# Rockwool cloning



## NorCalHal

Here is my attempt at explaining my rockwool cloning technique. there are many, but this is what works well for me. Very Well 

The following pics are the tools of the trade. I do have a couple of more, but I will show those later in the thread.

btw Hick, sorry man, I stole your "format" for the tutorial, only be  cauae I cant figure out how to post a pic, then a comment, then another pic. Sorry bro!

The first pic is shows the Gel and Scissors I happen to use. I have been working with Clonex for the last year or so with no complaints. But most Rooting Hormones will do the trick. One is not far superior then the other, imho.

The scissors I use are ABS and are really for Grape cuts and pruning. But they are sharp as hell and give a real sharp, clean cut. As long as you get a good,clean cut, any good scissor or better yet, a razor blade will work. I take alot of cuts, so a razor takes too much time for me.

The next thing is the solution I use to soak my rockwool cubes with. Olivias Cloning Solution. Pretty cheap and I have been usuing it for years.
I use a little under what they recommend per gallon. I also use this to feed the clones if they start to dry out. I do not adjust my ph AT ALL when I mix my cloning soulution. I feel any extra ** you add to adjust the ph is more harmful then good when it comes to rooting clones.

The next are the Rockwool blocks that I use. I have gone thru MANY brands and styles, but Grodan mini cubes work best for me. I have noticed a quicker rooting time also by usuing wrapped cubes rather then the unwrapped. 
This is a little harder to explain, but the Grodan brand also has a better "feel" when you stick your cutting into the cube. Cmon now, don't blast me, I know it sounds funny!! There is a certain "touch" when you fell the cut snug into the rockwool. 

The next 2 pics are the trays I use. A standard 12"x24" tray with a meshed insert. I perfer usuing inserts for a couple of reasons.

The main reason is you can lift out the meshed insert with the clones in it and place that into another tray with water to water the clones. This way, you are watering them from the bottom up. If you top water your clones, you are just washing away the rooting hormone faster.
I hope this makes sense. Another reason is you can lift the insert out and look to see if roots are blasting yet.

The last pic is my little technique of squeezing out the excess water after you first soak the cubes. You DO NOT want your cubs soaking wet. You need to squeeze out a little water. This will increase your rooting time by days. If the cubes are too wet, they will not only take longer to root, but could get stem rot fairly easy.


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## NorCalHal

Now we are on to the Mom.

This particular mom, shown in the first pic is my OG Kush. She is about 8 months old right now. She is a good girl!

When I pick a cut from a mother, I look for a good cut 4-5 " long. I also make sure I only take cuts that will leave new growth to come back strong. 
So, in Pic 2, this is what I will cut into a clone. If you notice where my thumb is, I will cut right at that, leaving the 2 new shoots underneath to grow out for my next clone taking event!
Pic 3 shows the cut.

Pic 4 & 5 shows how I trimmed up the stem, leaving only the top portion of the clone. Cut away all node growth under that. The top veiw shows how I "round" off the leaves a bit. The less big leaves you have, the faster it will root also. But mainly, I do this to fit all the clones in one tray.


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## NorCalHal

Now, before I dip the Cut into the rooting hormone, I will cut the end of the cut at a 45degree angle, as shown in the first pic.

Then I will dip the end of the newly cut clone into the rooting hormone. I use a shotglass myself. 

Then, simply stick the cut into the rock wool. This is where the "stick it in till it's snug" feel comes into play. I do not stick it all the way thru the cube, only snug, maybe a half inch to 3/4's.


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## PUFF MONKEY

double thanks to you ! i'll keep this in mind when i start cloning.....i love my new E&F setup btw....more people should try it.....very fast growth...i'm sure i'll have lots of questions for you in the weeks to come.


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## NorCalHal

Well, thats almost it. That takes care of the initial "taking of the clone".

For those of you that take clones or have tried, the real trouble starts now.

First off, here is a pic of the mom after I took about 24 cuts off of her. Plenty of new sites that will take off and be ready to cut again in about 2 weeks.

The second pic is the finished tray of clones. Aren't they pretty!
Third pic is a side view of the tray.

