Taking cuttings

[f-e]

This is my take, on doing cuttings.

A take standard 40 cell tray. Cover it in coco peat (canna coco here) then level it off with a straight edge, avoiding compaction.

Next, I got a couple of liters from my tank, which was bloom. Watered it down to an EC around 0.8 and half filled a prop, to dunk my 40 cell tray in.
If my blocks are 50mm tall, then my water might be 30-40mm deep. The coco is so wet, that just moving the tray about causes the coco to settle a bit.
I remove the trays from the props. Empty the props. Then put the trays of settled wet coco back in the props, and put them in my heated environment for at least 6 hours. Generally overnight. I'm looking for a steady temp between 25 and 28c ideally. Never below 24.

My blocks wet and warm, a take my cuts with sharp scissors and use a liquid hormone. I don't care about nodes, or angled cuts. I just want clean cuttings, that can go 20-25mm deep into the coco. If I'm filling a tray with one strain, I will scissor off the cut, clean up any side growth I must. Then drop it in deep water in the 18c region. Just a jug, that can hold them all about submersed. Then I can take them out, stick them in hormone briefly and plant. Filling the tray quickly. If I'm doing multiple strains, I just scissor, hormone and stick um in. I'm working towards filling the prop as quick as I can. Then with some clean water, spraying the cuts, and in the lid, before getting the lid on and walking away.

I feel it's very important to walk away. No further disturbance.
At 10 days I will open vents, and get the lids off for a brief inspection. Sometimes a dead one might be molding up, so it has to come out.

They are happy till this 10 day point, when the breath of fresh air sets them off growing. By days 12, they are pushing the lid going yellow in the wet. They have to get another dunk. Today was dunking day, so I took some pics. I gave them an 80% strength grow feed, and in a few more days, they will be crying for full strength. As I transition the lids off. Some want it off now, but others would suffer. They will be off by about day 16 though. In fact, I have taken them off now, but it's a small space that will reach 60%. I'm happy with what will follow.

This is day 12, lids lifted briefly at day 10, which made them hungry.
I will just put up the pics. They show how wet the coco is still. It would never dry out without lifting the lids. The big prop is outdoor gear, the small one my 8 for indoors (20 being selected down)

They do look a bit shabby. Especially the outdoors from the more neglected mother stock. It's all in the last few days, where I don't want to disturb them, and couldn't have enough feed in place prior. Again, disturbance is the enemy imo. The fluid movement within the lesser rooted cuts, being influenced greatly by the RH. Day 10, they are fine, but day 12 after a lid lift... amateur hour. Driven by a growth spurt.

I could mess about more, but look at it this way.. I set the schedule, and can set aside as much time as I need for this process. I give it 3 weeks. I got here doing nothing. Nothing.
The thing I'm most happy about... coco in seed trays. It took me years to get away from rockwool.

Please feel free to add links to your own cutting threads. Some of which are much faster, and more involved.

 

[goingrey]

Does that cell tray work well with coco when taking the clone out of it? With soil they're a pain, hard to get it all out in one piece.

 

[f-e]

If you transplant when almost dry, there isn't enough weight in the coco to want to fall away. Presuming you have enough roots to hold it all together. At a nice moisture level, you can put a finger dead center, and just push up a little. Breaking the block free. For it is a block, once the roots have it. If it's being awkward, you can give the cell a little squeeze. Making the block/plug smaller than the cell. Then back to pushing up.

In that large tray, I might find one that leaves half the coco behind. Simply as it wasn't rooted enough. Once well rooted you can just pull them out from above if you feel daring. That one that does split, will be in the portion heading for the bin anyway. Though a block collapse isn't in any way terminal. You don't really loose any roots. If there are roots, and the block is light, then it's coming out. You have obviously used this disposable tray. I have used these for years. That 20 cell was cut from an old tray, maybe 20 crops ago. I'm not having to really bust into them. A bit of a shove from below is typically what's needed.

