# Rooting in Rockwool using Olivia's Gel



## StoneyBud (Feb 25, 2011)

Hey, who has used Olivia's Rooting Hormone Gel in rockwool?

I had to retire my aeroponic rooter. It plugged and plugged and plugged and freakin plugged some more. One of the suction cups gave up. It sprayed unevenly. Generally, it just pissed me off.

I've rinsed my rockwool in ph'd water and they are now draining some for a day or two as they are sopping wet right now from the rinse.

I've received the 2 oz bottle of Olivia's Rooting Gel.

I have a tray with a 7" dome that has ventilation holes at the top and I'll be using an LED panel for light.

As I understand it, I cut at 45 degrees and then dip in the Olivia's Gel. Then just put the cutting into the rockwool and gently press the sides in to ensure that they touch the cutting. 

Doing this with Olivia's Gel, how long until I see roots on the outside of the one inch rockwool cubes? When I used K-L-N it took about 10 days. Will this be about the same?

Thanks in advance! I don't get to ask for advice very often!


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## benamucc (Feb 25, 2011)

my avg was 12.  depends on the strain i think.  

stuff is AWESOME.  changed my world when i switched from powder to that.  still the only one i use.  the plants i have right now rooted ABOVE the rockwool too!!


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## StoneyBud (Feb 25, 2011)

benamucc said:
			
		

> my avg was 12. depends on the strain i think.
> 
> stuff is AWESOME. changed my world when i switched from powder to that. still the only one i use. the plants i have right now rooted ABOVE the rockwool too!!


 
Thanks man! I'd heard good things about Olivia's, but this will be my first time using it.

When the aeroponic rooter was new, it worked awesome, but after a couple years of using it, the thing is more trouble than it's worth.

Thanks again! :smoke1:  Here, hold this will ya? :48:


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## benamucc (Feb 25, 2011)

you'll like this stuff, but i was using the massproducer DIY bubble cloner for a long time too.  will be using a modified version soon...but you'll see that all in a week or two


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## OGKushman (Feb 25, 2011)

root tech gel >

150 out of 150 

I BLAME THE PERSON WITH THE RAZOR


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## Hick (Feb 26, 2011)

under flourecents, Olivias,  I get roots showing out of _"2 inch"_ rw in 10-14 days (as llittle as 8) in most cases.


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## StoneyBud (Feb 26, 2011)

Thanks for the advice folks. I've taken the cuts late last evening and they're in the domed tray now. I took 12 to get 8 of the best.

The old Botanicare Cloning Machine worked real well for almost 2 years. That's really not a bad track record, but it finally gave up and became more trouble than it was worth.

"Back to basics" is sort of what I'm doing now.

By the 11th of March, I should have my 8 needed clones. If so, and all works well, those clones will be the 2nd crop in my two new flowering rooms.

Thanks again to all!


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## akhockey (Mar 8, 2011)

I like Olivias, but its a pain if you make your cuts under water as the stuff doesnt like to stick to wet cuttings. I just bought some hormex powder and did half my cuts with Olivias and half with powder. Ive had some cutttings pop in 12 days and others take 3 weeks.


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## Bleek187 (Mar 8, 2011)

i dont even make cuts underwater. i cut um then stick um in tha jel. i dont see any dif at all from cutting underwater except cutting underwater is a pain. i dont presoak my cubes ether. just toss um in water. pull um out. give um a lil squeeze and use them.. i did all that presoaking in ph or root hormone or whatever but i dont see any diferance so i do it the easy way.. i do use the jel tho.. i think it does work pretty well..


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## filthyhippie420 (Mar 11, 2011)

as long as you gel them quick after the cut, you're good.


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## babysnakess (Mar 12, 2011)

I tried root shooters and everthing rooted. Some in less than 10 days. I gave my aeroponic cloner away, wish I knew about this before I loss so many strains I wanted to keep because I didn't know how to clone.

Just cut and stick and put in a humidity dome.

How many of you have had this happen ? I took cuttings off of my supposely heavy duty fruity mither, which is 7 weeks into flowering and still doesn't smell heavy duty, two never wilted but didn't produce roots. One has rooted about 6 weeks later and the other one about 2 months later.


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## StoneyBud (Mar 12, 2011)

babysnakess said:
			
		

> How many of you have had this happen ? I took cuttings off of my supposely heavy duty fruity mither, which is 7 weeks into flowering and still doesn't smell heavy duty, two never wilted but didn't produce roots. One has rooted about 6 weeks later and the other one about 2 months later.


 
That's pretty weird man. I've had em take a long time, but never as long as 2 months! With the amount of stress that may have been the cause of its not rooting sooner, I think I would watch that one for signs of being hermie, very closely.