OK. I use a heatmat and thermostat for my clones. I actually picked up the thermostat at my local hydro store, along with the heatmat.
As you can see, you basically stick the probe into a rockwool cube and set the desired temp. I set mine to 80 degrees.

Once the Thermostat probe is inplace, I put my humidity Dome on top. I keep the top vent fully open ( small vents).

The clones are cooked under a regular flouresant garage light. 40 watts.
That is all the light they need.

There are a few other little things to add, and I will. For now, Enjoy!

Any questions or comments, jump right in!


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## lyfr

just wanted to give many thanks...this will help me tremendously already see a couple things i'll be doin different.  lucky me, stocked up on cubes a few days ago and the right ones.  can't wait to try this:yay:


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## NorCalHal

OK folks, I have had my second cup of morning coffee and am ready for more.

Lets talk rooting hormone. As I stated, I currently use Clonex. I have used MANY other brands, and one is not better then another. Powder,liquid or gel. I used plain old roottone for a long time and it also worked well.
The key, imho, is to not use too much. More is not better, it will jtake a little longer to root, imo, if you use alot of hormone with this cloning method.

Feeding the clones. 

After I take the initially take the cuts, the cubes are good to go for around 5-7 days before they start to "dry" out. By then, they have already started to root and 90% of them are "rooted" but not quite blasting roots out of the cubes. So, I will take an empty tray, fill it about 1/3 with my Olivias/water mix and "dunk" the meshed tray into the "watering" tray. As I stated, it will feed the clones from the bottom up, not top feeding. Any questions on this, and I can take a pic when I feed them later this week.
There are also a number of different things you can feed your clones besides Olivias. I used a WEAK GH 3 part solution for a long time with good success. I am sure you can use a number of different "WEAK" nuit solutions for this. And I am talking WEAK solutions. Clones don't really need any Nuits.

About the Humidity dome. If I see ALOT of condensation on the dome, I will take the dome off for a couple of hours. Ususally, I only have to do this MAYBE once or twice during the first few days. Sometimes not at all. Living in California, it is naturally pretty dry, so I don't get alot of condensation. And when I am talking about condensation on the dome, I mean to the point where the whole dome is covered. That, imho, is not a good thing. A little condensation on the dome is fine.

After 6-7 days, when I feel the clones have started rooting, I will remove the dome completely. If you leave the dome on too long, it tends to "rot" the tops of the clones. Not all, but some. So by me taking off the dome, I keep a higher success rate.

I have been doing this cloning method for a long time now and acheive a solid 95% rate.

I cannot stress enough about not overwatering your clones. you want them moist, not soaked. It is a fine line to know when you must water them. Start checking them around 3-4 days after you initially take the cuts. Then check them everyday, until you feel they need a little water. You really shouldn't have to water them more then twice before they start to shoot roots.

IE. I took clones a couple of weeks ago. After I took them, I watered them 6 days from the time I took them. Within 2 days after that, they were showing roots. I watered them a day later, and they were all blasting roots. With that said. Once they do show roots, they will need to be checked EVERY day after that. They will dry out quick once roots are shown. Or, transplant them into a medium of your choice and they are good to go!


When I take cuts to replace a room that is going to be harvested, I will "overshoot" the clones that I need by about 50%. So, If I need 40 clones, I will take a good 60. That way, I can take the best 40 to flower.
It is like anything else. If you have 60 kids, some of those kids are going to be rotten and give you nothing but trouble. I toss those out!
Keep the best of the best and your flower room will give you love!


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## 4u2sm0ke

Great thread NorCalHal...i have used these.befor and have some success.  I am trying a new experament on cloneing in straight perlite,, and air stone..looks like a way I have stick with..Its been 9 days today and my clones are still standing..I checked one the other day and it has the nubs ..so a few more days...I will check on them all this weekend..it will be 14 days..they should be ready for soil i hope...I too take more clones then needed  just so i can get the ones i need and the best growers..I have 38 clones but only looking for 12 at most to get to flower..  Thanks for shareing with us..take care and be safe


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## NorCalHal

Thanks for looking 4u2smoke!

