[Mr. Bongjangles]

Hey everyone, thought I would take a moment to share my preferred cloning method - cell trays with perlite.

It's very simple, requires filling the tray with water about once a week, and I've not lost a single cutting so far using this method. Roots have been typically popping out of the cells in 10-14 days, without rooting hormones. Another week or so and they fill out the cells very nicely.



I use the old school seedling propagation trays with 72 cell "popsicle" inserts. Usually about 2 dollars each.



With perlite in the holes and a bit of water in the tray, I've found the perlite acts as a wick and maintains a proper amount of moisture for cloning. It also maintains an adequate amount of oxygen, as no air stone has been needed in the tray.

I add fresh water to the tray every 5-7 days, super hands-off. Another benefit is that each cutting has its own space to root, making extraction safe and easy.



In addition, it takes very little perlite to fill the holes in the tray, so a 5 dollar bag can easily make hundreds of clones.

Here's a quick breakdown of how I prepare a batch, with pictures for visual people like me:

I use a funnel to fill the cells quickly, then put water in the tray and let the perlite soak some up. Once the perlite is properly hydrated (20 min later,) I poke holes in each cell, then insert the clones and pack the perlite down around the stem. Repeat till full, then off to the clone shelf.



So that's about it.. Nothing revolutionary, but I think by combining elements of old and new methods, I've found something simple and low maintenance that works really well for me and will likely do the same for anyone else who gives it a shot.

Thanks for sharing. Hoping to use that some day.

you had suggested this in chat, I tried it, It worked like a charm

well done

[BlueberryTerry]

Excellent!! This is an idea I've been wanting to try for quite some time... really glad to see it worked so well for you!!

[oldschool55]

Great info Mr. B. Question, have you tried this method with vermiculite? I recently have been using vermiculite rather than perlite in my soil mixes to lighten them up. The vermiculite is extremely light weight, and has a very nice property of absorbing and releasing water. Wondering if you had experimented with this material? Just to confirm, you do not use any rooting hormone? I will definitely give a test run with the cell method, maybe experiment with each media to see how both perform. Thanks for the info.
Peace

[Vetus Fossor]

I use straight perlite to clone in but in styrofoam cups with holes punched an inch or so above the bottom. Set 'em in a plastic holder. Water 'em and wait. It works for me. Tip of the hat to you, Mr. Bongjangles.

[InjectTruth]

Originally Posted by oldschool55

Great info Mr. B. Question, have you tried this method with vermiculite? I recently have been using vermiculite rather than perlite in my soil mixes to lighten them up. The vermiculite is extremely light weight, and has a very nice property of absorbing and releasing water. Wondering if you had experimented with this material? Just to confirm, you do not use any rooting hormone? I will definitely give a test run with the cell method, maybe experiment with each media to see how both perform. Thanks for the info.
Peace

In Mel Franks book, Marijuana Growers Guide, a side by side experiment showed perlite/verm 50/50 to be the best cloning medium. I used to poke holes in ice cube trays, fill it with this mix and clone with that. Super simple.

Straight perlite helps mitigate over watering. Id be a little nervous about leaving the verm mixture sitting in any water at all, but with straight perlite, its no problem.

[oldschool55]

Truth, that sounds correct to me, vermiculite does seem to hang onto water a bit, so a 50/50 mix with perlite sounds great, thanks for the take.

[dub 6]

Hey Mr. B, what kinda light is that you use for your clones?

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