Ez cloner with or without a timer?

[altaholic]

Question to all those who do aero cloning, ez cloner style or whatever have you.
I have been using mine with an adjustable circuit timer going about a minute on, 5 minutes off and not really having the best results, rooting but seems longer then it should. I've been reading all over the forums and it seems like alot of people dont both with this and Im trying to get an idea of what the community here thinks?
Ive always felt that a timer would alow the clones to have the perfect amount of moisture rather then being blasted all the time but now im ready to try anything.
I keep my solution between 75-80 and my room tep is about 70. Ive tried running solutions in the res, like bcuzz rooting solution, AN B-52, Olivias cloning solution, nothing is rocking my world. If the temps get high and I have something besides h20 in there sometimes I get algae even with Hydroguard(aqua shield)
Still trying to figure out if its better with the lights closer or farther.... oh and Ive tried the AN jump start, not that impressed. Anyway looking for input, thanks in advance.

[Pudish]

Some people have better results with setting the timer in different ways. 1 on 5 off allows the best air to water ratio in my opinion. Some people get different results.

Also what strain are you using and how long have you been trying to root the clones? Are you using an humidity tent? With aero you dont need one if you are. Also cloning solutions in a ez-cloner are not needed and some have shown to slow rooting in aero systems. I use to use rooting hormones in my aero cloner and seen better results without them. About the lighting. closer is not always better but results are again mixed. If you are using tubes or cfls set the lights at around 3-6 inches from the plants. That is where I keep mine and have no issues.

If you are getting algae in your rez then there is more then likely a light leak in your cloner. algae is a plant (pest) but requires light to grow like your MJs do. If you have to wrap something around you cloner that is light proof. Algea also needs minimal light to grow unlike MJ. So check for light leaks. Also, do you use neoprene collars? If not I would suggest them. Light leaks without them.

[altaholic]

THanks Pudish,
I guess Im always chasing light leaks, this is a homemade system in a rubbermaid container that I have painted black over and over and over and it seems that the paint just keeps gettin scratched off, I put ducktape over the scratches now cause Im over it! I have laid a piece of black/white poly over the top and do use the neoprene colllars.
Ive never used a dome before but this is montana and it gets really dry here! I mist them with AN jump start once a day but they are looking a little dried out so Im thinking im going to try a dome and see the reults. When you say no rooting hormone, do mean nothing at all or just not a solution in the res?
I hit them with dip n grow before I put them in the cloner and right now Im not using anything in the res but ph 5.6 h20, thought about adding a little super thrive but Ill let this round play out with out any. Ive also stopped using the timer for the moment to see if that helps, we will see. Thanks again for the reply.

[Pudish]

Yes when i said no root hormone i mean i use NONE at all for the cloner. They aren't needed. Some use emm some dont depends on you situation i guess. Some have good luck and other do not. I just would rather not use them because i have had better results without them.

Also you said that your cloner is homemade. Make sure your sprayers are hitting your clones. pretty much directly.

what size water pump are you using? and how big is your cloner? another thing what kind of sprayers are you using in your cloner?

[Farmer Rich]

I use an 18 site clone bucket. Make cuts, no scraping or anything like that, 45 deg. angle only. Let them sit in clonex gel for about 30 seconds or so and put them in the system.

In the system, I add bloom nutes to 400-500 ppm, adjust the ph to about 6.3 - 6.0. I also leave the bucket sitting on a digitally controlled heat mat set to 75 deg, which does a good job of maintaining the water temp. Light is fluorescent side lighting that comes from the lights I keep on the mothers. This will always yield rooted cuts in 12-16 days, even when I take cuts right from the top of the mothers.

If you can be patient, it's fun to not peek under the lid on the bucket and opening it 2 weeks later to find your cuts ready to be planted.

Happy growing!

Peace,

Farmer Rich

[couplescaddy]

Yeah man, i have an easy cloner right now that i set up last Wednesday, 7 days ago. I have 2 4' florescent lights hanging about a foot and a half above them and just plain tap water in the reservoir. I put 60 clones in there 7 days ago, and today i just noticed my first roots starting to pop on 3 plants. i think its kinda one of those things thats super simple, just dip the cuttings in the cloning gel and put it in there and turn it on, i'm on 24 hr pump and 24 hr lights, seems to be working. oh, also, 1 other thing, if you're using straight tap water, make sure and run the sprayers for 24 hours prior to adding your clones, lets the chlorine evaporate off and keeps it from burning your stems. will let you know in the next couple days where the other plants are at, my first cloning experience, but so far, looking at 14 days to have mad roots!

[Farmer Rich]

And I never answered the original question..

18/6 on lights, 24/7 on the pump.

I tried using an interval timer but it was causing leaks..

Peace,

Farmer Rich

[whitegrape]

I have a 26 site ez cloner I built out of a 32 gal. rubbermaid container.
I put 10 gals of water with 1 teaspoon of Olivia's cloning gel and Fox Farm Grow Big in.
I turn the pump on, take the cuttings put them in the neoprene disks and leave it alone. 7 days later I have little roots, at 10 days I'm planting the clones in 3 gallon bags filled with organic soil.
I have a 175 w. MH over the cloner on 24/7 as is the pump.

In 5 runs I've only lost one clone.
That was before I started with 10 gals. of water and the pump started sucking some air and that clone wasn't getting misted.
The strains I've run through it are, almost Mikado (don't ask), White Grape, Jilly Bean, White Rhino, and Blue Mystic.