# Cloning with cloners vs rockwool cubes



## The Poet (Jun 18, 2015)

My problem is that my Satori is very difficult to clone and being my favorite strain I am determined to continue my cloning education till I am confident that I can clone well enough that I don't waste plants. The last cloning session I used alcohol on my hands and razor, clean water and did one at a time misting daily. 
   Also the glasses with clones in them did better sitting in a tray with water in it. There's holes in the bottom of the glasses and the stems come all the way down to the bottom of the glass, they can draw water as needed.

  I tried a window sill and it was alright, a long bulb ed florescent, and ended up with a curly bulb ed florescent from the hydro store. Started with 39 and ended up with 14 live clones.
                {Correction: 6 live clones.}
 ie.  2 Satori  and the rest  Ogs/og.
                {The two Satori made it!}

   The best production was with the 8oz clear plastic glasses one gets at Walmart. The larger colored plastic drinking glasses were used for most of the clone crop but the ones in clear, thin 8 oz plastic glasses had a noticeably higher rate of survival. 

   Question: 

    Should I buy a 6-8 hole cloner?
Or... start using grow cubes so that I can take 2x 3x times more clones {shorter ones}
from the same plant?


                                         Thank you...


                                                  The Poet...


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## The Poet (Jun 22, 2015)

Fellow enthusiasts,


    I have decided on the cloner and not to use grow cubes. 

   Now my 400w is large enough for 8, 3 gallon buckets, {plants flipped at 16".} 
If I had only 6 plants I would let them grow to 20" then flip and they would fill 'my space'. 
   The hydro store has a 6 hole cloner and if it produced a 100% survival rate it would be my choice, {that or an 8 hole.} 
But if the survival rate is much worse I had better get a 20-25 hole model. 

   What size cloner do you guys use? How many holes and what is expected survival rate? 


                                 Thank you...


                                           The Poet...


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## The Poet (Jun 24, 2015)

People...


     Check out these two cloners a 6 hole and an 8 hole. 
 I'd spend twice as much on gas, as a store bought cloner costs,
 driving around finding parts and returning them if they were wrong in order to make a home made model. 
For $40. - $80. and the price of gas I'll just buy one. 

http://www.dfwhydroponics.com/The-Baby-Maker-BBMKR.htm
http://www.dfwhydroponics.com/Daisy-Cloner-8-site-BCHSDAISY8.htm


     My question to you folks is 'survival rates in cloners'. 
In my last cloning effort I started 39 and have ended up with 6-7. I don't expect them all to live but give me an idea on percentage of survivors in a bunch of clones, cloned in a cloner. 
   If I buy an 8 holer it would be great if they all lived, but I need 8 clones for my 400w. At $200. for a 24 hole machine, if cloners don't have 80-90 % survival rate I may as well stay with my plastic cups and soil planting 30-40 in order to have 8 clones. 


                                   Help...


                                         The Poet...


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## Rosebud (Jun 24, 2015)

How bout this?[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-CK64050-Germination-Station-Heat/dp/B000HHO1RO/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1435150941&sr=8-17&keywords=cloner[/ame]

That is what i got yesterday without the mat at my grow shop. And the clones are standing up this morning... I have been in a clone slump.. You can make your own cloner too... I have done that too.


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## The Poet (Jun 24, 2015)

Rosebud...


     A great idea buying a cloner off E-bay or Amazon. 
I found a 20 clone unit for $50. and I hope it works. 20 units sounds about right. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OxyClone-20...1&pid=100005&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=221776744145&rt=nc
                              Thank you...


                                       The Poet...


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## The Poet (Jun 25, 2015)

Rosebud...


    I used to have paypal capability but don't buy enough stuff to need it so let it go.
 All the E-bay or Amazon sites require paypal so I'll just buy a 'Baby Maker' and copy it making my own from now on. If I can make my own medicine I can make a cloner. 
Another one of the survival skills I am in need of.


                                  Thank you...


                                         The Poet...


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## zem (Jun 25, 2015)

i urge you to try oasis cubes first, my side by side showed that they gave as good or better than bubbler and without the equipment and water changing. in my cloner, it is flawless, i am always throwing away excess clones, because i plug them in 1.5x1.5" cubes and they always exceed my expectations constantly giving >90%. no heating mat just cfls and a closed warm chamber.


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## The Poet (Jun 25, 2015)

Zem...


     Next time I get enough money to go to the Hydro store I will get {1.5" oasis} grow cubes. 
They are much cheaper than a cloner, {money is a problem for me,}
 and the guy whom taught me to clone said the same thing, {about cloners.} 
"Poet, don't buy a cloner!"  
      He taught me to clone in a plastic cup with potting soil and that is what I have been doing but without nearly as much success. 