I think the main goal is getting them well rooted before transplant. Coco is good with small pots. Nothing under 12" tall will be coming out of that outdoor tray. That will mean two dunks per day. They won't ever leave that tray until they are heading out
The indoor ones are going into Terra next. They are actually on soil feed with the Ca put back. It's a long time since I used soil in the seed trays, and just recall I like coco better. It's more hydro like. Which fits better with small root systems (no root system, but everything is at the stump)

 

[f-e]

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Forgot about these.
A wet tray (very exciting)
Some cuts having a little soak in the gel, which may be near pointless.
Some cuts just chilling in water as I spoke about. These have come in from another location. There is a 6 hour window before this can cause issues. It's nice to take cuts at another venue so easily, and transport them so easily. Then stick them in cells at your own leisure. Just keep below 6 hours. It seems 7 or 8 hours and damage occurs

The main info here is how big I like them.
Them outdoors about have chucked some huge leaves out in places. Outstanding for 12 days.

 

[goingrey]

If you transplant when almost dry, there isn't enough weight in the coco to want to fall away. Presuming you have enough roots to hold it all together. At a nice moisture level, you can put a finger dead center, and just push up a little. Breaking the block free. For it is a block, once the roots have it. If it's being awkward, you can give the cell a little squeeze. Making the block/plug smaller than the cell. Then back to pushing up.

In that large tray, I might find one that leaves half the coco behind. Simply as it wasn't rooted enough. Once well rooted you can just pull them out from above if you feel daring. That one that does split, will be in the portion heading for the bin anyway. Though a block collapse isn't in any way terminal. You don't really loose any roots. If there are roots, and the block is light, then it's coming out. You have obviously used this disposable tray. I have used these for years. That 20 cell was cut from an old tray, maybe 20 crops ago. I'm not having to really bust into them. A bit of a shove from below is typically what's needed.

I think the main goal is getting them well rooted before transplant. Coco is good with small pots. Nothing under 12" tall will be coming out of that outdoor tray. That will mean two dunks per day. They won't ever leave that tray until they are heading out
The indoor ones are going into Terra next. They are actually on soil feed with the Ca put back. It's a long time since I used soil in the seed trays, and just recall I like coco better. It's more hydro like. Which fits better with small root systems (no root system, but everything is at the stump)

Yeah if the pot is fully rootbound it's not a problem but often I like to up-pot sooner. Really prefer individual pots that can be turned upside down.

 

[f-e]

Yeah if the pot is fully rootbound it's not a problem but often I like to up-pot sooner. Really prefer individual pots that can be turned upside down.

I sometimes tip it. Not right over, but on it's side like in the pic showing roots. In the pic I'm pinching the edge of the tray to hold it up. If I want to get out something that's not rooted well, I will instead hold that tray up by the cell I'm emptying. Let me explain that in egg sucking terms. If you pick up an egg, you have your finger around it, as I am holding that cell. I use a free finger to push, with my other hand there to tickle the root mass into. This might be a level of dexterity that takes a little practice, but I have never lost one. This level of care is needed if some slow heirloom cut has decided it want's to resist my efforts at rooting it. I typically take 3 cuts if I just need one good one. I can't leave just 3 in a 40cell sheet though, I don't have space. So I move them to a smaller sheet. So I'm successfully transplanting things that are not ready for a bigger container. I don't think this was so easy with soil. It's not so homologous. I bet you could build sandcastles with coco, that would stay there as they dried. Perhaps it's osmosis


The decision between individual cells or sheets is horses for courses. For me it's about watering them. I only do it a few times, so it's not worth making a flood/drain bed. I want to do it as batches though. 100 cuts is 3 trays to dunk. 100 is full swing for me. My 40cell tray is cut to 35cells, to get three in here.

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I have some props (gravel) trays with holes in the bottom. I have done the russian dolls thing with pot sizes that suit, to dunk that prop tray of individual pots, all at once. It was a size things though. Even the cells tray with about 20 round holes is just too much coco for rooting. It lacks the wet/dry cycle, as they just don't drink that much. I know many people use cups, but this is just what works for me. Which is standard nursery gear. Nothing special. Just stick and walk away.

