Adventures in Cloning.... help please?

[giggletwig]

Hi guys! I am trying to clone some plants from my (large and bushy) new babies who are 3 wks. old. I've followed cloning instructions, did the cuts, the scraping, dipped in Clonex and put in pots to root. I'm a real cheapskate, so what I've done is put the clones in coco in solo cups, and am using plastic baggies over the tops as domes (they fit pretty good) with a stick in the cup to hold the bag off the plant (read about this method on another site). I have four little clones and put them in the dark bathroom to rest for the afternoon and night. This morning I misted the baggies and put them back on, and put the clones under my T5's with my other plants. The clones were nice and firm and hydrated when I put them in the light, but now 2 hours later, they are all laying on the dirt wilting. Aggg! I remisted them and put them back in the bathroom, no lights. What did I do wrong? The baggies are not sealed at the bottoms so a little air can get in... should I seal them with rubber bands or something to make them tight? (I'd open them up and mist a few times a day). Should I put them under a separate CFL light that's less intense? The temps have been between 75 and 80 deg. in either room.

Timely help will save these little tykes! (grovel grovel)

giggletwig Reviewed by giggletwig on 10-27-2013. Adventures in Cloning.... help please? Hi guys! I am trying to clone some plants from my (large and bushy) new babies who are 3 wks. old. I've followed cloning instructions, did the cuts, the scraping, dipped in Clonex and put in pots to root. I'm a real cheapskate, so what I've done is put the clones in coco in solo cups, and am using plastic baggies over the tops as domes (they fit pretty good) with a stick in the cup to hold the bag off the plant (read about this method on another site). I have four little clones and Rating: 5

[catbuds]

Very sensitive to heat till rooted. Use the coolest fluorescents you have for now, & not as close for the first few days, about 1/2. So what strain you going with for this grow? As long as they fit, I often cut the bottoms from 2lit soda bottles & use the tops as terrariums. The lid is a great help too, off & on again as condensation dictates. Don't be too disappointed if you loose some. All cuttings don't always take. Other than the hot light, you're doing good. I like your products. Another thing I do is set the solos in an aquarium with a sheet of plastic on top & a flourescent & throw in a thermometer. Gets too warm? Lift the plastic for a while then raise the light. Glad to see you're keeping up with this. Isn't it fun!?!? Did u re-veg anything from your first grow. I have a lot if fun cloning from re-veged momas. No guess work at harvest. You know what you have.
---- Always good to hear from you. Keep up the good work! ~~~ PEACE! ~~~

[giggletwig]

Hey catbuds! How ya doin', girl? Yeah, I thought I'd experiment with cloning to fill out my current grow, since I lost a few. I'm going with Chocolope, Tangerine Dream, and Blue Cheese. I had a Cannatonic, but it stayed short and whorled up like a gnarly ball. Really weird. Maybe a dwarf or bad genetics. I was hoping my widow and pineapple express would reveg, but they just sat there and grew no new leaves and the old leaves looked worse and worse. Oh well. Try, try again.

For the clones, I put rubber bands around the baggies (less air getting in) and moved the lights further away. I think I see them perking up. It kills me when people buy fancy schmancy $$$ doodads for cloning. I like my equipment better - found it laying around the house. I like the soda bottle terrarium idea. I may try that next time. When you reveged, did you trim the roots of your plants? I did mine, and I'm thinking it was a mistake. What else are you up to?