      Please define:  'Closed, warm chamber'. 
A carboard box? A closet?

     I appreciate your advise as you have helped me before. 
Grow cubes huh?
 I'm on it and thanks again...


                                     The Poet...


          Update: 
    I get a check in 5 days and the first thing I do after 'gas/beer...' 
is boom on over to the Hydro store and get my first 'Oasis 1.5" cubes'.
I have no idea why they are so good but will soon see. A new thing!

                           Thanks,


                                  The Poet


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## zem (Jun 29, 2015)

hi poet, been out for a few days... my closed chamber is a 2 story closet the upper compartment has 6 cfls to keep it warm and the cubes just stand below them, the below chamber is used for mother pants mothers or whatever. i found cloning in oasis cubes flawless whenever i kept the temps high enough and humidity too. i have no venting to that chamber apart from me opening the door about once a day. i still handwater it, but i will plug in a flood and drain system to it soon. the cloner gave me great cloning rates and all, but i needed more equipment and maintenance, i still have all the parts to it and more, and it was never money why i put it aside. it's a natural preference when you got 2 routes to choose from you naturally choose the easier way. i dropped the bubbler and airstones and the water filled bucket that needs to be changed and cleaned + noise + water heater, when i had cubes standing there quietly and rooting with the same efficiency and then prone to much less transplant shock than bare roots... i wish you good luck with them, i actually buy mine from the nearest flower station, they come in bigger cheaper blocks used to plug in flowers for decoration, they are about 5.5x3x9, i cut that longitudinal in 1/2 to get the 1.5" size and simply cut all the cubes i need from those two 1/2s, never been easier never looked back


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## The Poet (Jul 3, 2015)

Zem...


      I went to the hydro store and was looking for Oasis cubes but they said they think I'd be better off with root riots. So I am looking at 50 cubes a tray and a dome. It came with cloning gel. 
   As soon as the sun comes up I'll go get distilled water and try and clone my Satoris. I saw a tray full of little plants they had started and it looked like they had 20% die which is fabulous. An 80% survival rate!

   I'll let you guys know how I do. They said the clones should be ready to trans-plant in 10-12 days or so. I am excited about having learned something so useful as proper cloning.


          Update: 7/7/15

     3-4 days and the new clones look about any other clone I had had. 
They all live a week or so before they die so I am waiting to see what will happen.
I mist the inside of the dome when dry, check the plugs for moisture, we will see if the root riot tray/50 plugs and dome help my cloning especially of the more difficult strains like my Satori.


                      7/8/15

     I added a little water to the tray and checked the cubes, 
adding a bit of water to them as well. Keeping the dome misted a bit but not on the clones themselves as that makes them fall over never get up.


                      7/10/15

     Added 5 Mastodon clones which were real small and wouldn't have survived in the old cloning method. One week and none have died so far! I may be on to something, we'll see.



                              Thank you...

                                       The Poet...


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## The Poet (Jul 14, 2015)

Zem...


     At day 11 I pulled one of the 'Root Riot' plugs and low and behold it had roots hanging out of it big time! Apparently I have gone from a 15% survival rate to a 100%! I owe it to you, the forum here and the root riot plugs! 

   Now the first thing that comes to mind is an entire crop of my favorite... Satori. {Wow} 


                         Thank Y'all...


                                        The Poet...


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 14, 2015)

I have one of those Oxycloners and HATE it (with capital letters).  The "oxyhead" does not produce nearly enough bubbles for good root growth and the pump does raise the water temps too high.

I like to use rapid rooters (like the root riot cubes).  Congratulations on your success.


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## The Poet (Jul 15, 2015)

Hemp Goddess,


     Out of 25 clones started with my new Root Riot cubes, tray and dome I have 8 Satori, 3 Krystalica, 3 ogs/og
 = 14 plants, re-potted to 2 litter soda bottles, day 14.

   With 2 Satori, 2 Krystalica, 2 ogs/og {and 5 Mastodon which were planted a week later than the others} not rooted out enough to transplant yet but alive for a 100% survival rate. Not a single one died!

   Including the two from the last cloning attempt, I have 10 Satori clones! Things are looking up. 
  My present crop is 6 plants. 1 Satori, 2 Krystalica, 2 ogs/og and 1 Mastodon. Next crop same same but then... I intend on having an entire  crop of 8 Satori! 
   An entire crop of Satori! 


