
Could be a different root zone temp causing more roots. The cover cup will keep it a bit cooler. I honestly never tried not using a cover cup, I will do a side by side next time with an extra clone. I am glad you got cloning down!! FWIW, humidity is really low in the winter...so I had to dome my last batch. If not they would wilt. In the summer my clone cab is 60% RH, now it is 30%. Once they have roots they are fine.
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Thanks to slowandeasy for this fantastic cloning method. Also for all the support. This thread is a gem.
alamony2005
Active member
O.P.
I took more clones last night, I wonder if I can match your 6 days on this batch of clones and raise the bar to 5 days. Clonex, 8inch clone, all cuts made underwater with dull scissors, General Hydroponics Green color Coco brick soaked in 3 gallons of sensi grow a/b @ 5.5ph. I will take pictures of the stems if I feel they are worthy of being called roots... Cheers man!!! Inspirational no doubt.
I took more clones last night, I wonder if I can match your 6 days on this batch of clones and raise the bar to 5 days. Clonex, 8inch clone, all cuts made underwater with dull scissors, General Hydroponics Green color Coco brick soaked in 3 gallons of sensi grow a/b @ 5.5ph. I will take pictures of the stems if I feel they are worthy of being called roots... Cheers man!!! Inspirational no doubt.
forty
Active member
no, but if it makes you feel better it's not much trouble.
How I got roots in 5 Days!!
How I got roots in 5 Days!!
Ok, been cloning a lot and doing some experimenting and now get roots in 5 days! I have made a couple small changes. Now I have been using Clonex Gel instead of the Root Tech. I like it better, it is thinner and not as strong...so I use more. Also, I tried it with no Cover Cup and I like it better. I think it might keep the Coco a tad warmer, speeding things up a day. I also drop a little bit of Clonex Gel into my pre-soak cup instead of Roots Excell. Seems to work great, so I will just stick with the Clonex. I soak for about 20 min, then stick the gel on nice and thick. I also pour a little down the hole made for the stem.
Since it is winter I am using a heating pad with digital thermostat to keep the clone tub 80 at all times. Since humidity is low I use a dome in winter as well. Perfect conditions for cloning and the above minor changes gave me these in 5 days, Enjoy!!
http://www.icmag.com/ic/album.php?albumid=22766&pictureid=570740
http://www.icmag.com/ic/album.php?albumid=22766&pictureid=570739
http://www.icmag.com/ic/album.php?albumid=22766&pictureid=570742
http://www.icmag.com/ic/album.php?albumid=22766&pictureid=570741
How I got roots in 5 Days!!
Ok, been cloning a lot and doing some experimenting and now get roots in 5 days! I have made a couple small changes. Now I have been using Clonex Gel instead of the Root Tech. I like it better, it is thinner and not as strong...so I use more. Also, I tried it with no Cover Cup and I like it better. I think it might keep the Coco a tad warmer, speeding things up a day. I also drop a little bit of Clonex Gel into my pre-soak cup instead of Roots Excell. Seems to work great, so I will just stick with the Clonex. I soak for about 20 min, then stick the gel on nice and thick. I also pour a little down the hole made for the stem.
Since it is winter I am using a heating pad with digital thermostat to keep the clone tub 80 at all times. Since humidity is low I use a dome in winter as well. Perfect conditions for cloning and the above minor changes gave me these in 5 days, Enjoy!!
http://www.icmag.com/ic/album.php?albumid=22766&pictureid=570740
http://www.icmag.com/ic/album.php?albumid=22766&pictureid=570739
http://www.icmag.com/ic/album.php?albumid=22766&pictureid=570742
http://www.icmag.com/ic/album.php?albumid=22766&pictureid=570741
dunkydunk,
Follow my instructions bro, and you will have roots in no time. Yes, I just use a rubbermaid tub and a CFL The most important part is temps, humidity, and Coco moisture. Get your temps around 80f and humidity above 50%. I use a temp controller and heating pad inside my rubbermaid. If humidity is low, put a cover over your clones. I use a smaller rubbermaid and saran wrap. Works everytime!
dunkydunk
Member
Thanks, and sorry, this has become a long thread. I saw the tote in the periphery, but I din't see any detail of your actual cloning chamber. I'm doing everything according to your method, but I'm doing it in a tent. The temps are straight 80, but the humidity is low this time of year. Do you tack the cfl's to the lid of the tote?