Mine either root or die within 20-30 days or so. It becomes obvious which are which about day 15.


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## Hick (Mar 13, 2011)

> heavy duty fruity mither, which is 7 weeks into flowering



A few years ago, a buddy brought me two cuts from a Blueberry plant that was several weeks into flowering.  I recut them, hormoned them, and put them in FFOF soil enriched with perlite in 8 oz cups..
   They just sat there in an apparent suspended animation with no visible signs of rooting, growing, or dieing. There were only two, they weren't taking up much room, so I just allowed them to remain there under the flo' tubes 24/0. At somewhere around 45-60 days, I noticed a bit of fresh, bright green growth beginning.


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## StoneyBud (Mar 13, 2011)

You guys have a lot of patience. I would have pitched em out by then.

It's been 17 days now and no roots are visable on the outside or bottom of the cubes. 

Of the 12 cuts, 11 still look healthy. One is biting the dust slowly.

I might just build another aeroponic unit to root in. The old one worked great, but just wore out.


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## Rosebud (Mar 13, 2011)

Stoney, I tried to throw these away, but I can't. Really. Look at the dates, first cut, bubble cloaner, 2nd date in dirt. Are the tiny minute ones really gonna hermi on me?
I hope you have a good laugh...these are some funny clones. You might need glasses to see a couple of them. There are a couple in there with no roots. I got sick of waiting for them, so stuck um in the dirt with no roots. How's that for a good gardener.


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## StoneyBud (Mar 13, 2011)

Rosebud said:
			
		

> Stoney, I tried to throw these away, but I can't. Really. Look at the dates, first cut, bubble cloaner, 2nd date in dirt. Are the tiny minute ones really gonna hermi on me?
> I hope you have a good laugh...these are some funny clones. You might need glasses to see a couple of them. There are a couple in there with no roots. I got sick of waiting for them, so stuck um in the dirt with no roots. How's that for a good gardener.


 
Hey Rosebud, hermies are as unpredictable as a blind rattler. There's no tellin, just guessing.

I'm trying to get my 45 day cycle going smoothly and the only hangup in it now is the rooting. I've never had problems rooting before and this is pissing me off, frankly....hehe

I'm going to build another aeroponic rooter. The one I was using worked fine for many, many crops, but wore out. The pump screen disintegrated, the suction cups on the pump broke, the spray heads were getting clogged and because of a cleaning residue, it killed my entire batch of cuts last time.

I'm going to pick up some peat cups tomorrow at the feed store and put the rockwool cubes in those. The dampness of the peat will be easier to control than the dampness of the rockwool.

I - will - beat - this - problem! hahahaahahaha


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## gchristo (Mar 13, 2011)

I have tried Olivia's Gel for the first time, and I've got 6 BlueBerry that are going on 4 weeks, and no roots yet.  Plants are standing tall, w/ no wilt, but the root situation is perplexing for sure.  I assume that my res temp is a little low (70 - 72 F.), but thought it was just me as a newbie cloner!!

Cheers


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## WeedHopper (Mar 13, 2011)

I have never lost a clone with my Bubblers,or Mini DWC,,what ever ya want to callem. Roots normally took a little over a week,,up to 2 weeks. Loved my Bubblers. My clones were in Neopreme inserts and went directly to my DWC in those inserts.
I didnt use rooting gels or powders,,just a little Superthrive in PHed water of 5.8,, and lots and lots of Bubbles.
Maybe I will try the Gel when I start growing again and see what kinda difference it makes.


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## OGKushman (Mar 13, 2011)

stoney. 


want 100 out of 100 clones? want to root NUGS? want the clones to root in 3 days and COIL the plant in the tray???


-clone tray
-Root tech
-rapid rooters


period.


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## OGKushman (Mar 13, 2011)

i throw rooted clones away if i dont think they are up to my standards.


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## Rosebud (Mar 13, 2011)

I do I do...I have never lost a clone till this time. I had a heating pad under it to keep um warm..Beats me what happened.
Gotcha OG, I am there.


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## Rosebud (Mar 13, 2011)

OGKushman said:
			
		

> i throw rooted clones away if i dont think they are up to my standards.



Wish I could do that.