:stoned:

[catbuds]

Hey girl! I once had one that deformed like that. It budded, but not heavily, but smoked great. Certainly didn't hand pollinate her though! Glad to see you didn't take those two too hard. All plants don't re-veg & all clones don't take. Yeah, trimming the roots, not a good idea. That can send them into shock just like transplant shock. So being just harvested & root pruning kinda gave them a double whammie. But its all good, live & learn. Once your clones show signs that they took, keep the rubber bands off & remove the baggies a little while each day, increasing that untill they're 'hardened off' because the sudden lack of humidity can make them wilt. Not always, but since it sometimes happens, why take the chance.
--- One if my favorite places for pots, veg seeds & soil EXPANDED! They now carry special supplies just for us! YEAH! So I'm going friday to pick up some T5 fluorscents, 1 1/2 gal pots & awesome soils & nutes. Yeah, I'll be doing my happy dance, probably slide down my cane like a stripper on a pole! They did give me some bad news on the phone though. Someone stole their big fat cat. Everybody loved Milo. When women sat their purses on the counter, he'd climb in them (litterly) & search for cat treats. I always stopped & got him a fish sandwich & let him find it in my huge pocketbook. I know as soon as I walk through the door I'll look over at the counter where he always sat. I hope that doesn't make me cry. Speaking of cats, both of mine HATE any flea product being put on them. Yesterday I frontlined everybody & got my ass whipped! Tigger bit me (38 lbs) & Sam kicked me & split my ankle open trying to get away. Sam's normal, 11 lbs. They're both maincoons, often quite large. Today Tigger was still in a mood & wasn't going to let Sam use the the litter pan. I saw this when I looked down the hall, & go in their room to stop Tiggers nonsense & help Sam out. I picked Sam up & sat him in the pan & before I could pull my hand away, Tigger tried to bitch slap Sam & missed & split the knuckle on my thumb TO THE BONE! He meant that for my sweet little gentle Sam! I was livid! I'm glad he got me instead of Sam. He'd have really hurt him! I nearly slapped him, but caught myself & sprayed him with water instead. Tiggers lucky. Sam's old & very special to me & I'm very protective of him. Not that I don't love Tigger too, but NOBODY hurts my Sam! So now I'm a wounded bloody mess. Sorry for the rant, guess I'm still really pissed at my cat! (But 38 lbs of young & healthy against 11 lbs of old & frail? Oh HELL no!) Tigger got his claws trimmed, now he's pouting. ~~~ PEACE! ~~~

[TANKJR]

Cloning is such a simple thing...I don't use baggies or any of that crap as it's not necessary at all. Ever heard the phrase KISS? Keep it simple silly! Everything must be clean and you must work fast as the more time a cutting spends in air, the less your chance for success. Cut clones, dip in rooting hormone, stick in solo or seedling cups or whatever...the ph is a little critical...keep it lower (5.8-6.2) and just stick the clone in the dirt, a little water to seal the deal and set em up on a shelf in the grow area somewhere warmish and dim light. Moisten soil slightly each day and it's all good. That's all I do and I have a near 100% success rate. They don't need DOMES. You're basically drowning and suffocating them, therefore they wilt and die. Try to keep things simple...and ez!

[catbuds]

The dome creates a 'mini' greenhouse. Its purpose is to retain humidity & prevent humidity fluctuations. When a clone is cut it continues to transpire at the same rate as when it was attached to the plant, but it now has no roots for water uptake. That cut at the base of its stem takes up much less water than a root system. A drastic drop in humidity can seriously dehydrate a clone, sometimes causing its death. It won't drown unless you over water. See too much condensation? Open the dome/ baggie just a little untill it evaporates. Can you clone without the dome? Sure, as long as you have higher humidity than in the average home. But most of us don't. When you have a LARGE group of plants in a closely contained area, transporation raises humidity. When this isn't your situation, domes/baggies increase your success rate.

[giggletwig]

Glad we got our forum back!

Hi Tankjr. I've heard of others who don't use any dome. But you know, everybody has their own way. I researched and sort of reached a concensus, and most use some sort of cover. So far, they look to be still alive, and one of them is definitely feeling fine (taken from the most robust youngster I've ever seen, the Blue Cheese is about 9" tall but has a stem thicker than a pencil already and a ton of leaves.) I may try your way next time. Still experimenting! I do open the baggies several times a day and breathe into them and remist. So far, so good.