My domes do have vents on top. 2 vents. I actually leave them half open from the start., then, if condensation gets too much in the dome, I will open the vents all the way.
I will keep the domes on no longer then a week or so. As soon as I see a few roots out of a cube or so, say about 20% of the clones, I will remove the dome completley.


As soon as they are all rooted, I pick the winners and the go into 4" rockwool cubes under a T5 to veg.


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## 4u2sm0ke

Sorry Norcal  I asked quesstion and dont know how i missed the answer you had all ready left  My bad..I did remove my Dome today see how they react..Thanks  KEEP M GREEN


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## 00pecky

I am having a real problen with having my clones droop over approximately 6 hours after cutting I threw them out and tried again with the same result will they come back or am I doing something wrong?


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## andy52

mine usually wilt some also.just give them time.


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## 303053

thanks for the info man....ive been lookin for some good cloning techs.


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## 00pecky

I saw that it said keep at 80 degrees but whats the ideal humidity for the clones?


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## NorCalHal

70-80 percent. Good luck and happy cloning!


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## 4u2sm0ke

Hey NorCal..its been ten days  how are they now?  any updated pics avail?


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## 4u2sm0ke

00pecky said:
			
		

> I am having a real problen with having my clones droop over approximately 6 hours after cutting I threw them out and tried again with the same result will they come back or am I doing something wrong?


 

Sorry NorCal..this is your thread  but just couldnt help not help here....

00pecky....i never get rid of them untill they are brown and laying down...rule of thumb my friend is ...if they are green there is hope...they will wilt a bit  going threw shock  but they should stand tall in a few days..JMO..take care and be safe...KEEP M GREEN


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## 00pecky

Thanks alot guys but I was wondering if you knew what your humidity is in your dome? I have light condensation but I was in the 80's temp wise. I'm going to turn it down into the mid 70's but out of 50 only 5 are drooping from yesterday thank you so much for help.


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## 4u2sm0ke

00pecky....I dont check mine..sorry..I do just as NorCal here is doing with a propagation mat..the most inportant thing is.....patients..try diffrent ways and find what works 4U..good luck my friend


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## andy52

bump,this is a good stickie


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## NorCalHal

Thank you 4U2Smoke for keeping up on this while I was away.

I have found that if the ambiant air temp of wherever you cut the clones is greater then 85 degrees or so, new cuts tend to wilt. Or, if humidity is low.

But alas, some cuts will just wilt. There are some anti-wilt sprays on the market, as to which I have never seen them really help, but they do have it.
Your best bet is to let them rock. They will either snap back, or wither out. Don't toss them till they die completly.

As far as actual humidity percent in the dome, man great question. Sorry my friend, I do not have a good answer. I judge mine mainly from sight. If my Dome has alot of condensation, I will simply remove the dome for a bit. 
Some domes have vents that you can open/close to control this also.

4u2Smoke, I will get some pics today. They did root and I have already taken a few to thier new home. But there are quite a few left, so I will get some pics. I lost 4 out of 72. Not too bad.


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## 4u2sm0ke

Not Bad at all... thanks, and welcome back my friend


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## 4u2sm0ke

took 18 clones today  just the way you are showing in 1 inch cubes..Thanks NorCal...


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## BUDISGUD

i will use this method too now i have my 8 pod drip system  

thanks bro


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## BUDISGUD

my main pots are 11 ltr wich will have clay balls as the medium ,which size rockwool blocks do you suggest i need from cloning too the main pots ? cheers


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## goneindawind

i jus took a few clones off my sour diesel i was wondering how long shud i leave the lights on i got them on 24 hrs rite now


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## 00pecky

Clones use 24 hour light and the key is the heat mat took about 50 clones and all survived and grew roots in 7-10 days then put them in drip system when showed roots. Very nice


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## charlesweedmore

great mate.thanks.
how many litre is your pot of the mom ?
and 1'' rockwool is enough for cuttings ?


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## NorCalHal

4U2Smoke....did everything work out ok?

Srry for not checking up on this guys. Seems the questions have been answered.

Charles..1" works great for me, tho I do have some partners who are tryin' out 4x4x4 cubes and stickin' 6 cuts per cube.


