cloner and yellowing leafs

[tip302327]

Can anyone tell me why my cuts start yellowing within a few days of putting them in the bubbler. My first run rooted in seven days 100% even though they yellowed a bit. I started from scratch this time and bleached the bubblers, keep everything super clean. They dont look bad but the yellow leafs keep showing up. What can I do different? T

tip302327 Reviewed by tip302327 on 02-17-2009. cloner and yellowing leafs Can anyone tell me why my cuts start yellowing within a few days of putting them in the bubbler. My first run rooted in seven days 100% even though they yellowed a bit. I started from scratch this time and bleached the bubblers, keep everything super clean. They dont look bad but the yellow leafs keep showing up. What can I do different? T Rating: 5

[GoldenGraham84]

your yellowing leaves are probably nothing to worry about. yellowing leaves is commonly due to lack of nitrogen.
now, nitrogen is a mobile nutrient. that just means that the plant can move its supply of N around within itself. so, when you clone, your clones essentially cannabalize themselves, since they have no roots to gain nutrients from. they use what stores of N they have and move it where they need it.
here's a wild guess: your clones start yellowing at the bottom, right? then slowly it creeps upwards? thats textbook N deficiency during cloning.
as long as your clones root, i'd not worry. one more guess though (about the 1st run of clones you did). i bet that when you took your cuttings, they were a little hungry for nitrogen. this (nitrogen starving) is a common practice and helps roots show up.
i've been cloning with a bubble-cloner for a while now, and the yellowing of the leaves always happens. as long as they stay erect (teehee) and i keep the humidity dome over them after mistings, they will root.

best of luck
-GG84

[tip302327]

Thanks for the reply. yes the cuts are still standing up. I guess the question might better be asked...When they do root and I put them into coco, they are very yellow, at that point. Seems It would be better for the plant if they were in better shape when transplanting. The roots want more of a bloom fert to develop right? Yet the leafs want N. Putting any fertz, no matter how little in the clone chamber has bad resutls, for me anyway. Am I not preping the mother correctly. Seems like once I get roots and repot to coco they seem to lag forever before good veg groth starts under a 400w halide. I dont think I have changed anything but I know on my first run I took cuts on the 13th, flowered on the 28th and the plants finished at 24" give or take and yeild was 1 0z each dried. Now I am having trouble in the veg stage. Don't know what to think. t

[GoldenGraham84]

hmmm... i myself have no experience with MH lighting. i clone under 1-2 26W 5500k CFL.

one thing i don't put much stock in: the old leaves. leaves, once starting to turn, rarely recover. i care about the new growth.

i wouldn't say "not prepping the mother correctly." if you're getting roots you're doing a lot correctly, eh? perhaps try a weeks worth of water only (no nutes) with you mother plant before you take cuttings.

your water in the bubbler is pH correct, right?

[tip302327]

This round like the very first, I did not ph correct the well water which is soft. (26 PPM) and 5.6 ph. I only add 1/2 cup h2o2 pr/ bucket (3 gallon) Seems if I add anything to the bubbler it causes slime on the stems no matter how dilute. Maybe PH to low? My second bubbler with 5 Blueberry cuts look perfect at day 3. I was running 2 18" 40W florcent lights and turned one off on each bucket. Maybe I have to much light and the cuts are trying to grow green rather than roots? ty

[Farmer Rich]

Hey Tip,

Hope you're working this out.. here's my $0.02..

Ph in cloning should be about 6.3.
Water temp 75 degrees
Nute strength (flowering nutes) 300-400 ppm.
Miminmal light. I use 1 t-5 tube flouresent in a 4' panel.

I've recently started using an aeroponic cloner and honestly, it's working but doesn't seem to be much faster than using an old school method. What makes you feel better is popping off the top and seeing root growth. You don't see this with rock wool or rooting cubes until the roots protrude through the medium..

In either I have a +95% success rate, the clones generally look like shit on top.. Yellow crappy leaves.. Once they root and you replant, they take off.

Peace, Farmer Rich

[GoldenGraham84]

thank you FR, for the pH info. i usually keep mine at 5.3-5.8 in my cloner, but i'll give the 6.3pH a shot next time.

[tip302327]

Thanks farmer...Seems like everytime I have added anything to the bucket (bubbler) like light nutes, it developes slime. I just started a new batch of Blue Berry. The cuts were tops to shorten a plant. After 3 days I noticed that the stems were turning brown really fast. Finally figured that the foam plugs were squezing to hard on the stems and basically choking the plants to death. It hasent been a problem in the past but these cuts had huge stems. How much and when do you folks fert the starts once they have been planted. In my case in Coco?