CLONING WITH SPHAGNUM MOSS BY HIGH COUNTRY

High Country · Sep 8, 2010

Well due to recent success with a couple of clone runs I have been asked to describe my method. I have tried aeroponics, bubblers, coco/perlite and water. Most methods were pretty successful and sometimes they were a massive failure.

Recently, just for something different I decided to use sphagnum moss as the clone medium. On the first run 48 out of 52 formed roots, on the second 62 out of 62. That's a 92% and 100% strike rate respectively. I found the success rate quite amazing as I have never heard of sphagnum moss being used as a cloning medium. Generally I do true SOG'S, clones in at 4 per sq/ft and need a very high clone strike rate.

So today I did another clone run. This time I cut 70 clones and used sphagnum moss as the clone medium.

The strain is unknown, very indica dominant, if not 100%, perfect for single cola SOG

This is how I do it. (long post, lot's of pics). I will follow up with pics of the previous two clone runs.

MUMS, WELL FED AND HYDRATED

SPHAGNUM MOSS, CLONEX, TRIMMERS, SCISSORS, DIBBLE STICK, VERY SHARP CERAMIC KNIFE

SPHAGNUM MOSS LOOSE IN THE TRAY, ALL KINDS OF THINGS IN IT

LOTS OF GREEN BITS

TRAY FILLED AND WATERED

A LIKELY LOOKING GROWTH TIP, NOTE THE PRE FLOWERS EVEN THOUGH THE MUMS HAVE BEEN ON 18/6 UNDER 430W HPS

GENERALLY I CUT BELOW A NODE BUT AREN'T TOO FUSSY, ROUGH 45 DEGREE ANGLE

THE CLONE, TIME FOR SOME TRIMMING. THOSE LOWER FAN LEAVES I JUST RIP OFF AND EXPOSE THE CAMBIUM LAYER WHERE THE NEW ROOTS WILL DEVELOP

AFTER RIPPING THEM OFF

DIP IN THE CLONEX

TRIM FAN LEAVES WITH SCISSORS

CREATE A HOLE IN THE SPHAGNUM MOSS WITH THE DIBBLE STICK

POKE THE CLONE IN, I SQUEEZE THE SPHAGNUM MOSS AROUND THE STEM

10 CLONES IN

GETTING THERE

70 CLONES, FULL TRAY

SIMPLE TUB OF WATER WITH AN AQUARIUM HEATER IN IT SET AT 24C OR 75F

PUT THE CLONE TRAY IN A SMALLER TUB AND FLOAT IT IN THE WARM WATER. THIS PROVIDES THE BOTTOM HEAT TO THE ROOT ZONE

MIST ONCE

PUT THE DOME ON, VENTS CLOSED

The dome stays on for 5-7 days, no more misting. Don't prod, poke or tug the poor little things.

They are under two 36W Grolux tubes on 18/6.

At 5-7 days the dome comes off for good. Then I feed with Seasol seaweed extract.

By two weeks I should have roots on all clones and put them under 430W HPS about 36" above them. When I see definite growth I feed with veg nutes at up to 1.0 EC. This strain likes a good feed.

This was todays clone run. I'll post this, grab a beer and then show the results of the previous two runs and you can decide for yourself.

High Country · Sep 8, 2010

OK, here we go again. Cloning that many is a mission, beer in hand, here are the results of the previous clone runs using sphagnum moss.

PREVIOUS RUN, 62 CLONES ABOUT TO GO IN WARM WATER CLONER

3 WEEKS LATER ALL CLONES RAPIDLY DEVELOPING

100% STRIKE RATE, 62 HEALTHY CLONES

BENEATH THE TRAY, ROOTS

4 WEEKS, THE CLONES ARE ON VEG NUTES, EC 1.0, 430W HPS, 18/6, THEY ARE VERY HEALTHY

I LEVER THEM OUT WITH THE DIBBLE STICK

NICE ROOT SYSTEM

VERY HEALTHY ROOT SYSTEM

CLONES AND ATTACHED SPHAGNUM MOSS STRAIGHT INTO A HYDROTON FILLED EBB/FLOW TRAY AT 4 PER SQ/ FT

THRIVING

I need a break, that was a busy few hours, and one more for the hell of it just to get you thinking.

I MANAGED TO GET A FAN LEAF OFF A PLANT 7 WEEKS INTO FLOWER TO PUT OUT ROOTS

WTF!

KolorBlind · Sep 8, 2010

Man this is very interesting....who would have thought? I have a huge bag of peat moss in the garage that I use to make my soiless mix. This would really add up vs. rapid rooters, and man WTF is with that fan leaf?!?! Craziest shit Ive ever seen, like growing an ear on a rat!!

Oh and hey, how did that harvest turn out last go 'round?

+rep and a big thanks!
KB

catcherintheye · Sep 8, 2010

BADASS this is the way to clone.

sneakinman13 · Sep 8, 2010

cool thread. i like!

High Country · Sep 8, 2010

KolorBlind said:
Man this is very interesting....who would have thought? I have a huge bag of peat moss in the garage that I use to make my soiless mix. This would really add up vs. rapid rooters, and man WTF is with that fan leaf?!?! Craziest shit Ive ever seen, like growing an ear on a rat!!

Oh and hey, how did that harvest turn out last go 'round?

+rep and a big thanks!
KB

That leaf clone thing is very strange isn't it. Don't recall why I even tried it, just something to do. That was off a plant 7 weeks into flower about to be harvested. It was cloned in straight tap water. It is now dead. Next time I will try a leaf off on an 18/6 vegging mum and see what happens, tomorrow. Can they grow into a normal plant? Let's find out.