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## Super Silver Haze

NorCalHal, thanks for the schooling.  i need as much as i can get b/c im getting ready to do my first clone out of necessity.  this is very similar how Todd McCormick explaines in his book.  have you ever tried peeling the skin off the bottom 1/4" of the stem then soak for a few min. before putting them into your medium.

SSH


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## mr. indica

nice guide and good reading thumps up

indie


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## thayne

has anyone tried cloning in peat pellets my clones keep dying I think I had the temp wrong so I fixed that.  I do have about 50 % of clones alive from my first try but they seem to be growing real slow.  second round all 12 died yesterday took 6 more so far so good.  I think I might have been over watering too I was spraying them 4 times a day.


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## ArtVandolay

NorCalHal said:
			
		

> Thanks for looking 4u2smoke!
> 
> My domes do have vents on top. 2 vents. I actually leave them half open from the start., then, if condensation gets too much in the dome, I will open the vents all the way.
> I will keep the domes on no longer then a week or so. As soon as I see a few roots out of a cube or so, say about 20% of the clones, I will remove the dome completley.
> 
> 
> As soon as they are all rooted, I pick the winners *and the go into 4" rockwool cubes under a T5 to veg*.



Hey, NCH - they were rooted in 1 inch cubes - how do they then go into 4 inch cubes?  Do you remove the 1 inch??  Great thread, NCH!


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## Jman

I have tried this method, and I have to say very successful. Thank You


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## reality

Thanks to NCH and everyone else that helps,

This is my predicament...
So my mother kush plant died the other day, because of my stupid mistake (forgot to fill the dwc res.) I only got to take 2 cuttings the day before on the 5/20 and I am very nervous about their well being. If they dont root I have start from seed with some bagseed and that sucks. 

They look like theyre doing alright. no roots blasting out of the rooter plugs yet but they're are not falling over or anything.

I have had a decent success rate with clones in the past, its just lack of a backup plan if these dont take root that bothers me.

Here's my question i guess...
Yesterday I noticed some yellowing on the bottom most fan leaf on one of the clones. It starts at the very tip. My thinking is that this is a good sign. Im thinking that the energy that was stored in that leave is being used for something, growing roots? Is my theory off base? 

I have them under a 13w CFL.

I did check the plugs to see if they had roots blasting out but there wasn't. Added water today for the first time and the plugs were admittedly dry. I moistened them up and added water to the tray. From what i read in ur post, letting the rock wool or rooter plug get somewhat dry is not the worst thing that can happen, true?

Also I used a powder rooting hormone and I am using a light hygrozyme dose in the water.

Thanks and sorry for the long message,

-Reality


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## Jman

Hey norcalhal, Question for ya. I use your method with great success 100%.  How long after the roots show do you wait to put them in soil?  Thanks


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## kaotik

Jman; it's personal preference.. some poeple think waiting longer will make them grow faster and be less succeptable to stress.. others prefer to plant right away so light dosn't bother the new roots sticking out.
personally i plant them first sign of roots breaking the medium.

Reality; yes yellow (usually) is a good sign, and you should be seeing roots shortly.



			
				thayne said:
			
		

> has anyone tried cloning in peat pellets my clones keep dying I think I had the temp wrong so I fixed that. I do have about 50 % of clones alive from my first try but they seem to be growing real slow. second round all 12 died yesterday took 6 more so far so good. I think I might have been over watering too I was spraying them 4 times a day.


if they're dying, you're doing too much.
i had the same problem at first. was using a dome and spraying them.. now i don't. i don't even use my humidy dome, just clone and leave in the open (give them water if they're getting too dry, but you don't want them wet, wont root if it's wet) 
 been doing great now.


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## greenfriend

NorCalHal said:
			
		

> Charles..1" works great for me, tho I do have some partners who are tryin' out 4x4x4 cubes and stickin' 6 cuts per cube.


