# clone light



## bizzy323 (Jun 9, 2012)

is 18/6 or 24/0 better for clones? also is it true that clones should be left in 24hrs darkness before put under a light after cloned?


----------



## Locked (Jun 9, 2012)

bizzy323 said:
			
		

> is 18/6 or 24/0 better for clones? also is it true that clones should be left in 24hrs darkness before put under a light after cloned?



All my cuts go directly under a single CFL on a 24-0 light schedule...I hve found that you don't want to much light or they seem to take longer to throw roots. I remember reading something that explained why but not sure where I read it. Jmo


----------



## Roddy (Jun 9, 2012)

I'd not believe the 24/darkness thought....


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jun 9, 2012)

I think the key to understanding the cloning process is to go back to the seed germination process. All that I have read and experienced has shown me that most seeds need to in the darkness in order to germinate(some will germ in full light but many will not germ if kept in light.

When we take a cutting off a plant that is in full veg action, the hormones that control the veg function are present in the cutting in abundance, while the rooting hormones are located mostly in the rooting tissue of the donor/mother plant(which is kept in darkness). In order to switch the action of the cutting(and the energy involved) over to producing roots, the urge to grow in veg has to be shut down and rooting hormones have to be increased to a level above the vegging hormones to encourage the main action to be rooting. 

It appears to me from my own experience that when cuttings are placed in very low light for the first 7-10days, then increase the light slowly over the next 10 days to the equivelant of 1 T5 6500k light, rooting will occur in earnest. Once roots have begun to grow vigorously, light can be increased exponentially every other day until maximum lighting is reached (which is just a matter of several days). At this point the rooting hormones will have been absorbed and held within the root zone while the increase of light will signal the vegging hormones within the now self-supporting plant to engage the vegging process.

In my humble opinion(and educated guessing), the 18/6 or 24/0 lighting schedule really doesn't matter or apply during the cloning process. I would say to leave them in 24hrs of very low light as going from total darkness to even low light could prompt the vegging hormones to kick in, which we don't want to happen until we have more vigorous rooting occuring. I have a small veg cabinet on legs, with holes drilled into the floor for air intake. I have about 1/10th of the light from within the cab, which has a 4 bulb T5 in it, coming through the holes to shine down on my cloner with my cuttings. I also have a single 4'T5 fixture mounted to the underside of the cabinet which I turn on after 10 days. This works quite well for me so far.


----------