Squiggles · Sep 8, 2010

Nice thread High Country :tiphat:

im giving this method a go with the Z99 and MBS
Thanks again mate

High Country · Sep 8, 2010

I find it funny sometimes reading the cloning threads on this site. Members in a panic, which nutes to use on a 1 day old clone. They have no roots, don;t need them yet. A lot of plants have the ability to clone by themselves through aerial layering, I'm not going to explain it, search. They do it naturally without Clonex purple, bottom heat and misting. In Australia the Grevillea species layer themselves at the drop of a hat, no help required.

But by controlling the environment, especially the temps we can clone reliably. I like keeping everything stable, temps, well trimmed clones and above all patience. Aeroponics and bubblers can put out roots in 7 days, however, not reliably I have found. Sphagnum moss does in two weeks, every one.

FreezerBoy · Sep 8, 2010

Shamelessly stolen and now included in the Cloners Sticky where, among other things, you'll find air layering with moss.

Thanks, High. It didn't make page one but, it's at the top of page two. Top is good. Right?

High Country · Sep 9, 2010

FreezerBoy said:
Shamelessly stolen and now included in the Cloners Sticky where, among other things, you'll find air layering with moss.

Thanks, High. It didn't make page one but, it's at the top of page two. Top is good. Right?

Thank you FreezerBoy, just another simple cloning method to create further confusion in peoples minds as to how to go about cloning. Lot's of different ways to clone out there, all with their merits.

Squiggles · Sep 9, 2010

Darwins White Widow cloned in Sphagnum moss
also mailed in it but that is another story

High Country · Sep 9, 2010

KolorBlind said:
Man this is very interesting....who would have thought? I have a huge bag of peat moss in the garage that I use to make my soiless mix. This would really add up vs. rapid rooters, and man WTF is with that fan leaf?!?! Craziest shit Ive ever seen, like growing an ear on a rat!!

Oh and hey, how did that harvest turn out last go 'round?

+rep and a big thanks!
KB

Don't throw that peat moss out, try cloning in it. I just like giving anything a go. That leaf thing put out roots in plain tap water at about 3 weeks. Taken off a plant 7 weeks into flower, it is now dead, RIP. If you don't have a go you will never know. I'm going to do this again on a vegging mum. I thought rats had ears?

High Country · Sep 15, 2010

7 DAYS FROM TAKING THE CUTS

7 DAYS FROM TAKING THE CUTS

ALL CLONES STILL LOOKING HEALTHY

THE CLONE FOREST, NOTE THE WHITE PISTILS, THE MUMS PUT THESE OUT EVEN ON 18/6 UNDER 430W HPS

FED WITH THE SEAWEED CONCENTRATE AT 2 CAPS PER 9 LITRES

BACK INTO THE TUB AND INTO THE WARM WATER CLONER

EVERYTHING IS NICE AND GREEN, NO SIGN OF ROT

The dome stays off for good now. I have not touched the clones at all, no tugging to check for roots. I should see them coming out of the bottom of the tray in about 7 days. They will stay under the cfl's on 18/6 with warm water at 24C or 75F providing warmth to the root zone.

High Country · Sep 19, 2010

70 CLONES, 11 DAYS FROM TAKING THE CUTS

70 CLONES, 11 DAYS FROM TAKING THE CUTS

The sphagnum moss clone run is going along fine.

MULTIPLE ROOTS NOW APPEARING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAY

70 CLONES

ALL STEMS ARE GOOD, EXCEPT FOR ONE

OVERALL, CLONES ARE GENERALLY HEALTHY AND ON TRACK

A bit more time needed but so far this clone run is going just fine. In a few days I'll start them on weak veg nutes and if they look strong enough under a 430W HPS. Not close though.

b00m · Sep 19, 2010

Excellent thread bro, simplicity at it's best with the sphagnum moss, thanks for sharing your great cloning method, I'll be trying this during the summer grow this year :biggrin:

High Country · Sep 19, 2010

b00m said:
Excellent thread bro, simplicity at it's best with the sphagnum moss, thanks for sharing your great cloning method, I'll be trying this during the summer grow this year

Thanks for the comments bOOm. This sphagnum moss cloning method is turning into the most successful method I have tried so I'm sticking to it. I get to play with a lot of clones at the end of it.

!!! · Sep 19, 2010

Good guide but I wouldn't use a humidity dome. High humidity + heat = bacterial and other contamination and the humidity dome really isn't needed. Force the plant to grow roots if it wants water!

High Country · Sep 19, 2010

!!! said:
Good guide but I wouldn't use a humidity dome. High humidity + heat = bacterial and other contamination and the humidity dome really isn't needed. Force the plant to grow roots if it wants water!

I take the dome off at 5-7 days and that works for me and this particular plant.

High Country · Sep 23, 2010

70 CLONES, DAY 14

70 CLONES, DAY 14

So here we are 2 weeks into the clone run and everything is looking good.

70 CLONES, DAY 14

THIS IS WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR

PURPLE STEMS, THE CLONES VASCULAR SYSTEM IS WORKING

THEY HAVE ROOTS AND ARE TAKING UP NUTRIENTS

Looks like another high strike rate. Clones are now on veg nutes at 1.0 EC under 430W HPS, 18/6. I'll give them another week for the final strike rate percentages.

the gnome · Sep 23, 2010

great cloning tek HC,
I read your original thread where you mentioned and showed pics using sphagnum to clone
after you initial watering and planting how often do you rewater the the peat?

CLONING WITH SPHAGNUM MOSS BY HIGH COUNTRY

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