# Clones taking 3+ weeks to root. . . .



## Lemon Jack (Dec 12, 2011)

As most of you know.  I have had lots of problems getting this cloning thing down.  My sucess rate is defintitle sub par.  Ive tried rw cubes rapid rooters ans my bubble cloner.  So far I never rooted one in the rr or rw  and the cloner  works about 50- 60 % of the time.  When it does work it takes usually at least three weeks to root the last batch took over a month .  Any  tips guys its killing me cause in two weeks its time to restock the flower room and I only got half of what I need in veg.


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## pcduck (Dec 12, 2011)

I have had success with all of those ways. What is is your temps? I like having mine in the 75 to 82 range. I s your razor blade free of contaminants?


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## Roddy (Dec 12, 2011)

Never thought of temps, I suppose you could put a fish tank heater in the cloner reservoir to heat the water??


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## Lemon Jack (Dec 12, 2011)

the temps   stay between  70 and 80  it may drop down to the sixties a little at night but I just added a heater in there so maybe not.


I guess I could try another razor.  the one there has only been used for clones though,  but it did have a smidege of rust on it from makin the cuts under water.


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## Lemon Jack (Dec 12, 2011)

When you look at hempers grow and see the roots he had 7 days in on his poison mighty mite.. . ..its awfully discouraging how do you achieve those results?


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## warfish (Dec 12, 2011)

Lemon Jack said:
			
		

> When you look at hempers grow and see the roots he had 7 days in on his poison mighty mite.. . ..its awfully discouraging how do you achieve those results?


It can be strain related for sure on how easy they take root.  I have a WW that I swear will root if I took a cutting and threw it on some soil, but then some other strains I have never been able to get a good clone from.

I do feel that warmer temps make a big difference.  I set my clone tray on a heating pad and I put an aquarium heater in my bubble cloner set to 78 degrees.


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## Wetdog (Dec 12, 2011)

Lemon Jack said:
			
		

> When you look at hempers grow and see the roots he had 7 days in on his poison mighty mite.. . ..its awfully discouraging how do you achieve those results?



Don't sweat that. My particular strain takes 3 weeks to a month, so I just plan ahead. Different strains just have different times.

IDK, I think you are over thinking it or trying too hard.

Read NorCalHal's sticky in the propagation section first. I've been using this technique since 1991 and all I had then was about 5 pics and a page &1/2 of text explaining it, in a SSSC catalog. No internet or you tube in 1991. LOL

I use Clonex gel for the cuts and Clonex solution to soak the cubes and to water the cubes as they need it. No misting and no dome after the first couple of days. Most of the time, no dome at all. 2 shop lights (T-12's) ~28" above the clones, hung from a sawhorse (High tech stuff here LOL)

To simplify watering, I use a clear plastic shoebox from the $ store with some 1/8" holes drilled in it to hold the cubes/clones. Time to water, this goes in another shoebox with no holes and the Clonex solution added. When saturated, lift up the box-o-clones, let drain and put back under the light.

That's it! I do a 18/6 cycle, but whatever floats yer boat.

Wet


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## HemperFi (Dec 12, 2011)

It has got to be a strain thing. My AK-47 and White Power are not so easy to clone as the PMM. I put a mix of very weak GH three part nutes in the cloner, wack off the branches with sissors, toss them in water -- when I have all I want/need, I wipe off my blade w/ alcohol, pull them out of the water, lay them out on my plywood bench one at a time and cut them -- I don't care about a 45 degree angle, I just cut them just under a node -- then I scar up the node and put a cut up the end of the stem, dip in "Green Light Rooting Hormone," stick in the RR making sure I don't push it all the way through, and stick it in the cloner. I mist them morning and night, and I ignore them inbetween -- after a week or so I usually have roots 

I don't recomend doing it my way -- I've just had some noob good luck. I hope you get it under contrtol soon my friend.

Peace


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## Growdude (Dec 12, 2011)

I dont use a dome at all, but removing the dome after a few days is good advice.

Also dont oversoak the grow medium, overwet cubes or pucks take forever to root.
dont mist them to much either, I never mist mine.


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## HemperFi (Dec 12, 2011)

I do have a dome on the cloner -- I left it up once and came back to some horribly wilted cuttings after a few hours. The dome stays on and I mist as well -- morning and night -- ignore otherwise


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## HemperFi (Dec 12, 2011)

I'm thinking it's another one of those individual things that folks do the way that works best for them. I've left a lot of room for improvement in my style  I have 2 small full spectrum CFLs over the cloner as well. And my Rapid Rooters are soaking wet. Go figure....


