Clones won,t root.....

[jarff]

I used to clone ayear ago with almost 100% success...still using the same method as before but with almost 200 cut in past month my success rate is down to 15%
I use Grodan rockwool 1.5X1.5" (98 to a slab)
I usually cut it down to about 75 cubes to give more room in the plastic tray.
I use Olivia,s or Roots,or Bio-Gel cloning gel......
I soak the cubes for 24 hours at 5.5/6.0 ph.sometimes use GH flora M,G,B at 1.5/gallon in the water I soak the cubes in.
I have a Hydrofarm heating mat that will hold two trays.I usually put several ceramic tiles under the trays so they don,t overheat.Temps run 75/80 degrees.Use a high dome stating off.Using a T8 four tube cfl @about 28 watts per bulb.......Always remove dome several times a day to remove moisture.RH is about 80.
I cloned with this method for several yrs without problems...but now..Having bad bad luck.
After two weeks of no roots I,ll take one of the cubes out and remove the cutting and all I have is an enlarged bulb type growth at the spot where I sliced the cutting on a 45% angle.If I leave the clones for a month then some roots will start to appear,but not worth bothering with as the leaves are usually rough looking at this stage.I don,t understand the enlarged bulbous end on the end where the cutting was sliced.It looks like a miniature parsnip.
Sorry got no pix....btw the clones were taken from fresh from seed AK48,Critical Mass and BOG bogglegum sexed mothers....any help appreciated

jarff

 

[KUSHEATER1]

has happen to me also and I couldn't figure it out, I went back to my bubble cloner roots in 5 days

 

[jarff]

Yeah ..I,m thinking of going with a cloner also...seems to be the answer these days..I was blaming it on the Grodan,but tried other brands.....
thanx for advice man...
jarff

 

[High Country]

The enlarged bulbous end of the clone forms prior to roots developing. Difficult to establish why the roots don't continue to form particularly if you had success in the past. Are the mums nice and healthy? 2-3 weeks should be enough for roots to develop. Interesting problem, not sure what the answer is.

 

[U4EA]

How old is that particular mom? Don't mean how long since original germination, but how long did you have that particular cutting vegged for?

Some people will disagree but I feel like I've had bad luck with some really old moms, and simply reviving it from a new rooted cutting fixed it right up.

Also making sure your trays and the container you soaked the rockwool in are fairly clean, maybe a quick rinse with H2O2. I know it's not directly related, but I've had some funny moments with what seems "germs" or "bacteria" in aero cloning, where sterilization of all equipment fixed it overnight. (Not H2O2 in the water used for aero cloning, but just rinsing/cleaning everything with H2O2/bleach.)

I'm assuming everything else is the same. i.e., nothing has changed except time (& age/size of mother obviously).

 

[toastfighter2]

I really wish that I could tell you what you are doing wrong man, because losing 75 cuttings would have me pissed off to no end. You could try to scarify the cuttings, but for that many it would be a PITA. In all reality though, if you are going for that many clones, a DIY aero cloner would be a good investment. For under $40 you can set one up for as many clones as you want, and if you leave enough space between them, you could even veg them in there for a couple weeks if you wanted/needed to. Freezerboy put together a thread on various ways to clone, with links to more detailed instructions on the actual building of the units, although most are so simple that all you really need is a picture.https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=169382

 

[~superman~]

Do you scape the sides of your clones?

 

[jarff]

The moms were from seed and probably several months old.nice and healthy as some of them are in flower now and are huge.I took clones when the moms were about three feet tall and like I said very healthy.I,ve got an assortment inc: MNS Shit.MNS Crit Mass.Nirvana AK 48,and Bog Bogglegum..Beautiful plants,esp.Critical mass and BOG.
I,m not new to cutting clones as I,ve been doing it for several yrs and have gotten roots in as little as 7 days in the past....It is frustrating to say the least.
I think I,m gonna go with an aero cloner,and if that don,t work then I,m gonna start buying em at $10 a peice ):........btw I have been scarifying the cutting...
I dunno..Keep tryin..Thanx for the link toastfighter2. also to all who have given their suggestions

jarff

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

Those swollen parts are called callouses and they form before the roots. They're normal at a few days, but then they should make roots right away. One thing that comes to mind is light. It sounds like too much. Plants actually root faster in dimmer light. I've been getting 100% using almost the identical method as you are, but my dome is off to the side of a T5 setup, a good 15" from the top of the dome and another 8" down to the cuts. That means they're about 2 feet away from the light. I've noticed that the further away I put the cuts, the faster they root. This is probably because shade tells a plant that it's neighbors are growing taller than it, and the best reaction is to compete. Roots first, topgrowth follows.

