Cloning ABC's

[Aquaponix]

Sorry bout my bad photography. Some of it was so bad some images are missing.

 

 

Taking clones has many ways and methods. The methods I use are a collection of information gleaned from both greenhouse work and Overgrow community.

 

1. Pre-Prep

 

Two days before you clone. - Water the Mother Plant.

 

One day before you clone. - Sterilise your cutting equipment. Select your clone.

 

 

Leaving the clones you want on the Mother plant trim the excess leaves and tips from the stem where you will be taking your cuttings.

 

 

Leave clones on the Mother plant overnight for these pieces to heal.

 

 

2. Clone Cutting

 

Again, sterilise your equipment. Mild bleach is easiest for me.

 

Trim clones at the Mother plant as low as you can allowing enough stem for your clone plus any excess down to the next leaf shoot site. I use sharp scissors others use scalpels razor blades etc. Excess stem after pruning plants are known as 'coat hangers' and are undesirable. These pieces WILL decay over time left in a humid spot (ie: middle of a plant) and can result in problems.

 

Now cut the stem at a 45 degree angle at the length you want your clone.

 

 

 

3. Scraping

 

VERY IMPORTANT! - Scrape the stem lightly using your blade all around the circumference of the base of your clone. Approx 3/4" to 1". This allows roots to come out all around the stem instead of just at the base or through an old grow tip should there be one on the clone inside the cube.

 

 

4. Wet Your Clone

 

Put your clone in a container of water while you prepare your cube and rooting product. Check where mine sits hehe.

 

 

5. Preparing Your Cube

 

I use oasis cubes in preference to rockwool. No pH problems or resultant stem rot when planted properly.

 

Soak your cubes in water then using gravity swing them downward with a flick back up at the end to shake out the excess moisture. Now dip the bottom 1/4 back in the water.

 

Using a piece of wire or something else clean poke holes in your cubes for your clones to go into.

 

6. Rooting Products

 

I don't even know the name of what I use it was gifted years ago. A grey powder. Apply whatever product you use (grower gaurantees are better than store hype everytime) to the stem on the section it was scraped, tap the clone against the container to shake off the excess.

 

Place clones in cubes.

 

7. Humidity and Light

 

Clones prefer 24 hours light a flouro is fine they don't need much.

 

Here's my humidity dome :thumbsup

 

 

You don't need to spend a lot of money. Other easy alternatives are soft drink bottles etc etc. Clear plastic. I've used an opaque plastic bag over an ice cream container with success.

 

8. Maintenance

 

When in the growroom each day remove the dome lid to allow your clones to 'harden' for some minutes each day.

 

Touch the bottom of the cubes once it feels almost dry resoak only the bottom 1/4 of the cubes.

 

9. Planting

 

Planting cubes higher is preferable to lower in Hydro. Many growers report stem rot and pH fluctuations associated with incorrect planting of cubes. The cubes stay wet longer than the rest of your medium. This is remedied in conventional DWC grows by lowering the water as roots develop. In recirculating designs where water levels in your planters remain constant it is crucial to plant your cube above the water line as shown below

 

 

In dirt I've not much experience or read much. I plant them 1/2 way in. After they've established a bit I cover the rest and water from the bottom. Seems to do fine.

 

 

 

10. Trimming

 

With scissors trim your cuttings larger leaves back a bit. This will slow transpiration through the leaves and equalise the roots/canopy ratio a little as the clone establishes.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2006 by Aquaponix

[Aquaponix]

You will/may notice I have thrips in my growroom. I've only just put some garlic in there and Winter plus daily huntdowns/killings will knock them back a lot. I need a good fish friendly organic thrip f**ker.

 

When insects are present I leave the dome on the clones for 5 days straight. The dome gets very humid and any thrip in there seems to either run off or die off.

 

On close inspection mites and/or thrip have never survived a week in 'the cage'.

 

This is a handy cleaning process when passing clones from grow to grow. Always be careful and try quarantine plants for a while to observe for pests and disease when giving/recieving clones. Better to spray that wee plant than spray your whole room...

 

Shame my close ups for scraping the stem were complete duds. If you need it explained more I'll be happy to help.