Cloning (split from n00b guide)

Hey Stinky, I'm trying really hard to clone my NL99 plants with no success. I just bought a bigger prop tray, dome, a bottle of Wilt Pruf, and some Rapidrooter plugs :). My question is: What ph do you have the water that you use to wet the Rapidrooter plugs? 6.7? I read in Jorge Cervantes book that 6.0 is best for rooting cuttings. Is that right? I took 6 cuttings from 2 different plants on Oct. 2nd and they were looking really good until Oct. 5th when they started to wilt. But, I think I know what I did wrong. I mis-read your post about the Wilt Pruf as to use it after they started to root. Well, I'm a dumbass and I sprayed them before they were ready now they are dying :(. I'm learning from my mistakes at least. Thanks for any info!

It's probably not the wilt-pruf if you mixed it right, or used the pre-mixed stuff.
More likely you have a heat/light/moisture issue.
Don't moisten the RR plugs. They come pre-wetted from the factory and need NOTHING.
Just snip, slice, dip, and stick them in a slot that you have cut into the RR. The hole they come drilled with is TOO LARGE for cannabis.
There has got to be a visual cloning instruction around here somewhere? Last link in my siggy, try that.
Any more questions, post 'em up!

I haven't used the RR plugs yet. These are in Jiffy peat pellets. Maybe the pics will help diagnose.

Couple more. I put the cup of H20 in there for added moisture. Go Bears! :)

:bump2:

Today, I will take 6 more cuttings and try this again. Maybe I will have better luck this time with the Rapidrooters instead of the Jiffy peat pellets. Should I start my own thread? Anyways, wish me luck! :jointsmile:

You need to start your own thread. This is an informational sticky.

Those aren't rapidrooters, they are Jiffy Pellets.
I don't see mention of rooting hormone?
Spray the inside of the dome, not the plants, and use very little light on a 24/0 schedule with stable temps.
Just moisten with tap water and SQUEEZE OUT EXCESS before using jiffys. Then do not add more water unless they actually are drying out- just a few drops then.

They all died :(. I just got done making new ones though. I used the Rapidrooters this time instead of the peat pellets. And I took 6 off each plant, 12 all together. Here's what I did step by step: 1.- I used a small pair of scissors (that I bought specifically for cloning at the Hobby Lobby store yesterday) to cut a tip off at about the 4th node. 2.- I then quickly dipped it into some Rootech cloning gel (I know it's not Dip n Grow). While it is soaking, I used my exacto knife to make a slit in the bottom of the RR so it will be able to stand up on it's own. 3.- Then, I sliced off the fan leaf that was just above the cut I made with the scissors and re-dunked it back into the Rootech gel. 4.- I gently put the clone into the RR. 5.- I used my scissors to cut the fan leaves down to an inch or so and placed them onto the tray. 6.- I sprayed the inside of the dome, not the clones, with tap water. They are then placed under 1 cfl bulb inside a small cab. Temps are between 70-75F and humidity inside the cab is about 50% inside the dome it is 70-75%. Can't seem to get humidity any higher even with the cup of water in there :(.

That's fine. You should be fine. Keep misting the dome if you see wilt.
Rootech is good shit too. Anything with hormone + fungicide = no-fuss rooting.

That's interesting. I am running 2 strains at the moment. NLxS1 and White Rhino.

Any clones i take from the Rhino root with damn near 100% success regardless of how much love or abuse i give them. and they root FAST.

The NLxS1 clones i take, following the same loving process as the rhino, only give me at most a 25% success rate. I've had total failures too where i lose all my NLxS1 and have to hit my grow friend up for clones to revive the strain.

My methods are very similar to what you outlined in your last post, using rapid rooters.

Very frustrating.

Skeet.

hmmm....I cut, dip and make a new hole, shove em in a rockwool cube, stick em into my RR tray...mist now and then and I get well over 90% success...I dont even treat em. Just snip the leaves in half. Maybe its strain relevant.
whiskeytango

Skeet, it might be an issue with the health of the individual mother from which they are cut.

Yeah, reading through this thread again, I think i'm keeping the plugs too moist. I'm gonna see if i can get a few going from my current mom with less moisture and maybe see about getting some new clones to replace her shortly.

thanks.

[/threadjack]
Skeet.

yeah i have wierd situations with clones also, haleys comet refuses to root when its in the same dome as the master kush lol. and my buddy gets 100% from the rhino too.

I got a new camera, the last one was useless with lens errors. I will be posting pics asap to show what's going on with the new ones. Thanks guys for the info! Is NL a hard plant to clone? I've always heard NL was fairly easy to clone.

Heres the pics of the new ones in the Rapidrooters. Wish me luck as I will need it! Thanks :jointsmile: I'm liking my new Nikon Coolpix cam! I had the Kodak Easyshare before and it was a P.O.S.

Is it just my computer or does it normally take a minute for the pics in the posts to enlarge from thumbnail size? Seems like ever since the site changed the pics take forever to look at. But I could just be :stoned:

Well they were starting to wilt a bit this morning so gave them a gentle misting. I have to mist the inside of the dome about twice a day to keep humidity up. I'll check them in the morning or at night and humidity will be at 55-60%. I'll mist the dome and it goes back up to 70% or so. Its making me kinda nervous if they'll make it. I've only successfully gotten ONE clone to survive, so I'm sweating bullets. :i feel stupid:

I'm starting to think that the Cubs have a better chance of winning the World Series than I do of getting clones to survive. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong here. Maybe the humidity inside the dome is too low? They looked good for a few days then they start drooping and begin to wilt. I kept the inside of the dome sprayed 2-3 times a day, misted the clones a couple times. I dunno :(

how much light ya got on them? I think it's too much.

I have 1 cfl. I can't remember how many watts it is though. Maybe 23w. But I know that it said it was equivalent to a 100w incandescent bulb. Is that too much? And if so, what size should I get?

Hm. That should not be a big issue. Raise it higher.
Why is your prop setup RIGHT next to the exhaust and fans? Not good. No wonder you have to mist so often! The seals on domes are not tight.

Those are passive intakes for the cab and the little fan is for circulation (it doesn't move much air). The clf is about 16 inches from the top of the dome.

They are four 4 inch passive intake holes. The exhaust is up above the cfls. I have 2 120mm cpu fans for the exhaust. Thanks for your patience Stinky!

Some strains just have the damndest times rooting. I have a god's gift that gives me fits. I've been reduced to taking like 40 or 50 clones just to get 20 good ones. But when they do root, they usually give at least 1 oz per plant.