cloning for dummies

[thecliogeek]

I have been reading on this site through various names for years and I have always (up until recently) had issues with cloning.

Recently I went and trimmed off a stem that was leaning off my C99 that was pointing straight down towards to ground and it looked like it wasn't going to do much of anything, so it came off. On a whim I trimmed the it down to what most would use as a clone and dipped in Olivia's and "just stuck it in the pot" of the same pot that it came off of.

Next I put a clear 16oz. *Solo* cup over it to keep the humidity up and just water around the rim of the cup every two days. Low and behold in 10 days it had new leaf growth on the top. Hmmm..

It was that easy? All these cloners ( I have 3 different types) sitting in the corner, cloning odds and ends, and every other thing I had bought to aid in my cloning war.

Now, I use a colored Solo cup for a base and a clear 16oz for a top for 10 days and remove the top. I use tape to keep the clear cup on top attached to the bottom for 10 days. After ten days 90% of the cuts are growing new tops, and after 15 days I have 100% success rate. I have tried with and without Olivia's and other cloning powders, always works. No cloner tubs, no changing water in tanks or tubs, I use only city water with all the wonderful stuff the water distrists use to put in the water to make it safe. And that is it!! Works every time!

I know everyone has their own method, but this is simply the easy way for me to clone. I have cloned everything I have, Humboldt, Amensia, Blueberry (Indica and Sativa), C99, Flo, etc.., all rooted in less than 15 days, with most going only 7 to 10 days. I feed after the 15 day mark, by then the

For the cost, it is two packs of solo cups, one clear - the top (to allow light to get to tops), and one colored - the base (to protect roots from light). Pretty basic.. if you are having trouble cloning, I would say give this way a try. make sure you do all the things you normally are supposed to do, i.e. cutting with sharp blade, dipping doesn't seems to be necessary, but helps with speed of roots, and making sure the tops are covered until rooted.

I started "playing" with this way a couple weeks back and now have more clones than I need so I started handing them out to other card holders.

 

[Green Supreme]

I have done the same with solo cups and 1.5 litre water bottles. Cut the bottom of the bottle off to size and slip over the solo cup. After a week take the cap off. Few days later remove the bottle and off she goes. good luck folks. Peace GS

 

[GadgetGuy]

What type of soil are you using when you do this? I've had a lot of trouble cloning as well (although my last round with rapid rooters has been my best so far) and I was thinking about trying some more traditional methods. I have a bunch of Elephant cuttings hanging out in a few glasses of water now and next I was thinking about trying coco or FFOF in cups in a humidity dome just for giggles. I have a few good sized mother plants that I grew out strictly to practice with and so I don't lose the genetics because they are SWEET.

Thank you for the write up. I'll be trying this next.

 

[High Country]

Lot's of ways to clone...isn't there.

DIRT

COCO/PERLITE

GOOD OLD JIFFY PELLETS

HERE'S A BIG MOB OF CLONES IN SPHAGNUM MOSS

YOU CAN EVEN CLONE A LEAF

And 100's of other methods available...just experiment a bit.

 

[Mantaray]

Cloning is simple if you keep it simple. Many way to kill to a bird. You don't even need to using rooting hormones, though they can speed things up.

High Country has the right of it.

 

[thecliogeek]

soil

soil

The soil I use is Promix, and it doesn't really matter I guess, jiffy pots, I've seen it in straight water, but no matter what I did I'd have trouble. I would santize all items in a cloner and one time would work and one time they'd go mushy. I'd use jiffy pots and they'd yellow before they'd root. I use the same soil I use for the mature plants.

It was just on a whim that I cut off a C99 bottom branch to clean it up a bit and just stuck it in the soil of it's mother, one week after I noticed new growth.

When doing clones, no matter what I did I would get results one time and nothing the next, but with this way, I set up more than I needed (20) just in case and ended up with all but one getting roots. I don't even trim the leaves when I do this. I have also taken a whole branch and made two and three clones out of it. I just found this way to be the easiest and nothing to buy and a couple packs of Solo Brand cups, one colored (to protect the roots from light), and one clear (to let light in). I started with smaller clear cups thinking I wouldn't need the taller area but have since switched to both of the cups being 16ozers. I have seen a lot of people saying it is easy, I have seen as many or more saying they have issues, what ever the issue, some just couldn't make it work or couldn't get consistent results.