24 hours later, at 60%, the front tray shows it should of had the lid swapped for a holey one a few days before it came right off. The back tray with a vent is alright though. Both will be fine. The poor one bottom right was pressing the lid, making it's own puddle. It's lost. Fallen too far behind. I only want the better half, which is why I have been so sloppy. It's all part of the program.

 

[f-e]

I lost one. It happens.

I think you could see it. It's a row up, First in from the right. It's neighbour in the bottom right corner don't look great there, but did at least have a green stalk.
I pulled it by the stalk, and the block came away from the tray.

White mold, like cotton wool, visible on the surface in the back corner. Day 17. We can't see it yet, but that white fluff was going to build a sail, using the plant as it's mast.


'sticking' doesn't quite do the cutting process justice. That stalk finishes maybe 10mm from the bottom. You might see 4 fingertip depressions in the coco. Left from lightly pushing the hole closed. So they could stand. No compaction, just some assured sweeping


I scissored this up and flushed it. Then cleaned the scissors. Gone.

 

[f-e]

20 days.

Random root system, but quite typical

Stick um in the corner, then fill them.

I like them in rows, to maintain some contact. But with some space to get the light on them

I took 10 reds to get 5. At this point, 2 have been rejected. Next time I pot up, 2 more will be rejected. This right here is where they stop being cuttings, and become plantlets. So that's closure on their 3 week rooting cycle. Going forward, they will get chopped back to this height in a few days of getting roots out. The idea is make them equal, with a reasonable number of shoots. Then get some light on them. About 10w a foot so far (another light is on now they have taken more space)

 

[f-e]

Still in the cutting tray, my outdoors. Coco but getting full strength Canna Terra, with about 50ppm Ca added. The Terra has no Ca. I'm not using coco feed, simply because these are a side project and look alright to me. I just want tall sticks that poke out the grass before side branching, and I want to bunch them tighter than this for transport. The blocks out the tray and sat upon each-other like two brick courses. They are overdue as our queen gave everyone a long weekend, and I don't need kids and walkers out on planting day.
About 250ppdf, 24/7


Might as well have a look at the others while we are here

They were a little light green, and lacked luster a couple of days ago. I had been using P-acid for roots, but moved to N acid. They had a real growth spurt over 48 hours. Side branching doubled in length. Green colour flushed back in, with a nice gloss, some wrinkling and a touch of pooling @jackspratt61
My water is near 300ppm of Ca so I get both N and better Ca availability from the N-acid. Making Calcium Nitrate from the tap and acid. P-acid has a very different effect. The acid is rarely spoke of as an element of the feed, but it's substantial with hard water.
I should really be potting them up, not taking photo's. I have plenty of time though. Almost 3 weeks to get them up, take the next cuttings, and put these in flower. Tick Tock. Gotta watch that clock.

Note:
Planting density in the flowering space is set by flowering time. If I had a 16 week strain, I would have 16 weeks veg. Massive plants. My plants flower faster than that, so I need more smaller plants in there. Typically speaking, an 8 week strain, leads to a planting density around 5 plants per meter. That's what I can root and get up reliably in that 8 weeks. Especially if you give yourself a further week to trim and get some drying done in the flowering space.

Tick Tock.
I'm watching that the clock.
If somethings too slow,
I just let it go.
Stopping the train,
brings no gain.
Calculating again,
That's really just pain.
8 weeks, 6 times a year?
That leaves 4 weeks clear.

3 weeks to root cuttings. 4 or 5 to veg them. It's Lazy Daze cutting rooting. 10 days of doing nothing with the veg stock. While the flowering plants are on a simple P and Ca loading diet, that a machine can do.

Seeds want starting about 5-7 days before cuttings, if they are to flower together on an 8 week schedule. It's always a good idea to add a new plant new each time, while keeping most of your crop known stock. This way, if it rubbish, it's just a small portion of the crop, you can chuck away. If it's half decent, the cuttings you took from it before flower, can get a second run to see if it's worth a third fun, or even replacing a keeper you already have.