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## Wetdog (Dec 12, 2011)

:shocked: :shocked: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: 

@HemperFi

Those 2 posts made me laugh. AND made a point.

Many would scream *You're doing it wrong and they're all gonna die !!!*   

Point is, this works well for you. Don't change it just to reinvent the wheel.

The OP needs to find _one_ method that works for him and stick with it. Good, bad, or weird, whatever works.

Wet


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## ozzydiodude (Dec 12, 2011)

Lemon Jack said:
			
		

> the temps stay between 70 and 80 it may drop down to the sixties a little at night but I just added a heater in there so maybe not.
> 
> 
> I guess I could try another razor. the one there has only been used for clones though, but it did have a smidege of rust on it from makin the cuts under water.


 
Try to keep your cloning area at a constant temp. 75 to 80 works the best for me.


Use a new razor blade everytime. Wipe it down with 91% alcohol first.

Make all final cuts underwater. go straight to cloning powder or gel/ or bubbler cloner and you will greatly improve you cloning %


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## Hushpuppy (Dec 13, 2011)

I also agree that temp is quite important. I had noticed back in the early fall when it was still very warm that my buddy's clones were not growing much and were being difficult to root. We have rooted this strain many times without issue before this point. I checked the water and found it was in the low 60s when it should be in the upper 70s. Found that the air from the AC was blowing across the ceiling and coming down right onto the cloner.

We ended up moving the cloner but also put a fishtank heater in it to maintain 78*f. Also started keeping a dome over them(which I had to rig up to fit it) to maintain upper 70s and high humidity around the plants for the first 10 days after cutting. Haven't had any trouble since.

I haven't tried this so I don't know how valid it is, but saw it in HT in a "growroom tips" article. They said to use sparkling mineral water when taking cuttings from the plant. Fill a large cup with the mineral water and as you take cuttings, place them in the sparkling water for a few minutes while taking all of them and before adding cloning gel and they will root faster and have a better survival rate.


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## lumpcore (Dec 13, 2011)

I have yet to try a controlled experiment of this on weed or any other plant, but apparently, if you take the cuttings right after a full moon - when all the plants energy is drawn up into the leaves, you will have a higher success rate. bio-dynamic  gardening. never heard anything about if it goes faster.


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## Growdude (Dec 13, 2011)

lumpcore said:
			
		

> I have yet to try a controlled experiment of this on weed or any other plant, but apparently, if you take the cuttings right after a full moon - when all the plants energy is drawn up into the leaves, you will have a higher success rate. bio-dynamic  gardening. never heard anything about if it goes faster.


 
Welcome back Papa Beach!


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## lumpcore (Dec 13, 2011)

Papa Beach??


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## Budders Keeper (Dec 13, 2011)

For me temp was everything. Once I got a seedling mat and maintained 78* my success went from 50-60% to 95-100%. This was with RW and oasis cubes, not sure about bubble cloner.


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## Lemon Jack (Dec 13, 2011)

Ya thats what I keep going back too. Im gonna pick up a heat mat soon.  I want to root in the rw.  But the cloner is the only sucess I have had thus far.


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## Sl4ck3rThcGrower (Dec 13, 2011)

I made a bubbler liker mass producers in the stickys (made a 45 site) but i found the more bubbles there are the faster they root. I run 4 10" air stones and a water pump that shoots air as well. I had massive roots in less that 2 weeks, the areas that had less water movement and bubbling took longer and less virigous growth


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## Wetdog (Dec 16, 2011)

Growdude said:
			
		

> Welcome back Papa Beach!



:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: 

Ahhh, moonbeams. LOL

Wet


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## Growdude (Dec 16, 2011)

Wetdog said:
			
		

> :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
> 
> Ahhh, moonbeams. LOL
> 
> Wet


 
I knew someone would get that :rofl: 

Sorry Rumpcore you almost sounded like an old member here.


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## Grower13 (Dec 20, 2011)

I've got clones 10 days old with no roots....... same strain took 7 days to root well last time........ only difference is 10 degrees lower avg temp.  ave is 68 now....... was 77 before........ I have to take a week extra into account to have clones ready on time for flower.


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## Lemon Jack (Dec 20, 2011)

Well the wifel bought me a hydrofarm hot house for christmas so maybe now all my problems will be solved being able to maintain constant temps and humidity. I took clones 2 days ago and they most all still look good.  ai think my lemon skunk is judt a tought cloner.


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## Grower13 (Dec 20, 2011)

My wife who doesn't smoke....... wouldn't know what to get me for growing...... not sure that's a bad thing.


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