                            God is Great Sabu...&#9829;

                                         The Poet...&#9834;


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## shahomy (Jul 15, 2015)

Greetings Poet,
Been watching your struggle for awhile now, sorry I haven`t responded sooner(sooo busy)
Looks like your happy for the moment, but would like to offer some suggestions for next time maybe...
I`m not trying to brag , but I have nearly 100% survival rates...
There`s about 55 taken here...won`t be losing a single one






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Here`s what I do and use...
Clonex Gel and Clonex Starter Solution
scissors and razor blade cleaned with rubbing alcohol
PH down (by General Hydroponics)
Grodan(name brand) rock wool cubes - 1.5"  45 per pkg
couple of glass cooking containers - for soaking my cubes and holding my cuttings
heating pad and dome and small light above

Now for some techniques
You need a cool room, I use my basement...if to warm heating pad won`t turn on... I believe this is crucial to keep the humidity high in the dome and keeps the cuttings from flopping over.
I`ve read that there shouldn`t be any nitrogen in the plant when taking cuttings, so always take cuttings before you feed them...if feeding day is Friday, water heavily Wednesday nite and take cuttings on Thursday, or Friday before you feed...make sure they are fully hydrated
I usually don`t take tops, but all the garbage down below and inside...I`ve also read that lower branches root easier.
I scarify about 1" of stem and make final cut under water at 45 degree angle with razor blade - don`t bend or crush stem with scissors
The cubes have a hole in them, large diameter and shallow, worthless IMO,
I take a piece of *very* small stem and poke a hole to the bottom of cube...I`ve read that "stem to medium contact" is extremely important and I thoroughly believe. The "medium" can be anything, rockwool, peat, rapid rooters, I`ve used them all and they all seem to work fine for me...I use the cubes cause I can fit 36 in a tray, as opposed to 8-10 Solo cups with peat.
Also I soak my cubes per the directions on the pkg using the Clonex starter solution and ph down to 5.7
I dip the cutting into the cloning gel and get a good gob on there, and insert into the cube, hoping for a snug fit down below... if you bend it chuck it
I would also like to say that since I stared using the Clonex starter solution that they seem to stay nice and green... before that I had a lot of yelloing on the leaves that I`d left.
Place clones in dome and turn heating pad nup to 80 degrees(it never gets that hot, mine says about 74-75...cover with dome and forget about for at least 7 days.
Good luck!


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 15, 2015)

Everybody needs to find the method that works for them.  I have the best luck with rooting cubes, like rapid rooters or just sticking them into a seed starter mix for soil grows.  I have never really been able to make rock wool work for me.  

Shahomy--cool that you are getting 100%.  

Poet, you are also getting 100%, so stick with your method.  Congrats.  Successful cloning is a great skill to master.


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## zem (Jul 18, 2015)

hey Poet you are welcome, I am glad that I helped you in achieving great results :aok:


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## The Poet (Jul 22, 2015)

Y'all,


     I have started to date 45 clones including the Satori that I thought was hard to clone...  
Not a single one has died!~ 
Even the trial clones which were just little critters, 
hopeless... I would have said but that is why I used them... 
to see how good the Root Riot 'tray/cubes/dome' really was. 
   Well... I started 45 clones and 45 survived and with the 4 runts that are doing fine...
I have actually gone from a 15% survival rate to a 101% survival rate! 
Am I cloning now or what?


     Two weeks later and still... not a single clone had died. 
45 of 45 have survived even the 4 'test clones'. I potted 6 this morning and there is only 6 left not potted. 101% survival rate! 
I have over 20 Satori clones, all healthy. 
Am I cloning now or what?


                         Thank you...


                                  The Poet...&#9835;


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## zem (Jul 22, 2015)

:aok: there ya go, as long as the medium is airy and climate is warm and humid, it is hard to lose a clone. you saved yourself a shitload of equipment, congrats


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## The Poet (Jul 24, 2015)

Thank you...


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## cbdoil (Jul 26, 2015)

The biggest hindrance to successful cloning is lack of oxygen in the water. I made a 50 spot cloner with a cheap aquarium pump from the pet store and a large Tupperware container. I used a hole saw to put holes in the cover and ran tubing to each hole. All that moving water replenishes the oxygen and I can get roots without using rooting powder. I do place several cuts just through the outer layer of the stem with a razor which helps with uptake of water which helps with larger cuttings.


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## The Poet (Sep 23, 2015)

About root riot cubes...


     I used the cubes for a second time and not all clones lived.
I believe one should use 'a new cube' every time. 
'A new cube'...or if an old cube is used,
a little fine potting soil...with the clone to seal up the hole.

     Don't spray too much water in the dome. 
Two or three times daily is enough.
.33 each... not bad for a cube.


                    Thank you...


                                The Poet...


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## WeedHopper (Sep 23, 2015)

I mostly used Neoprene incerts and a DIY Bubbler for cloning. Always worked fine for me. Didnt use heating pads or domes,,,,,they were in the growroom with my Vegging plalnts.


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