Clones keep dying.

[SmokinErb]

Okay I have NO IDEA what the problem is here.

Simply put before this grow, I was keeping near 80% of my clones. With this grow I'm keeping maybe 20% it's ridiculous.

I've been trying to clone from my Mandala#1 and Speed Queen females, they're now about a week into flower.

Basically all of my clones are wilting over then dying. I'm not doing anything different (my growing medium instead of peat pots). This is my 3rd (and final) batch of clones. I don't even have anything else to cut Basically all of my donor plants are looking like charlie brown's Christmas tree now that I've taken the damn cuttings.

1st batch - Cut 8 of them. Place in water. Re-cut under water. Clonex. Into moist medium. I think I managed to keep 3/8, sex was being determined and I pulled all the males but one before they rooted. The 2 females were both Speed Queen and were traded for 2 NL5 clones.

2nd batch - Cut IDK how many more. I think 2 are living? Maybe.


3rd batch - 20 cuts. Every single one (except one) is wilting over real bad. Not even just drooping... I expect that... This is... "laying on the dirt" wilting.

No nutes. They get misted. I've got a humidity dome (I think that's making it worse... too wet?)

Please tell me I can save these? I don't have the MEANS of taking any more cuts.

3 pics:

Shortly after making the cuts.

The day after making the cuts, under the humidity dome.

Today (4th day). They looked about the same yesterday. I took off the humidity dome in hopes they'd perk up, but they didn't. So the humidity dome is back on for now.

I have no idea what's up. They're about 20" from 120w CFL. Yeah the medium is wet, but I don't think it's TOO wet. Maybe too much misting?

HALP!

 

[stonedar]

I'll take a shot in the dark, how old is your clonex?
Did you store it properly?
when you use gels, don't dip the stem directly into the jar, dump some out into another container. the stuff does go bad.
I'm prolly wrong, you maybe have brand new clonex.
on a side note I like dip 'n grow the best, it contains both types of rooting hormone (IBA & NAA) it will root a tooth pic.
everything else you mention sounds like you are doing it right.
I typically leave the dome on for 7-8 days, then start hardening them off...
sorry for your issues

 

[SmokinErb]

I'll take a shot in the dark, how old is your clonex?
Did you store it properly?
when you use gels, don't dip the stem directly into the jar, dump some out into another container. the stuff does go bad.
I'm prolly wrong, you maybe have brand new clonex.
on a side note I like dip 'n grow the best, it contains both types of rooting hormone (IBA & NAA) it will root a tooth pic.
everything else you mention sounds like you are doing it right.
I typically leave the dome on for 7-8 days, then start hardening them off...
sorry for your issues

Brand new. Less than 2 weeks old. I pour it into a disposable shot glass. My METHOD isn't what's wrong I don't believe.

My last batch I DIDN'T scrape the bottom inch, I just took a steep angle cut. I did this because of my lack of success with the 1st 2 batches. I figured maybe the time it took me to scrape was letting air in the stem.

Do I need pull 'em up, scrape 'em and re-dip 'em in clonex? It's only been a few days since the cut. Basically I feel like they're lost though.

It's always been "take the cutting and forget about it" up until these =/

 

[stonedar]

I personally never scrape or split the stem. I do make my cuttings so that one or two places where I cut a node are below ground (into the media)

sounds like your METHOD is fine, like I said before just thought I'd ask about the clonex.

I sure hope you figure out whats wrong

 

[Grass Lands]

what medium are you using...you say you went from peat pots to your medium...? If this is the case the medium may be way to hot for the little cuts handle...I used to use my mix to root with and had the same symptoms as you...tested the medium and it was at 1400PPM's it was actually cooking the cuts...lost the entire run...from that point I use nothing but seed starter mix, filtered water and it back to normal...

Just a thought...

Peace
GL

 

[SmokinErb]

Nah, straight into the medium. It's the same soilless mix that I usually use. I've had problems with peat holding too much water in the past.

If I could change anything, I'd have mixed the medium 50/50 with perlite, but I didn't think it was going to be necessary so I didn't do it (I was EHHH on it because my perlite is MiracleGro stuff)

Basically my question is are these too far gone? Or could they still bounce back? Could this be a symptom of over watering? (That's my #1 suspicion - could have been a bit heavy with the misting)

Meh, I've got 2 weeks from yesterday to get these rooted and vegged.

 

[Grass Lands]

I've used the MG perlite...and when I tested its runoff it was over 1300 PPM's

They dump a crap load of nutes in theres....

I use Promix...tested its run off and it was at the 800 PPM mark...still way to high for the cuts...

If they were mine I would go grab some seed mix with no nutes in it (if using MG, it has nutes in it) best to use is ferry morse if ya can find it...nice light airy mix...

Pull them and re-cut and place in the new mix...not sure they can be saved but its worth a shot...

Also, if using a dome they really should not be misted...this can create a environment for mold to grow...the only time fresh cuts should be misted is when they are not under a dome and then they should only need to be misted for the first couple days until they stand back up on their own...

 

[feral]

I'm don't know shit about cloning in fact I'm in process of doing my first ones now, but you say you have a 120 watt CFL 20" away. If that is the actual wattage and not the equivalent you may have to much light.