Hey catbuds! Sorry to hear about your misadventures with your coon-cats. They can be a handful, and a large one at that. My cousin has one that bit her and she had to go on antibiotics for a dirty bite. Still has the scar. I like cats, but I'm glad I don't have any now. Gave up my persian 'cause I grew more and more allergic each year (had him 10 years!). He's happier now with an owner who can snuggle him. Has no one returned the Fat cat? That's such a shame, I mean, that's low to steal someone's cat.

Clones are still alive. I know the blue cheese will make it (probably take kryptonite to take her out). I hope the chocolopes pull through and root. You know, since I've been curing the last grow, the buds really are improving in taste. The Pineapple express tastes much better now, and more pineappley. I'm definitely glad I tried cannabis medically. It's really helped with my back, my neuralgia, and is great for de-railing depression. I've been able to stop taking my prescription sleep aid, and my anxiety meds. My head is actually clearer than it's been in the last 3 years!

Ya'll take care now, hear?

[catbuds]

Sounds like we have really similar issues. I nolonger take anti-depresents, anti-anxiety or prescription sleep aids. Hated the hangover the next day, & the shit just made me grumpy as hell. Not that I don't smoke for pleasure, herb's the love of my life, but with the right strains to suit your issues, there is no better meds on this earth. I try to choose a strain that gives an up lifting, energized high for mornings to help with depression, & a couch lock, narcotic type high for anxiety & insomnia. Beats the hell out of prescribed narcotics.
----I'm allergic to plant pollen (all) & all animal dander. I take 3 different pills for asthma & allergies, allergy shots, 3 different inhalers, & allergy eye drops. I'd have to do all that anyway because there's no escaping pollen, but it means I can keep my babies. Tigger's over his pout & was laying in the floor & I had to think to myself that he is as big as an English Springer Spaniel. Not just fat, but length & height. That's a lot of cat! Sam's 1/2 pursian & 1/2 maincoon, so he's normal in size, but with the rougher coat of a coon cat & he's the prettiest soild cream color you can imagine & as sweet & gentle as he looks. Tiggers the common silver tabby coon, handsome as hell. I have beautiful spoiled boys. Same goes for Tito, my little Jack (ass) Russell's terrier. Smooth coat, tiny variety, smaller than the cats. Too smart & stubborn for his owngood!
---- Glad the clones are doing good. Keep going the way you are & they should do well. As long as we've been talking, I don't think you would have the humidity to succeed without baggies or domes. One way to find out is to clone a tomato without cover in the same area where you clone your grow. I actually do this. A clone is chronologically as old as the mother plant, & you can have tomatoes a whole month earlier than with a plant from seed. I love clones. I clone EVERYTHING! I've never told the neighbors I do this with my tomatoes. I enjoy the astounded look on their faces! I usually clone in either 6 oz styrofoam cups or party cups, depending on the size of the clone. Then put the cups in an aquarium. Stabilizes the humidity.... & keeps the cats out! Chewed up clones usually don't survive! LOL!
---- Damned I'm long winded! ~~~~ PEACE! ~~~~

[tlranger]

Have been watching your cloning deal, is a very important part of my deal, I try and keep it simple and cheap. But left dirt for oasis cubes, like tenacious jell rooting compound, use cover no dome(very leaky dome) to diffuse light**, water (distilled) every 6 hours have timer, reservoir sets under tray for drain out and has aquarium heater to maintain proper heat. This allows me to do couple of hundred in a small cabinet

[giggletwig]

Hey Ranger! I can't imagine doing a couple hundred clones! And I've never heard of oasis cubes. Is that only for hydroponic growers?

I still have 3 out of 4 clones. And they're looking pretty good. I've removed the rubber bands and have clipped a tiny corner of the baggies I'm using as domes so they can 'harden' gradually over the next week. Hopefully then I'll be able to take them out of the domes and give them more light. This has been a fun experiment and may be a really nice way to stretch my dollar.