Cloning Plants

note: will be getting pictures this afternoon and so on as well as finishing the part on constructing a humidity dome. will be complete by tonight. well part 1 anywyas got 3 methods left too do yet.


Cloning By DarkSpark

Introduction

I will eventually update this guide with 3-4 different types of cloning and post feedback on how each works. the first method i will be doing is just a regular mix of perlite and coco. The next method i will be trying shortly is called the "bubble cloning" method and i will also be doing some in rockwool and stuff.

The overall concept behind cloning plants of any kind is too find the strongest one and keep it as the "mother" taking clones off this plant will give you an exact replica of the mother plant. The clones will then grow themselves and the mother will benefit from you trimming it by growing 2-3 new stems per cutting. so all in all everyone wins. In the first method i will be splitting it into two parts, taking the clones and making a humidity dome. The humidity dome isn't essential but helps shitloads. note thought that light of some sort is pretty essential.

Requirements

Cloning materials
1 x razorblade (the sharper the better)
1 x Cloning Gel (i will be using Clonex Purple)
? x 425ml plastic cups (these will be pots so however many clones you are taking)
5L of perlite (i bought a 40L bag for 20$)
1 x Coco brick(from bunnings, with no fertilisers in it)

Humidty Dome Materials
1 x Plastic storage container (20-30cm high)
1 x CFL light 18+ W
1 x bendy head lamp
1L of Perlite
1-5M of Glap Wrap
1L of water


Initial Preparations

You will want too prepare your "pots" snip 2-4 triangles out of the base corners for drainage do this for however many clones you are taking then. Then soak your coco in some water breaking it apart by hand occasionally, i like too soak it overnight once broken up gets nice and fluffy then drain the water and let it dry out a touch in the sun stirring now and then. you will have too clean the perlite of all the dust otherwise it will clog up the drainage, just put it in a strainer, or a sink with one of those food catcher grill things... after, mix your coco/perlite around 50/50 keeping some perlite aside.

with the perlite you put aside put a 1cm layer in the bottom of each cup, then fill too the very top with the perlite/coco mixture. press it down gently but you want too allow a bit of breathing room so only gently. use a skewer too poke a hole into the dirt about the size of the stems you are cutting. and make as many as you want clones. Some people say that clear cups damages the roots but for cloning it makes it easier too see when your plants have rooted and afterwards i just tape it up with duct tape.

Taking the clone

Ok so too begin with you will want too select a reasonably healthy looking branch, clones can be of just about any size but i would reccomend no smaller than 4-5CM minimum. you will want too cut a few CMs(2-5) below a node(branch/leaf intersection) at roughly a 45 degree angle accross the stem.
- This is thestem i will cut

- after the cut


The next step is too cut awat the larger leaves from the node you cut below and the one above it if they are close together, cut the rest of the larger fan leaves in half as this will reduce the resipration from the plant, the leaves hold around 4-7 days worth of nutrients from when you take the cutting so you dont want too remove them all, but by the same note you want too limit respiration.
- Before

- After



next slice through thecentre of the base of the stem about 1cm up, and scratch the sides of the stem for about 1CM up with the side of your blade, this will make rooting easier as the softer flesh is already exposed rather than the roots having too push through it
- this is the slash u make too the base

after this place it in a cup of water (covering all the cuts you made too protect them from air contamination, boiling the water then letting it cool is a good idea) and repeat until the desired amount of clones are taken. Get your pots ready and your clonex gel in a coke bottle lid or something, dip the clones into the clonex gel too just BELOW the node you cut below(be very liberal with the clonex, and then put the stem into the dirt too the same depth as the clonex gel goes up the stem and press the dirt around it gently. again repeat this for all the clones. Be VERY VERY liberal with the clonex.

- with da clonex on


- in the dirt (bury the stem about 1-2 inches deep

- humidity dome, just a plastic container with gladwrap on top


- roots after about a week

 

Wow, I want to see this. Ill check back later tonight mate. Love the sig btw.

 

Well some shit came up just got home may be able too the rest of it tonight depends on how i go. Pretty buggered, got tomorrow off work too so i can do it then if need be. Either way i will finish writing the bulk of the content then go back through and fix it all up making it easier too understand as well as adding the pictures and so on. The process is pretty simple though. And all you need for a humidity dome really is water pots, glad wrap and a plastic container. lol.

anyway ill post back later with some more shit.

 

Ok added the pictures. will pretty it all up and fix a few errors and bits of mis-information. This was all off the top of my head, when i actually did it i realised i got a few things slightly wrong (would still work just not as good a strike rate)

 

I have to try this sometime!!

 

Very nice guide, quality pictures, very detailed.

 

a picture of the one clone i ended up keeping to be my mum for future endeavors.



this be what the mum now looks like

 

this is genius. ill read it over again later on so that i can do this myself

 

yea agreed. really wanna try this but i dont grow :\ great guide man

 

know the guide is old but has some useful information that can still be applied dont see any reason not to post haha id just like to add rockwool cubes are great and i like to cut my branch off the plant then grab a razor blade sterilize it and make a 45 degree cut under water to reduce risk of air bubbles also but good stuff. i also use a bubble cloner suggest if ur looking to take clones you look it up if ur a serious grower

 

It's a cool thing to do, nothing really "new" though.

 

Man with the strike rate i get this way i have no need to build a bubble cloner... This is a simple cost effective method and i have pretty much 100% survival rate anyways. This guide itself is just a simplification of a common cloning technique. I never said it was new, however it is simple and it makes cloning something anyone can try. Why do people feel the need to try and point out flaws in things ??? If you can't get clones to take in soil/coco then you are seriously a failure/

never said it was "new" as i just stated i have taken and adapted several other guides to make as imple effective cloning technique and it works on more than just mullies.

 

Haha nice, You beat me to making a guide like this. gj it's detailing is great.