Why do my clones take longer to root than other people?

[Old_SSSC_Guy]

Up until recently I thought I cornered the trophy for "Worst Cloning Person of All Time". Over the years I tried just about every hormone and technique on the market and always felt I must be missing something. High humidity/low humidity, warming mat/no warming, distilled water/tap water, 18 hrs light/24 hrs light, clonex/rootone/olivias, in-sync with moon phase/moon ignored, blubblers/no bubblers, rubbing buddha's belly/no buddha - nothing worked for me. Very few descriptions of cloning on the net or in books that I didn't try at one time or another. Even got 2 fancy misting cloners which were supposed to need distilled water only. Should have bought beer instead.

Really bothered me, especially when the finest grow master I knew who's entire cloning advice and technique was: "I cut them off and stick them in the dirt. They grow". Last month I finally broke my cherry and got a whole tray of cuttings to burst roots; 3 strains, all but one of 15 cuts lived, used 3 different rooting hormones. All rooted like fuzzy little weevils and all are now growing happily. Did it again a couple of weeks later and had an 85% success rate, with which I can live.

I think maybe the #1 reason I failed too much was from being impatient. I read so many stories and threads that talked about seeing roots in 7 days that I gave up early almost every time. I'd wait maybe 10-14 days and assume I failed again. This time I waited and tended them for 3 weeks - and it worked fine.

Now that it 'works' for me, could someone hold my hand and give me honest averages from their experience for rooting times? How many days/weeks in do you see root popping through the edges of rapid rooter plugs or small rockwool cubes? Is 21 days a fair barometer of time?

 

[Rosebud]

I am so glad you asked.
My last clones took about 25 days till I could plant them. I have very low humidity and that is what I blame it on and I do use a matt, and a bubble cloner I made, and a dome, and whatever else I can find. I dated the cuttings this time and it says 4-28-12, they have been in dirt about 4 days so that is a long time. OH did i say I use rapid rooters? LOL

 

[dman1234]

Sometimes they take longer, usually temp related IMO, but i really think less is more, less water, less spraying, less attention in general is what i have found, cut em, dip em, spray em a couple of times and forget them, jmo.

 

[ozzydiodude]

I have had clones as quick as 7 days but most the time it's 14+days til I see clones. I still use the Super simple cloning method. http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42786

 

[4u2sm0ke]

the #1 reason I failed too much was from being impatient.

:aok:





.

 

[Roddy]

I've noticed smaller cuttings work better than bigger branches, faster and better percentage.

 

[Kushluvr]

theres so many factors......

heres how i do it with 100% success everytime.........

*1 gal tap water....add 5ml clonex solution nutrient....then ph to 5.5-5.7
*soak root riot plugs in this nute water
*take cut..dip in clonex gel
*grab plug, gently squeeze out water
*place cut in plug then in tray
*spray the inside of the dome lightly, not the plants.....to keep high RH%
*put on dome and place under t5 7-21days

as long as you keep a consistant temp of a minimum of 75F up to 85F, they will do great!

the temp is the most important thing to an eye on! when its cold....it will take much longer......if its too hot, they get to dry to quick!

at 75-80f, they should stay moist too, no need for water until after 5 days!

good luck!

 

[Old_SSSC_Guy]

Sorry to bump the thread but wanted to add a comment.

I think you might be right on about the 'temp related' part. Since May I've taken at least 50+ cuttings from 5 different strains with maybe a 90%-95% success rate. Over those 3 months the outdoor temps have ranged from 75 to 110 degrees. When it was hottest the place where I set the clones averaged about 85-90 degrees ambient temp - and they showed roots in 1 week. Now that I have temps better under control the average room temp has hovered around 77 - and the roots show in 2-3 weeks. Never checked pH, and I am getting the same results from Clonex as from Rootone. Cut, dip, stick, spray - Dman nailed it.

So now I'm trying to rig a chamber to stay at 82-85 to gauge the results.

Thanks for the hint Dman! Getting temps up and ignoring the cuttings seems to work great for me. I leave them under a humidity dome for the first day then just put them under some generic fluorescents in the corner of the grow room, the results have been really surprising.

Sometimes they take longer, usually temp related IMO, but i really think less is more, less water, less spraying, less attention in general is what i have found, cut em, dip em, spray em a couple of times and forget them, jmo.

 

[dman1234]

Glad its working out for you.

 

[brimck325]

oz, i been doin it that way since the day i read the article. doesn't get any more simple, then that. i believe temps do make a big difference...peace