 
Im about to try the 6 pack method like they do at blue sky.  i like the 1.5" cubes because they fit nicely into the 4" cubes, but its sometimes too hot in the growroom and the small cubes dry out and wilt really fast.  keeping the 4" cubes on the heatmat until roots are blasting thru the 4" cubes will hopefully cause less stress when they transplanted to the T5.  Also I can start larger (6") clones in my aero cloner then put them in 4" cubes when I see root bumps


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## Jman

Hey kaotic,  I spray and keep my humidity up with a dome, and my clones look just like the day I took them.  Except with roots now!!!!  So as long as you don't over do it with the spraying.... It will work either way successfully.Mine have rooted in 6 to seven days both times I tried. With 100% success rate.  Keep in mind I only took 10 clones the first run and 12 the second..


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## kaotik

Jman said:
			
		

> Hey kaotic, I spray and keep my humidity up with a dome, and my clones look just like the day I took them. Except with roots now!!!! So as long as you don't over do it with the spraying.... It will work either way successfully.Mine have rooted in 6 to seven days both times I tried. With 100% success rate. Keep in mind I only took 10 clones the first run and 12 the second..


oh yeah m8, stick with what's working for you.. i wasn't suggesting to not use one (i know i'm actually in the minority here) just was showing buddy how i do very little with success.


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## Jman

Cool, Cool marijuana is a thriving voracious plant. Alot of different techniques work.  I might try it without a dome and see how it works....


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## R00T BOUND

Great thread *NCH*! 

My questions - what do you do/feed to your mom for preparation. Do you "skarf" (SP?) your stems?

Lastly, when you put the stem in the RW, do you make a hole or just push the stem in, if you do that wouldn't it push the Clonex off


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## Droopy Dog

NorCalHal said:
			
		

> Charles..1" works great for me, tho I do have some partners who are tryin' out 4x4x4 cubes and stickin' 6 cuts per cube.



What I've done in the past (this was for transplanting into 1gal containers), was root 4 clones in a 3x3 cube.  Clonex gel and Clonex solution.

Since coming here I've tried the 1 1/2x1 1/2 with the little hole.  They work well, but are a pain to handle.

What I like about the 3x3 is, the chunks end up ~1 1/2, but 3" deep.  More rockwool for those roots till it grows into the medium.:hubba: 

DD


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## purplephazes

NorCalHal said:
			
		

> Now, before I dip the Cut into the rooting hormone, I will cut the end of the cut at a 45degree angle, as shown in the first pic.
> 
> Then I will dip the end of the newly cut clone into the rooting hormone. I use a shotglass myself.
> 
> Then, simply stick the cut into the rock wool. This is where the "stick it in till it's snug" feel comes into play. I do not stick it all the way thru the cube, only snug, maybe a half inch to 3/4's.


On ya bro finally a strait shooter ! hahaha  clonex they call it here .. and that $hit is the bomb ! Take notice and care !


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## NorCalHal

I have seen some folks use bigger cubes and just place more cuts in them, and tit works also, just takes a bit longer.


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## DonJones

Anyone using rockwool might like to check out ALTERNATIVE TO ROCKWOOL  in the CULTIVATION>GENERAL INDOOR section.  Maybe you'll be interested and maybe not but at least you'll be informed.

Good smoking and Merry Christmas.


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## zem

hey there everyone  i am going to take some clones today, i'm goin with oasis cubes this time and had a question, i want to heat up my cloning chamber with something available so i'm gona add a 75watt incadescent lamp in there and my question is would it provide the clones with their needed light? i know they dont need much light but i also know they need some light, i know that a compact fluro of like 18 watt is equivalent to 100w incadescent light but im not sure if that lamp would give the plant beneficial light that can keep them cloning or maybe it will give more light than i would need? anyone ever tried this? thanks


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## cmd420

I followed Hal's tutorial and I got 14 out of 16 with roots showing...

1st time


right on brutha


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## chuckdee123

congrats cmd, looks like this is the way to do it. 

i'm thinking about taking some clones, but i'm wondering, how long can you keep clones alive without actually planting them? 
i'd like to have a stock of clones of certain strains that i like a lot, but i only want to grow 4-6 plants at a a time... thanks


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## zem

you can keep em in fridge only for few weeks andeven then somemight not make it. only way to keep a stock longtime is by growing a mom


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## dowhatyoudo82

Are you attaching pics from a phone? If so how ? I can't seem to attach anything


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