All this scheduling takes a while to figure out, no matter how many weeks you take to flower. There is a lot of good stuff around the 8 week mark to work through. Or you may choose a different interval. Try not to mix them though. Some staging between events can help a lazy trimmer, like trimming a 7 week, then an 8 week, then a 9. However waiting for a 12 week plant, when half the space is empty as it was 8 weeks, isn't a good use of limited space. Nor does it get you many crops under your belt per year. Each of which brings more experience than watching the same plants for ages.

I just couldn't function properly without a schedule. I can't get up in the morning, So I need strict routines with built in buffers so I don't have too much to think about. This is, after all, a hobby for me. The more automated the process, the more I can look at other aspects that interest me.

Sorry for the long post. I got my mentorship badge today, so thought it time I did an introduction post.

 

[jackspratt61]

View attachment 18719905

Still in the cutting tray, my outdoors. Coco but getting full strength Canna Terra, with about 50ppm Ca added. The Terra has no Ca. I'm not using coco feed, simply because these are a side project and look alright to me. I just want tall sticks that poke out the grass before side branching, and I want to bunch them tighter than this for transport. The blocks out the tray and sat upon each-other like two brick courses. They are overdue as our queen gave everyone a long weekend, and I don't need kids and walkers out on planting day.
About 250ppdf, 24/7


Might as well have a look at the others while we are here
View attachment 18719907
They were a little light green, and lacked luster a couple of days ago. I had been using P-acid for roots, but moved to N acid. They had a real growth spurt over 48 hours. Side branching doubled in length. Green colour flushed back in, with a nice gloss, some wrinkling and a touch of pooling @jackspratt61
My water is near 300ppm of Ca so I get both N and better Ca availability from the N-acid. Making Calcium Nitrate from the tap and acid. P-acid has a very different effect. The acid is rarely spoke of as an element of the feed, but it's substantial with hard water.
I should really be potting them up, not taking photo's. I have plenty of time though. Almost 3 weeks to get them up, take the next cuttings, and put these in flower. Tick Tock. Gotta watch that clock.

Note:
Planting density in the flowering space is set by flowering time. If I had a 16 week strain, I would have 16 weeks veg. Massive plants. My plants flower faster than that, so I need more smaller plants in there. Typically speaking, an 8 week strain, leads to a planting density around 5 plants per meter. That's what I can root and get up reliably in that 8 weeks. Especially if you give yourself a further week to trim and get some drying done in the flowering space.

Tick Tock.
I'm watching that the clock.
If somethings too slow,
I just let it go.
Stopping the train,
brings no gain.
Calculating again,
That's really just pain.
8 weeks, 6 times a year?
That leaves 4 weeks clear.

3 weeks to root cuttings. 4 or 5 to veg them. It's Lazy Daze cutting rooting. 10 days of doing nothing with the veg stock. While the flowering plants are on a simple P and Ca loading diet, that a machine can do.

Seeds want starting about 5-7 days before cuttings, if they are to flower together on an 8 week schedule. It's always a good idea to add a new plant new each time, while keeping most of your crop known stock. This way, if it rubbish, it's just a small portion of the crop, you can chuck away. If it's half decent, the cuttings you took from it before flower, can get a second run to see if it's worth a third fun, or even replacing a keeper you already have.

All this scheduling takes a while to figure out, no matter how many weeks you take to flower. There is a lot of good stuff around the 8 week mark to work through. Or you may choose a different interval. Try not to mix them though. Some staging between events can help a lazy trimmer, like trimming a 7 week, then an 8 week, then a 9. However waiting for a 12 week plant, when half the space is empty as it was 8 weeks, isn't a good use of limited space. Nor does it get you many crops under your belt per year. Each of which brings more experience than watching the same plants for ages.

I just couldn't function properly without a schedule. I can't get up in the morning, So I need strict routines with built in buffers so I don't have too much to think about. This is, after all, a hobby for me. The more automated the process, the more I can look at other aspects that interest me.

Sorry for the long post. I got my mentorship badge today, so thought it time I did an introduction post.

Check a few for complete callus on cut.