Just thought I'd throw it out there. If you are having any issues with cloner and want to try a different way then try this.

One solid colored cup (with 4 small holes in bottom) with growing medium (soil or soiless) cut and treat the cutting as you would in any other cloning situation, i.e. sterile blade, leave a node at the bottom of your cut, I dip in Olivia's sometimes and sometimes use the cloning powder, make sure at least an inch of stem is in the medium, I use 2 inches and try to get two nodes in the ground if I can. water with enough water to have it come out the bottom. Put clear cup over plant and place on top of colored cup. Add two small pieces of tape to hold together. Wait 2 days before opening for 5 mins., then replace and open every two days. I have left them go all the time without letting in fresh air and have had no problems with mold. That may not be the case if you try it, I have my basement very dry (40 to 55% hum.) and never had a mold issue with these. After the new growth starts just add ferts, at a 1/4 or less ratio of a regualr dose.

The seems just so simple to me and the amount of effort I use to do these, I was using 1o times that amount water cloners, changing water constantly, making sure pump doesn't clug with slime, etc.. I am not saying I invented this way, I'm sure it as old as agriculture is old. But to have it explained this way, has never happened, at least that I have seen. Most over complicate it, probably not purposely, but maybe they seem to think it is better, they may have used it forever. It was just so simple, stick it in the ground and it will grow.

I have since started sticking them in 1 gallon pots with ProMix and put a clear 16 oz cup on it. Water around cup with maybe a cup of water every day, I have new growth in 7 to 10 days, depending on strain.

On a side note, I had better luck with cloners by using straight city water with all the chemicals included. But changing the well every week was a pain. Stick a prepped stem in the dirt and cover it, is all you need really.

 

[RockstarsEarWax]

I find my little 1 Gallon DWC cloner to work best and is super easy and fairly maintenace free, just keeping p.h. @ 5.5 with RO water is key and occasionally topping off due to evaporation. I then keep that in a sealed chamber that allows the humidity to become sufficient with an occasional door opening for 5 minutes allowing for air exchange. My success rate has always been 100 percent with this method, keeping in mind the more dissolved oxygen you can put in the water under the cutting, the quicker you will see root development, generally in 4-7 days. The more surface area on the stem/cutting, the more root development. I always peel back/score cuttings about 1 inch from the cut point. Splitting stems also helps create more surface area, creating a higher success rate.

 

[Octothorp]

Very nice posts you guys, It's a relief to hear that its not that complicated. I was just wondering about how long you can wait to take clones?

Peace

 

[TexMex McDirt]

I had problems with cloning for ages, then I tried this method "World class cloner new at walmart" http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=42847

100% success almost every time now. There are lots of ways to clone, this is the one I found works for me.

Good luck. Happy farming. Stay safe. Peace.

 

[Oregonism]

I cut the stem at least at the 4th node and cut the leaves off at that 4th node, then plop it. I have used everthing from honey, cloning gel, cloning powder, my own mixes, kittenbell's extract, nettle extract, ground charlie [wild mint, related to catnip] extract, fancy, expensive, no bell's and whistles and finally filtered water. Plain ole filtered water gives me my best results, not surprisingly.

 

[Jellyfish]

I think genetics play a part too. Some strains clone easy, some take a little more babying.

 

[Seedlin]

Running my first batch right now. One week in my wally world cloned and they don't look bad to me...

 

[supermanlives]

dummies should know olivias contains zero rooting compounds. hell i didnt realise it for a few years LOL want better results try another rooting product. i switched to woods.olivias is just weakass ferts suitable for cloning. still got the gel and a quart of liquid. jel lasts longer in the fridge.

 

[thecliogeek]

Olivia's

Olivia's

You know, I never thought to look it up what was in Olivia's. After you saying that it doesn't have any rooting compound in it, I look it up and you are right, it is pretty much a weak nutrient solution with a gel to stop air from going up in the stem. It was sort of hard finding it but did find the MSDS (Safety sheet for all chemicals) and there you have it.

I have always heard good things but will start using my Hormex exclusively which "claims" to have 6 rooting compounds. But I do know that I have used nothing but soil and water and worked just fine, but took a little longer.

I just made a batch of 6 and will take a photo of it and get them posted hopefully by this weekend.

 

[thecliogeek]

here is the pic I promised

here is the pic I promised

I promised to show a pic of finished clone cups. I have used the 8 oz cups for tops because of smaller cuttings. But is simply as this.