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## OGKushman (Mar 13, 2011)

*yea i know my clones need some manganese...moms been fed


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## Bleek187 (Mar 13, 2011)

i loved my aeroponic rooter the frist 5 times i used it.. after that it killed more and more cuttings everytime i used it.. i used bubbler to root clones the very first time i took them.. that worked great then every time after that not so good.. the thing to remember is.... the clones need all the things a regular plant does.. yes U need to keep them misted and it needs to be very humid at first.. but they still suck the c02 out of the air.. so fresh air needs to be brought into the dome every so often.. lift the dome.. fan the cuttings.. mist and put the dome back.. after a few days try opening the vents on the top to let air move in and out.. the more U do this the better chance at success.. put a heat pad under the trey with a thermostat.. set it on 80F.. this will keep the cubes warmer and promote faster rooting.. check the water ever day to make sure there is enough.. change the water in the trey every few days or even every day if you want.. basicly just take care of your babys. the more attention you give to them the better and faster they will root and grow..


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## OGKushman (Mar 13, 2011)

VERRRRY GOOD BLEEK!

A much more indepth view into his rooting style.


As with mine there is more to it then cut dip root...

-soak rapid rooters in pH 6.0 600ppm solution of Gh3 part
- cut clone from mom JUST BELOW A NODE. Shave off that node above cut AND SWIRL CLONE STEM IN ROOT TECH GEL.
- Stab clone into presoaked rapid rooter, pull out and put more clone gel on stem then stab 2nd time.
- Cut all fan leaves in half and leave new shoots
- Mist with 2 drops eagle 20/10oz water and pHd water, close lid for 4 days
- open lid mist again reg water
- check roots
- if not rooted pour more 600 ppm nute water AND 1/2 of a 3$ bottle of dissolved root tech over all clones focusing on rooter pellets.
-2 days everything will be mad rooted


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## StoneyBud (Mar 13, 2011)

Thanks for the cool ideas folks. 

OGK, what amounts of each component of the GH 3 part do you use in ml?


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## OGKushman (Mar 13, 2011)

3-2-1-1

gro micro bloom pH...and put a little root hormone in the rapid rooter soak water...


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## StoneyBud (Mar 13, 2011)

OGKushman said:
			
		

> 3-2-1-1
> 
> gro micro bloom pH...and put a little root hormone in the rapid rooter soak water...


 
I'm sorry man, I'm not being dense here, but I know you don't mean 3ml per/gallon, 2ml per/gallon and 1ml per/gallon.

How much of each do you put into each gallon?

Thanks man. The only way I mix GH is by ml/gallon. I don't even own a ppm meter.


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## OGKushman (Mar 13, 2011)

sorry stony i thought it was a gallon bowl!

just checked my bowl i use and its just over half gallon.  70 ounces of 200ppm tap water 


so 

my formula is 70oz of 200ppm 7.0ph tap + 3,2,1ml's GH3 and 1-2ml of pH down = 600ppm of
good ol clone solution. If u feel unlucky then toss some hormone in it...


Hope any of my numbers belp! 
Sorry to mislead u at all bro.

:48:


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## babysnakess (Mar 13, 2011)

I got 18 out of 18 with root shooters, didn't even turn yellow.


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## babysnakess (Mar 13, 2011)

The directions said don't try to root the fast growing top, I did that and it rooted. I'm not an advanced nutrients guy, but I'm sold on this product.


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## StoneyBud (Mar 14, 2011)

OGKushman said:
			
		

> 70oz of 200ppm 7.0ph tap + 3,2,1ml's GH3


 
Ok, so what you're saying is:

3ml of Grow
2ml of micro
1ml of Bloom
1ml of Rooting hormone

for a half gallon of pH'd water.

Right?

I think I have what you mean now. Thanks again man.


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## OGKushman (Mar 14, 2011)

yes! that should work fine. i was getting too technical. lol


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## StoneyBud (Mar 14, 2011)

OGKushman said:
			
		

> yes! that should work fine. i was getting too technical. lol


 
Thanks for your patience OGK. I used to be a database designer and had to make sure that everyone who would use a database I made could understand every instruction in it exactly the same. 

This rooting subject is so important to so many people who will read this later, I wanted to make it as clear as possible for later readers.

Thanks again man!


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## OGKushman (Mar 14, 2011)

No problemo stoneyhomey!

:48:


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## Bleek187 (Mar 15, 2011)

just wondering... what PH is everybody using in there clone water?


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## OGKushman (Mar 15, 2011)

5.8-6.0


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## Bleek187 (Mar 21, 2011)

update...
The OGKushman mix:

3ml of Grow
2ml of micro
1ml of Bloom
1ml of Rooting hormone
for a half gallon of pH'd water. 
600ppm


i tryed this on some clones i had rooting in just water and wow.. the roots exploded.. thanks alot. i will be using this every time i take cuts from now on. peace


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## StoneyBud (Mar 22, 2011)

So far, only 3 of the 12 I put in rockwool cubes have rooted. Those three are doing great, but I need eight.

I bought some peat pellets and will use OGK's mix to root more.


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