Tag: aeroponic clone

GUIDE:How to Successfully Take Plant Cuttings From a Mother Plant

The key to keeping mother plants small lies in taking strong cuttings.  Strong cuttings will root fast and grow into large plants of higher quality.  Weak clones are susceptible to disease and bug infestation.  Cloning is very rough on the mother and fresh cutting.  Avoid taking too many clones from one mother plant in one day.  When mother plants lose a lot of their vegetative growth, they can become weak.  A weak mother plant can only provide weak clones(a problem you are already trying to avoid).

Follow these step by step instructions to ensure you have a successful cloning system.

The mother plant could produce 4 or 5 fresh cuttings at this point.

First identify the best part of the plant to clone.  This can vary a little depending on the type of plant.  For the most part you want to have a long enough stem to fit through your growth medium.  Use a razor blade or trimmers to cut a clone at a 45 degree angle.  Cut at a node where another branch will grow out.  The old stem will appear to split into two new stems.  Those two stems can turn into two strong clones or one very strong clone.  You have the power to decide.

Plant propagation
The line is exactly where you should cut your clone. Below the line the new growth is sprouting out.

Once you have cut the clone from the main stem, you want to cut off any large leaves because they will drain the cutting of its moisture.  Do not fear, the leaves will grow back.  The bottom 6-8 inches of the steam should be completely clear of leaves.

Dip the end of the stem in your favorite Cloning Gel. I prefer Earth Juice for organic applications and Clonex for flower types.

Next put the cutting into its own growth medium to be put into your cloning system.  The growth medium could be a rockwool cube, a net pot of hydroton, or a neorepene disc.  After a few hours if you notice your clones are sagging or wilting, gently mist them with plain water.  DO NOT OVER DO IT. You want the plant to feel the need to grow roots to find water and nutrients.  Good Luck Gardeners!  Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions.

Hydroponic Cloning Tips

If you have wilting clones there could be a number of issues with your hydroponic cloning method.  Make sure to have a thermometer to measure temperature and humidity accurately throughout the day.  You can find digital ones at a department stores or hydro shops that will tell you the current and high/low temps and humidity throughout the day.  The digital ones aren’t expensive in comparison to the knowledge you’ll have.  If you are using a metal halide or other high powered lighting system, the clones must be a few feet away so they receive minimal light.  If they get too much light they will try to work too hard with roots they don’t have.

If the temperature is getting to be in the 80’s F move the lights up more or add a circulation fan on a timer so the humidity stays high.  Having a fan on for an hour at a time 2 or 3 times a day will really help to move the hot air.  Try to use cool burning bulbs like fluorescent tubes so your temperature will stay down.  A high humidity of 90% or higher will help your fresh cuttings more than anything else.  Spray the walls of a clear container with water and put it over your cloning system.  You can also attach spray emitters to a small water pump to spray water automatically for the first few days to ensure success rate.  The humidity needs to be high so the leaves of the cutting can absorb water from the air because it does not have any roots to do that job yet.  It may need a small hole or two for air flow so the temperature stays low and the cuttings have access to as much oxygen as they need.

Use an aeroponic or deep water culture method with aerated water to keep the roots or stems in a 100% humidity environment until they are established for transplant.  You can find cloning systems at your local hydroponics store, online, or even build your own!  Hardware stores and hydroponic shops should have pretty much everything you need to build your own.

Humidity is an Overlooked Factor in Cloning Systems

From my experience and what I’ve been reading on hydroponic forums, people all around are having faster cloning rates using a humidity dome. Humidity domes come in many forms. A simple dome is a clear plastic structure with just a few holes for oxygen exchange. The structure sits so that it is covering all the plants without smashing them. Spraying a fine mist along the walls of the dome will help boost the humidity. The more plants per sq. inch of space will also increase the humidity, but having clones packed in too tightly could cause them to fight for light, air, and moisture. The struggle may cause unnecessary stress instead of beneficial humidity. Make sure to keep an eye on the temperature when the humidity dome is on. It may lock in heat in its enclosed structure. Simply remove the dome for a few hours so the temperature can lower and fresh oxygen can be swept to the leaves. This is a good time to re-mist the dome so the humidity is high when you put it back into action.