I placed a dome over my clones, but it made no difference. They wilt, they straggle, they yellow. Out of any general run of 20 to 30 clones I get one, maybe two that take right off, a half a dozen close behind, and the other half a dozen some time after. The whole process is 2-3 weeks, and I'm dragging them across the finish line.
Cloning is my weakest link. Everything else works tops. This method so far has given me good results, but not great, not reliable, not bank. I think I might be missing out on the box, as it's own little clone dome. Is it ventilated?
And if my wording is strange, it's because I'm baked.
I placed a dome over my clones, but it made no difference. They wilt, they straggle, they yellow. Out of any general run of 20 to 30 clones I get one, maybe two that take right off, a half a dozen close behind, and the other half a dozen some time after. The whole process is 2-3 weeks, and I'm dragging them across the finish line.
Cloning is my weakest link. Everything else works tops. This method so far has given me good results, but not great, not reliable, not bank. I think I might be missing out on the box, as it's own little clone dome. Is it ventilated?
And if my wording is strange, it's because I'm baked.
Cloning is really simple once you get the hang of it. My rubbermaid tub is not the key to success. It just works and is cheap to use. I use Saran Wrap on top of either a bucket or a smaller rubbermaid. I keep temps inside smaller rubbermaid 80 deg and. I spray the bottom side of the saran wrap with water, put the clones inside and put it on top...this is my dome. My CFL is a 23 watt bulb about 18 inches away from top of clones mounted to the rubbermaid.
The key is having stable temps and humidity. Your clones should never wilt. If they wilt, they will not do as well. That is why yours are not rooting right. Spraying the "dome" will keep humidity up. I leave them alone for a few days, then give them some fresh air for a minute now and then after that. If your clones are wilting, maybe your not packing the Coco around the stem tight enough.
What kind of Gel are you using? What kind of Coco? Are you pre-treating your Coco? Are you pre-soaking clones? If your clones yellow fast you could have too much light or too wet. What kind of light are they under? Answer these questions and I can try to help you out. Once you get it down they will always root fast. I see you are doing this in a tent, do you have vegging plants in there as well?
ganjasuiteseat
Member
just read the tread,omg good s'hit' thunk ima try coco with autos.
dunkydunk
Member
Thanks Slow, I use Clonex gel, I always have. I soak the cut clones in Clonex solution or roots excel before they go into the coco, which is pretreated with roots excel. They go into the tent with the mother plant under a 48" T5, about two feet away. I use a heat mat if the temps are low, but right now it's plenty warm at 82 degrees. If the coco dries down, I moisten with 50 ppm water.
The prior run didn't wilt, and I got a 100% strike rate after 10-12 days. The latest run wilted, and not all of them bounced back. The humidity hovers around 50%. That's why I was thinking the rubbermaid tote would be a good idea.
The clones don't always yellow, but if the run goes slowly, they'll start yellowing about a week in. A problem I often get is the clones show root nubs, but then fail to pop actual roots.
I pack the coco into the cups pretty tight, I have to stab a whole with a pencil to slide the clone in, and then I lightly tamp the coco back around the stem.
So maybe I have too much light and too little humidity?
What kind of Coco are you using? I use pure Canna Coco, but I pre-treat it with half strength nutes. I do not pre-treat Coco with Roots Excell, only pre-soak clones for 20 in or so. One thing about Roots Excell, it is strong stuff. If you use too much, that can make your clones yellow as well. I have been just mixing a drop of Clonex gel into a cup of water and pre-soak my clones.
Your clones are wilting because of the humidity. Your light should be fine. The clones should never wilt. If you have a tent, you can just get a couple clear totes from the store. Buy 2 of them, use one to put your clones in, then flip the other one over and that can be your dome. Or be ghetto like me and just use saran wrap over the top of a bucket or rubbermaid. Either way get your humidity up and your clones will never wilt. This will also keep your Coco damp. If your Coco dries out, the stem will get loose from the Coco and dry out...causing problems. Never let the Coco dry out.
