Clones not rooting so well...

[thcgod]

I have an EZ-CLONER. Its a machine that has a water pump inside and basically 'mists' the bottom of the roots of all the cuttings i take.

Here is a link to the ez-cloner so you can see...
offsite image removed

When I take the cuttings I use steryl razors, and dip them in the rootech root gel, then i just put em in the machine and the misters start misting them.

I have the clones under a T5 light, so its not too bright, and then I leave it like this for a week or two... well there is NEVER any root development, they stay alive, but there are just no roots growing... so I put them in the dirt, and only 30% of them eventually make it (but they start to look terrible, then after like 3-4 weeks they start 'coming around')... it shouldn't be this hard... Ive tried using distilled water and tap water.. the ph is always between 5.5-6.5.... is there anything else you can recommend? I am doing this from 3-4 diffferent female mother plants from reputable seed banks....

 

[ozzydiodude]

I think your problem might be PH to low and you need to change the water on clones every couple days
Are you sure with the system you should use a rooting gel most bubbler cloner I see don't use it.



This thread is in the resources on cloning http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?p=18056#post18056
I have a thread Super simple cloning http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42786&highlight=super+cloning

 

[legalize_freedom]

I agree try doing it with out the rooting gel...I rarely use it to. Never if using a bubbler, which is basically the same deal your running. Temps and humidity play a big role in it to if the water or the air around the cuts is too cold that could be a real problem, and fresh cuts love high relative humidity.

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Hi,

I've used a DIY bubbler for a long time... I'm with ozzy on checking the ph of your water... you should keep it around 5.8 ideally. Another thing... What about the temps in your clone space? I've found that when the water temps in my bubbler get down in the 60s I get very slow rooting. If I keep my PH in line and your temps up in the 70s you should get some roots within a week or so and plenty of roots and ready to transplant by 2 weeks or so... And I dont use anything but water most of the time in my bubbler... If anything I'll dabble with some PowerClone solution at half strength but it doesn't ever make too much difference compared to water alone. I agree with they guys that cloning gel probably isn't the way to go. I'd think most of it would wash right off with misters or in a bubbler for that matter...

Good Luck!

 

[thcgod]

Thanks a lot for the help guys. I'll check what the temp is but I may have to get a heating pad and put it underneath the whole system.

So for the next round of clones i'll do:

5.8 ph
Do i really have to change the water every 2-3 days? I'll do it anyway
75degree temps
I'll put a humidity dome on it too
and no root gel...

I hope this works!! <3

 

[JBonez]

wanna see amazingly instant results?

small clear tupperware container
rapid rooter plugs
any rooting gel

take cuttings, turn rapid rooter plugs upside down and poke a new hole, the shape of the plugs makes for a better base for sitting upright if you turn them upside down.

put em under a light source keeping temps between 75-80F, after a week if ya dont have roots, well you suck at cloning, lol. Keep the top on the container for about 3 days, or until the cuttings perk up, frequently removing the lid for fresh air to get inside.

jk, youll get the hang of it, cloning comes with experience, and while the ez cloner im no doubt sure works, my method is a fail proof way and seems to work the best for me, i was taught by a fellow grower with more experience than myself, and i wont be changing.

good luck!

 

[zem]

it will take longer than 1 week especially if it's cold and then transplanting them into soil because of impatience would further stress them, low humidity makes it harder and last but not least the strain imo thats the most important factor. all these factors contribute to lower rates thats how you end up with 30%

 

[PencilHead]

Hey, TH, I wouldn't pass any permanent judgements on your cloning abilities just yet. I grew WW my first 3 grows and thought I was the cloning king. Then cold weather hit and I changed strains. I couldn't get squat to clone. Went back to WW and just to make sure I had enough clones I cloned like 18 sprigs. Now I've gotta decide how to part with about 12 of them.

 

[pcduck]

When I clone using my diy I run my water temps at 82f changing every 2-3 days, with no dome, and I do not worry about ph, until I start with a very weak nute solution,after roots have formed. Been pretty successful doing it this way

 

[legalize_freedom]

JBonz I'm with you on the Rapid Rooters! For some reason I use this method rather than the bubbler...I get better results. But I don't think I gave the bubbler enough time to show it's true colors. Either the pump I got is weak, or the bubble stones are junk, because I could just not get them to do the job. I got cuttings directly above a stone to root, but others didn't. So I went back to what I know works for me...the plugs.

thcgod, alot of us have to sit our clones on heating pads regardless of the method being used.

 

[jmansweed]

Hey guys, thought I'd drop a line or two about the cloners. I have two easy clones. A 120 site and 60 site. Both worked wonderfully for years back east. I used Olivia's gel successfully for years. The gel actually stayed on the cutting longer than powder and I had better results with gel over any other rooting hormone. I also had to maintain humidity - like over 75 %. My cuttings rooted 9 times out of ten. I used Tap water ( pH 6.0 ), added Dynagro Protekt and as things began rooting - I'd add KLN. I'd also keep the temp at 75 degrees plus. These were recommendations from EZ-clone themselves.

Moving to the west coast. My Ez-cloners simply did not work as well. Water supply? Humidity? It was a combination I'm sure. My cloners are in storage now. I use 2inch rock-wool. So easy it's ridiculous. No pumps, simple humidity dome, and minimul flouros for light. I literally have 100% success - 100% of the time - in about 13 to 15 days. Never looked back.......

 

[nouvellechef]

I agree with above. Although I am soil. I have 98% survival rate in peat pellets. No pumps, no ph'ing water(tap is 6.5), and Olivias as a foilage spray once a day. Roots in 9-11 days. I don't trim fan leaves either. I don't dip in water and honestly I take 10 cuts at a time and don really worry about the embolism thing. I know it's true, but maybe it's the fresh western WA air

GL, OP on your cloner.

 

[JBonez]

see, everyone who replied to the op's post has a different way of cloning.

I did the soil thing, and personally i didnt like it. Medium stayed too moist for too long, cuttings need to dry in about a week before first watering, makes em push out those roots.

Also, as per subcool, ive been taking mass cuttings and storing them in stasis.

You can keep unrooted cuts in stasis for at least 3 months from what ive seen, maybe longer.. The cuttings fresh out of stasis root MUCH quicker and those who practice this method know im not blowing smoke up your you-know-what.

EZ cloners are the bomb, but water temps, ph, and tds should be checked, and with a humidity dome you only want to keep em humid until they are perking up on their own, then i would strongly discourage it as it slows new root formation.

good luck mang, you'll get it, most do eventually, and those that dont shouldnt be growing lol.

 

[legalize_freedom]

If by stasis you mean keeping them in the crisper drawer, I've been doing this for a long time. Read about it in Heads magazine yrs ago. I have not had problems with them rooting, but I have never kept them in the fridge for more than a month. They do take a little bit longer to root, but they root, and that is what matters. I've got cuts in the criper drawer right now as a matter of fact.

 

[PencilHead]

wanna see amazingly instant results?

small clear tupperware container
rapid rooter plugs
any rooting gel

take cuttings, turn rapid rooter plugs upside down and poke a new hole, the shape of the plugs makes for a better base for sitting upright if you turn them upside down.

put em under a light source keeping temps between 75-80F, after a week if ya dont have roots, well you suck at cloning, lol. Keep the top on the container for about 3 days, or until the cuttings perk up, frequently removing the lid for fresh air to get inside.

jk, youll get the hang of it, cloning comes with experience, and while the ez cloner im no doubt sure works, my method is a fail proof way and seems to work the best for me, i was taught by a fellow grower with more experience than myself, and i wont be changing.

good luck!

How wet do you keep the plugs?