 

[SmokinErb]

That's actual wattage. 3x 40w (or 42w, not sure) CFL's.

Meh CFL's @ 20" being too much? Any other feedback on this? Just unscrewed 2 and running 40-42 for the time being.

My medium is nute-free. I don't have a PPM meter, so I have no idea what the run-off is. I just use tap-water. My tap water is about 7.0 on the pH mark, I should probably have lowered that I take it?

Never had a problem doing it this way before. I've got the dome taken off, trying to dry them out a little bit. Fuck this is so frusturating. I BUTCHERED my plants for these clones. I literally cut off everything but the two main branches on each one (they've all been topped twice). THESE NEED TO LIVE.

 

[CANNATOPIA]

What are the average temps? It seems to me that My clones work better for me when they are at exact temps & with very little watering. I mist them twice a day with just enough water to get the leaves wet. About 75 deg temp & 80 to 85 percent humidity works good for me & I also use clonex. Over watering is what my guess would be. Good luck friend.

 

[SmokinErb]

Strange. I don't know my temps, actually. My thermometer gave out, and all I can get is a humidity reading. I think that's jacked up too. Should be 77-82 degrees. I've only misted them maybe 4 times in 3 days? My soil's just pretty damn wet. That's why I said I would mix it 50/50 perlite if I could do it over. Still not as wet as a peat pot can get though.

 

[SmokinErb]

To be honest, I'm really confused. I've had satisfactory success up until this grow with cloning. I've been cloning since my first grow, 9 years ago. I never even pH'd my water (my tap has always been around 6.80-7.0), mist them not even once a day, and pretty much just forget about them until they start growing.

Yeah I expect wilting, what I don't expect is to see them laying on the ground totally. I'm 100% confused here, I've had wetter and drier conditions. More and less humid conditions. More and less nute conditions. I'm following a method that has proven to be highly effective for me for the past 7 years (my first few attempts were about 50% but still better than what this is looking to be)

Strain maybe? None of my cuts were taken from the top, they were all lower branch stuff. I think there's a few that are too far gone already. Some of 'em look like they got a fighting chance. I'm thinking about sticking them under the HID (at the very bottom under the canopy away from direct light) for the higher temps tonight when they come on. Any feedback on this idea?

 

[feral]

I'm running a 26 watter at 18" and everything seems fine so far. Of course I'm doing 2 different types of cloning to see which will be the best for my grow style:
1. a bubble cloner and 2. my version of the walmart ice tube cloner.
I was trying a straight up water cloning method with just willow water instead of reg. water and that turn disastrous.
From my understanding you want just enough light to get them to work on growing roots. To much light and they try to continue to put out new growth in the leaves. Plus that much light with a humidity dome might be frying them from the heat.....not sure. Need to get some of the old heads in here to help.

 

[SmokinErb]

Shouldn't be heat. The closet itself it cool, temps inside the humidity dome like 8" from the light were about 88 when I had seedlings in it. This is a lot further from the light in a rather cool closet.

Maybe it's just because they're about a week in flower? I mean I know 2 weeks is the "safe" number, but... I'm running out of ideas other than overwatering. Won't know until they dry out I guess.

 

[cyberwax]

What i would do;

Loose the dome.
Stop misting the plants, just make sure the medium is properly moist.
Exchange that 120w cfl for a 30w cfl.

Even tho you had success 9 years ago and your method worked i doubt this is the same strain, different strains different methods and tolerance.

 

[Hazy Lady]

If you want 100% success, 7 to 12 days to root, with little maintenance? get a cloner, for the few $ they cost they pay for themselves 1st use.
A cloner will allow you to take cuts in any stage with the same 100% success, trust me, I hold the clone record for 'longest in flower when cut' in the Guinness book of Records
Don't chew your liver over lost cuts, bite the bullet and get an X-steam or EZ Cloner, you'll kick yourself you didn't do it years ago, no matter what rates you had previously.

 

[enter sandman]

Botanicare Daisy Cloner is what you need. It's an areoponic cloner, bout $65 on 4hydoponics. It's a small one for people who don't clone huge amounts. You can get either the 4 site version or the 8 site one, same price. Since I purchased this, I've had darn near 100% success rates. Hazy Lady is right. I don't know why I did not get one of these long ago. You just pop yer clones in and forget.....no maintaining proper moisture in the medium & all that crap.

 

[Hazy Lady]

Thank's brother sandman.
You really will be delighted with any of the 3 or 4 mentioned Smokin', good luck with that 3rd lot anyway, you can try for a re-veg if you are unlucky but I hope you don't need to.

 

[HempAlchemist]

your medium looks a lil too wet and too compacted. that might be what is going on. where do you store your unused mix, could it have gotten contaminated with some mold or something. thats really all i can think of. since you say that you have better success with other plants, it could be that this strain doesnt clone well? a cloner might do the trick, but dont waste money buying a cloner, one can be made for 1/2 the price and work just a good
hope this helps
H.A.

 

[DirtySouthTo707]

Have to agree about the easy cloner, its like a whole different world man. You can easily build your own for the cost of a pump and a rubbermaid container, you could probly even save the ones u have.