A few minor tweaks and you will be golden. Let me know what kind of Coco you are using, this could cause failure. Canna is finely ground and clean. I always pre treat with half strength nutes, it gives the plant food when it develops roots. If you are using different Coco it could need to be flushed first and then pre-treated. Or if it is coarse or has perlite it can dry out faster. Let me know, I will help you get better results. Oh yeah, how big are your clones and what part of the plant are you taking them from? I put a node or 2 under ground atleast under the Coco and peel the node downward exposing a strip all the way down the stem...this helps a ton. Good luck
dunkydunk
Member
I use Botanicare Cocogro expanded with my base water, the same stuff I grow in. I primed what I needed for cloning with Roots Excel, not weak nutes as you suggested. Back to the drawing board.
Even with domes, the humidity hovers at 48%. I think the upside down clear storage tote would serve better than the crap plastic mondi dome over a nursery flat I have now. Maintaining humidity in the summertime isn't a problem around here, but this winter air is keeping the basement dry. And I run two sealed rooms, so on the other side of the wall I'm emptying a dehuey.
Thanks for taking the time, cloning by far is my weakest link, my technique needs to evolve.
Even with domes, the humidity hovers at 48%. I think the upside down clear storage tote would serve better than the crap plastic mondi dome over a nursery flat I have now. Maintaining humidity in the summertime isn't a problem around here, but this winter air is keeping the basement dry. And I run two sealed rooms, so on the other side of the wall I'm emptying a dehuey.
Thanks for taking the time, cloning by far is my weakest link, my technique needs to evolve.
Need 80-90%rh the first 2 days.
Herborizer is right, atleast 2 days if your humidity is low. I just keep mine covered the whole time...but check on them daily and get a bit of fresh air. In summer the humidity is much higher, I do not need a dome. Better to keep your humidity high when trying to clone. If you keep your humidity high they will not wilt or dry out at all. If your clones ever wilt or dry out, your success rate goes down or clones will take longer.
dunkydunk
Member
I'm already behind the 8 ball with this batch, and it'll be another week before the mother has any clones to take, so I'll get it all straight next time.
I did go buy some rubbermaid's at Target last night, the humidity went from 45% to 90%.
Winning formula is to follow slowandeasy's directions on the first page. Careful attention to ensuring the coco is not soaked (I squeeze the coco between both my hands, fairly hard, before putting into cup). Also, temperature is critical. The temperature in your rubbermaid needs to be no less then 80F and no higher than 86F (or it will delay rooting times). I use a heating mat and put a temperature monitor in my rubermaid (I have a remote display so I can monitor it).
Make sure the nodes you cut (where branches were) are under the coco and have gel on them by the time you are done putting the into your coco. You don't want it to suck in air.
Put in rubbermade container, spray lid of container (not plants) and seal up tight. I even tape the edges to ensure 100% sealed. You goal here is to leave them sealed for the first 48 hours.
I put a paper towel over the rubbermaide lid to ensure the clones don't get too much light.
After the first 48 hours of solitude, I open the lid for 10 minutes per day. Adding 10 more minutes each day. Each time spraying the lid (not plants) with water before replacing it. You want 80-90% RH when the lid is on. FYI, if all things are right, there are actually roots growing after the first 48 hours (not that you can see in the coco though).
By the 5th-7th day, keep the lid off as long as possible (as long as your RH is 50% or more). If they don't wilt after the 5th day leave the lid off. If they wilt, put the lid back on and try again later.
In the first 7 days you need to have 50%+ RH or it will delay things.
After 7 days or less you should see roots in the cup, start feeding. If no roots, after 7 days you might have to give a little water to the coco as it might be getting dry now.
Keep at it, you will get it. I did. I had the most impossible time too. Thanks to Slowandeasy I am a happy cloner now!
Glad to see you are a happy cloner now!!! Now that you have the hang of it...you will never fail. Keeping your environment right and moisture right is the key...no you know, and knowing is half the battle!! Peace
