Nice. I have gotten to the point where I am pumping out about 1500 clones a week. I use a dome because I use rock wool cubes due to the need of space and while being in a dome does give me more of a chance of damping off, it also helps me not kill them when I do not have time to water or forget to during the day as it keeps moisture in the area longer and clones can get water via stomata if cubes run a tad dry ..
I realized the light thing when all my clones directly under lights would lag rooting or burn. Everything by the edge or outer area of lights reach would root faster.
I used to use EZ cloner and botanicare cloners. I had the 180 site and 120 site EZ C's but realized I could put WAY more in the same space using RW.
I went from using the 1.5 cubes to the A-OK starter plugs as they are denser and seem to make roots come out thicker and not as skinny when doing a side by side. I put em in a 72 site tray, put some perlite in the bottom, and it will take about 12 hours maybe longer than using an EZcloner to go through cube. Used to get roots at fastest in couple hours shy of 4 days. Only a couple strains out of 32 though but you have to remember popping roots and rooting through a cub are different. Some plants pop roots and take another 1-1/2 days possibly to come out of the cube. EZcloners from my experience dont really root that much faster, few hours maybe, what they are great for is the success rate, ease of use without having to water daily but also are more work with water changes, cleaning them every week, specially the collars. As I do agree that soaking your cuts in a nutrient solution doesn't do any good.. Soaking them in a rooting mix does. Here is the difference. Nutrient solution in this case is any N-P-K base nute. GH 3 part at their 1/4 tsp g seedling/cutting mix dyna-gro heavy 16 etc etc. A rooting mix is slightly different.
Let me give you my little mix that I use but not specific because I own a clone company and would like to keep my recipe proprietary. I soak them in a mix like this or with these ingredients. I soak the cuts in this mix for about 24-36 hours although the later is due to running out of time during the days. Also the soak helps keep the cuttings from wilting in the process from cut to cube.
Cut mix
Kelp ( preferably you want one that contains Tryptophan, not all do and zinc as zinc is a co factor in the rooting process )
Kelp contains Gibberelins and Cytokins which are naturally occuring hormones that will aid in the rooting process )
Super Thrive
A Liquid Mycorrhiza
Rooting agent like: Dip n Grow, KLN etc NOT a rooting enhancer like Rapid Start etc Try to avoid nitrogen products here
A Pinch of Pure Phosphorus ( Raw brand is a nice choice here )
I also soak my RW cubes in this mix for 24 hours
Once ready I take the cuttings and dip them into my Rootech gel immediately after removing from cut soak one at a time the gel helps keep the soak on the stem and also seals the wound from cutting the clones.
I will also then mist them with PH water with a small amount of Amino Acids. Amino acids containing tryptophan ( not all do btw )
this will also have small trace elements that are co factors in rooting.
Then All I do is make sure the cubes stay moist not saturated. I want my cubes to be wet enough to sustain the cuts but also just wet enough that they can dry out completely in about 24-36 hours.
I get huge roots white THICK and fuzzy as hell starting in 3 and half days with a 99.9% success ratio. Almost 100% as in my EZcloner.
Warning to all you EZcloners or any one using something similar either DIY or store bought. GO EASY if you are going to try messing with a recipe like the above. Very fine line between healthy and TORCHED clones. Trust me. I torched over 500 cuts once and was only at a 385 ppm in my EZ cloner. Have fun
Mr. Clone
So Cal.
