Simple rules to improve success lower N week or more before taking cuttings stored N reduces plants desire to seek additional nutrients letting it waste vital energy on leafs. Clean all tools used need to be sterile timing at certain points during plants cycle it has hormones coursing PGR’s plant growth regulators, you want to cut when these levels are low or not keyed towards leaf growth. Prior to flip lower limbs which are getting less light or after stretch tops.
Using sterile scissors cut limbs and place directly in cold water this prevent air getting into limb shocking plant to halt or slow it’s natural circulation. Trim large fan leafs nipping leaf tips off this signals plant to stop growing damaged leaf and reduces surface area which respires (loses water). With a sharp razor cut stalk at 45-60% angle close to and through node straight back into cold water, the cut exposes cambium layer which is basically plants stem cells. The cambium layer is multi purpose plant cell structure which moves nutrients water creates bark limbs roots or heartwood depending on signal from plant what to do (hormones) At this point make sure your pod is ready with rock wool or peat should be soaked in ph 5.5 water rapid rooter just water prep tray as well layer tray so pod is slightly raised off bottom 1/2" of hydroton or what have you, this will make sense shortly. Pour the extra water from soaking into tray just enough to be level or slightly float hydroton it will keep pods from sitting in water while letting some wick and adding humidity as well as insulating pod bottoms from any warming pad you may or may not use. Back to cuttings dip each of the cuttings into rooting powder or gel of your choosing placing promptly into pod ensuring snug fit I usually opt away from hole in rockwool and use nail to make new one contact is important.
Place pod in tray on top of substrate and cover with dome: place in low light warm 76-80f a t5 or a sheet of paper on dome if in veg space.
Now the tricky part don’t peak don’t touch ignore them entirely for next 4-5days at which point open vent 1/4-1/2 top off water if all gone at about 8 days you may see some roots open vent fully leaving dome on check again every day if you haven’t seen roots on any usually by this point 1 or more has roots. Leave them in tray with dome the more roots at potting the merrier
@Donaldj, excellent post. Best “step by step” on cloning I have seen, thank you. Most discussions of cloning, as with many of the guides, assume some basic knowledge of plant behavior. The only knowledge that I came in with is MJ needs light and food, like all plants. Other than that, I was completely ignorant. After a few weeks on the forum and after reading nearly all of the guides I am mostly ignorant but getting less so.
Out of likes (again), need to be a bit less free and easy with the mouse button How many likes do we have each day?
Thank you for that step by step cloning process @Donaldj. Thinking about trying it my next grow and even though I will likely have to toss them out it would be nice to know if I am able to do it. This helps a lot!
If you don’t mind me asking… But when you made your own hole with a nail in the rockwool cube did you turn the rockwool cube over or just make a hole with the nail next to the pre-existing manufactured hole? Thank you for your help and time that was epic post
Oh really? I never noticed that. Haha I’ll have to be more mindful at my local grow store. Yeah the ones I’ve always picked up or seen had the same color/ look the same but a hole drilled in it. Thanks for the info.
I was wondering why on @Donaldj picture I could not see a pre-existed hole. I was guessing he turned it over. Haha I am a noob
I’m guessing with a rapid Rooter plug you could just poke a hole next to the pre-existing hole? If you use those… unless they make those without holes too?! I love growing so much but there’s just so much to learn.
Thank you very much for that information! I appreciate it
I tend to pick fairly thick stems for cuttings which fit fairly snug in rapid rooters but yes if they don’t I make hole beside any existing likewise with rockwool
awesome. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. That was a great tip I never thought of and I have encountered the problem before of them not fitting in snug. I’m sure it may come in handy. Thanks
@merlin44 I totally understand your ‘confusion’ about how different your two clones are. Last summer ('17) after sprouting my seeds, I had 3 Space Terror starts and 2 Chuckies Goo starts, each from the same mother plant respectively. When it was time to transplant I made the decision to label each plant that was a duplicate with a I or II (1 Space Ter. was male) just to see, at this time I was not quite sure what I was to see. OMG I had two totally different plants that were grown side by side, each developed differently, budded out differently and after harvest smoked differently. Each of the 4 gave me a few seeds (4-5) and I am now growing these out to see even further. This is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating plants to grow. They even have personalities, no really!
@highcountrygal More good info to digest, thank you from a new grower. This is actually @HJL 's topic, I just started following so I could learn some stuff.
How many likes do we have each day?
So since I did that I thought why not put my big girl clone into her 5g fabric root pouch. Now she has some more room to grow.
