cloning for beginners.. Rock wool.

[thc24]

Hi guys there has been a few Qs latley on how to clone, i was doing some cuts to replace mums that are a little old.

So another clone guide.

 

1. get every thing you need ready,

 

Rockwool + holders or a bed of perlite in base of crib.

Humidi crib

Scalple 1 blade every 5 cuts, tweesers or gloves,

clone gel or powder

some sort of plant/mum to cut

 

 

 

i soak rock wool in Ph 6.0, 4ml per liter rizotonic mix for atleast 4 hours. At same time i sanatise sissors,scalpel and poker i use to make hole in RW in a peroxide water mix.

 

2. Select mums for cutting it helps if mums are really healthy well fed in week prior and are atleast 2 months old, the mums i will be using are 4 and 5 months old BB and WR and have had many cuts taken in there life.

Edited March 21, 2006 by thc24

[thc24]

3.. Rock wool i ve found to be the easiest and fastest medium to use when propergating, RW has been soaked for 4 hours over night the cheep stuff falls apart, remove one cube dont squeese but 3 fast flicks will remove 75% of water and cube is ready for use i do 1 at a time eg shake put in RW holder then go about finding the suitable branch.

 

4.. Make a hole in centre or one corner of cube not too big as it needs to support.

 

5. Look for a suitable branch needs about 5 nodes and feels wood not too flexy, cut away from plant at node so mum will grow two new branches.

[thc24]

6. With branch selected you can cut from plant or do this step on plant, Remove lower leaves and shoots flush with stem leaving top node and 2nd with full leaves. Blade is pointed at node where you 45 angle cut

 

7. I prepare stem with 3 slices one side and a 5 mm slither on other starting at node of choice . Mostly just the slices will do.

[thc24]

8. next the all important 45 cut, have tried many lengths from node but around 5mm is prefured basicly when im slicing on the forth slice i go right through, this cut i do under water in a shallow dish, the water not important and not needed but gets them off to a good start.

 

9. Straight after cut i soak in dutch master cut solution for around 10 seconds then put straight into RW in pre hole in the corner for better air/water ratio.

 

10. Some smaller cuts may be ok but taller ones will need some support for first days a cocktail pic works a treat.

[thc24]

11. With cut in RW it will wilt fast so needs to go straight into crib is why i do 1 at a time, Cut will benifit from having her leaves trimmed back slightly with a clean pair of sissors.

 

12. once in the crib and all cuts are done close all vents add 500 ml of rizo water into tray and foliar spray inside of crib and cuts. half hour later if seal is good you will notice the humidity build if it does there is no need to touch or open box for three days,

 

 

3 days later i will update and water for first time only about 10/15ml per cube

 

 

 

Hope this guide can help is not finnished just the first day.

[thc24]

Back so soon

 

A heat mat is a good idea but only the ajustable ones mine isnot ajustable and is too hot for summer but good in winter, these cuts are on the mat but not turned on. cut are 25cm from 4x 4foot flouros and well vented.

 

 

[LOGGER_KING]

Is there soil or something in the little pots the RW cube goes in???What size RW cubes are they?? Edited March 20, 2006 by LOGGER_KING

[thc24]

hI Logger king,just 1 inch cubes, the plastic holders i got from bunnings 40c each used to hold cube out of water so avoiding yellowing from overwater.

Cubes are planted into coco in foam coffeecup.

[thc24]

cloning. Going well

 

 

#3 days have passed have not needed to water or open box was humid enough constant moisture building , vents where opend half way top open full on 3rd day temps got a little high about 28c but no sign of damage.

 

They have all made it so 100% can be expected now, if there going to die/ fall or disease they would have done so or shown signs of stress by now. Have not fed at all just rizo in the water for crib but will foliar feed dutch Master foliatech in next few days to keep green. Cubes are quite dry but can go another day, although humidity is dropping with vents open.

cubes can be picked upto see how much water is in them if there light the need 15ml water if med/heavy leave or drain out of cube some times when moisture is high drops of water fall from roof of crib and overwater cubes, is why it is important to check after 3 days .

Edited March 24, 2006 by thc24

[Pure]

Great tutorial THC

 

Would make a great entry into the faq competition