 

[jim_browsky]

I've been getting 100% using almost the identical method as you are, but my dome is off to the side of a T5 setup, a good 15" from the top of the dome and another 8" down to the cuts. That means they're about 2 feet away from the light. I've noticed that the further away I put the cuts, the faster they root. This is probably because shade tells a plant that it's neighbors are growing taller than it, and the best reaction is to compete. Roots first, topgrowth follows.

Exactly, less light will help them focus on creating roots. I start
mine under T8's then move to T5's after rooted. Same method as
mentioned.

 

[jarff]

Those swollen parts are called callouses and they form before the roots. They're normal at a few days, but then they should make roots right away. One thing that comes to mind is light. It sounds like too much. Plants actually root faster in dimmer light. I've been getting 100% using almost the identical method as you are, but my dome is off to the side of a T5 setup, a good 15" from the top of the dome and another 8" down to the cuts. That means they're about 2 feet away from the light. I've noticed that the further away I put the cuts, the faster they root. This is probably because shade tells a plant that it's neighbors are growing taller than it, and the best reaction is to compete. Roots first, topgrowth follows.

That is something i,ve been wondering about concerning light.I have some plants in veg under a 400 MH which is about ten feet away from where the clones are sitting under the T8 4 tube.
The 400 MH is on 18/6 while the T8 is on 24 hours.It does make a bunch of sense that I am getting too much light......
My brain isn,t as clear as it once was,and the helper I have hasn,t had a brain that deveoped yet...I am 60+ and my helper is 30 with a go-too fast work ethic..lol..gotta slow down.
Thnx Mr Greengenes...I will take your advice as it does make a lot of sense......
I appreciate all the good feedback..IC is great

jarff

 

[IceCream]

If your cloning gel went bad that could cause them to not root. Its happened to me in the past. Once i got the new gel 5 days later i had roots.

 

[jarff]

Always use fresh cloning gel....I finally got roots from about 60 clones I cut about four weeks ago.I put them in darkness for a day and the roots are popping out.....still healthy lookin,so I,m gonna give them a try. I do believe I had too much light on them...Gonna cut more shortly and try a small amount of light from my T-8 and see how it works out.Thanx for the info...
jarff

 

[toastfighter2]

To cut back the intensity of your light, you can stretch a white garbage bag over a wood frame, almost like a green house. It will block a lot of light and diffuse what light makes it in.

 

[maxima32]

i am the type of person that swears by the cleeshay , Method to madness. And even though many hort guys or girls practice different procedures when cloning the overall method is in general the same process and principle. The only factor that i have saw give varied results is type of strain . I havent worked with your particular genes but some strains just do not follow general rooting results. Weird since yourr post says you have had succesful results with the these progeny. did the fathers change from these sexed mothers ?

 

[LeenieBean]

I agree with the light intensity- I did originally have my clones off to the side of a t-5 light, but since moving the new cuttings into the area around the mom's canopy- like they would root if it happened in nature I've had much better success. I have tried a bunch of different ways, but my foolproof method. I mean fool proof- no goofups unless my cab overheats like an oven. - Put rapid rooters in a 8" square pot filled half full with soil, insert cuttings as you like- water it and cover with saran wrap. I leave the saran wrap on 5 days and usually have roots within 7. very little loss of clones. Have tried this same method using rockwool to similar success.

not to say anyone else's method doesn't work or mine is better, but it has worked the best for me so far, and find it maintenance free with no misting at all. Good for me... I'm bad at following schedules... S

 

[maxima32]

but the poster said he has had success with this method over several years. hard to believe its light intensity or lack there off in cloning stage. Light just doesnt play much of a role unless you got a hot hid 10 feet above .

 

[Snagglepuss]

If u want a challenge try rooting Snowdog bx2,ive tried about 8 cuts so far and nothing.Everything else ive ever had went with the program.After a few trys tops..I guess ill just go for the re-veg..It appears to be a shit ton yielder too...I think sometimes its strain dependent...

 

[maxima32]

dude i agree. My chemdog is the worst to clone ! that whole deisel lineage has given me mad issues !

 

[reckon]

i am the type of person that swears by the cleeshay , Method to madness. And even though many hort guys or girls practice different procedures when cloning the overall method is in general the same process and principle. The only factor that i have saw give varied results is type of strain . I havent worked with your particular genes but some strains just do not follow general rooting results. Weird since yourr post says you have had succesful results with the these progeny. did the fathers change from these sexed mothers ?

TOTALLY strain dependent

I have to baby the living shit out of some strains to get them to root, and others you toss a cut on a wet towel, and you have roots in a week,....so it's NOT you,...you just need to make small changes until the fucker strain responds.



oh and p.s. maxima32, it's "cliche" (it's a friggin french word, you pretty much had it right)