# Air Layering for hard to clone strain...CSG Grandoggy Purp



## 7greeneyes (Jun 25, 2014)

I've only got one of the pheno's to clone well EXCEPT for the one I want. The Chemdog one WILL NOT clone for me. I cloned it once successfully last go around out of 4 like cuttings, only one took.


Tried again on the 2nd of this month and two of the phenotypes didn't take (of course the two I really like...lol...)


Would it be better to try air layering this? Or maybe move on to a different medium i.e. rockwool. 


All my other strains seem to do pretty well other then grandoggy purps from Connoisseur Genetics.

I know most ppl will post about that bubbler cloner but I'd really like to stick with what I got and with the method I use

Cloning Specs:

FF Happy Frog soil in starter cups (no perlite). *No added aeration, maybe that's the problem.*

Utilize pre-packaged sterile Uniblade Surgical Scalpels. Cleaning with iso between cuts.

Biotone powdered rooting hormone. *Maybe root gel instead?*

Inside my ventilated rubbermaid tote I have a Warming pad underneath set to 80f with a plastic milk crate spacer in which the prop tray and dome sit on top of. 

(2) 2' T5HO lights

Mist as needed (twice a day, mostly)




I'm wondering what everyone else does when they have a hard-to-clone varietal that they want to keep in clone form.


eace: n' thanks for the read/input.


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## Rosebud (Jun 25, 2014)

I use Clonex and like it the best of 3 other kinds i have used. I have the same compacted soil problem now.  I used a skewer and poked holes in it along with more holes in the cups.  I am misting once a day now... they look like hell, but i know they will come out of it in a week or so. Keeping them warm is good too like you are. Patience my friend. AND white root mojo for sure!

Oh, I cut my cuts again under water. I use my sheers. I like the envelope of the Clonex (5 bucks) as you can just stick the stem in and squish the clonex up the packet and it is covered when you pull it out and I have a hole already ready, then squish again so the stem is touching dirt.


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## P Jammers (Jun 26, 2014)

Air layering can be a great way to not only root some cuts while adding Zero stress, it also keeps your total plant count down as once a cut is removed from a plant it is a plant in the eyes of whomever.

One of the best ways is using Rock wool 1 1/2 cubes, Clonex Gel, a little Saran wrap, and a means to tie the ends.

The only downside [if there is one at all] is that you need to have a good size mother to be able to do it.

Take a couple of cubes, remove the plastic, and pre soak them in water that is 5.5 PH for a couple of minutes. After removing them from the water let them drain for a moment on something that will allow the bottom of the cub to breath in order to let the water flow out. Split them using a paring knife or the like "Half" way through so you can open them up to get them around the branch. 

On your selected branch , ever so lightly scratch the outside layer with a sharp object [scalpel] and by using a Q-Tip dip in to Clonex gel, and apply a thin layer all the way around your branch from top to bottom about 2 inches or so. 

Now place the Rock Wool over the area, wrap with the saran wrap, tie the top and bottom closed [not too tight, just enough to keep it closed] Then twist one up, kick back and smoke a phatty.

You will want to keep an eye on it and add moisture as needed, but you want to add very little and keep them just ever so moist and NOT WET. To do this I have found using a hypodermic needle works great, and be sure at this point to have the water you use PH'ed at 5.8 to 6.1.

Here is a mother all done up
View attachment user96_pic1866_1366855891.jpg




And a closer look a few weeks later.
View attachment user96_pic1867_1366855891.jpg


Once your roots have developed and are trying to escape, cut the branch as high as you can and transplant. 

Two weeks later, boom you're ready to flip.
View attachment user96_pic1868_1366855981.jpg


Best of luck, and if you decide to give it a go, keep us posted on your progress.

*Disclaimer, Pictures used in this tut are not mine and credit should be given to my boy GeneralGrievous.

*
*


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## Rosebud (Jun 26, 2014)

is that not the coolest thing ever?


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## Hackerman (Jun 26, 2014)

That is totally cool. I absolutely need to try this.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 26, 2014)

Thanks for that great tutorial PJ.  I have never done air layering before, I think that I will give that a shot.  When you say "cut the branch as high as you can", do you mean cut it up close to the bottom of the rockwool cube as possible?  Do you think rapid rooters would work (I have those on hand, rockwool, I am out of and need to order)?


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## 7greeneyes (Jun 26, 2014)

Thanks everyone for sharing. I think this will be the surest route to success.


Thanks PJ for the post and photo's. Awesome :aok:


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## mrnice (Jun 26, 2014)

7greeneyes there are no strains that are hard to clone have you tried Multi's baggie method, i take cuts and never lose any and im talking over the years in the thousands now.
Use a rooting gel as i have used olivias hormone and that was the only time i was unsuccessful in my cloning attempts.
How long do you give them to root on average mine usually take a week to ten days.
Btw PJ Jammers that method is superb and i shall be doing that from hereon in.
Mrnice


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## 7greeneyes (Jun 26, 2014)

I've been cloning for 15 years now...


with much success....

I give my plants two weeks w/o even touching them physically, just keep them hydrated while they do their thang below.

I've been contemplating switching to a gel tho....


Indica's have a predisposition for being bears to clone...

Thanks for the post/sharing, *mrnice*.


On A Sidenote: I've never clipped the top leaflet tips in half to help promote rooting because I never have had much of a problem. Maybe these grandoggies need that extra step to induce rooting.

Another step I've been considering is doing a *EDIT: (two week)* etiolation to the donor node site before I take my cut. The darkness is said to aid the would be cutting so that it roots better, nvr tried it tho.


Here's a dissertation on the usage and benefits of etiolation on differing plant species for adventitious rooting: http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/research/articles/IntPlantProp34.pdf


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## 7greeneyes (Jun 26, 2014)

*I'm wondering what everyone else does when they have a hard-to-clone varietal that they want to keep in clone form?*


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## Rosebud (Jun 26, 2014)

Take a whole bunch of cuttings and figure some will survive.


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## 7greeneyes (Jun 26, 2014)

That's what I'm thinkin' too, *Rose*. Just do a whole tray full o chemdog. The others can wait.


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## Rosebud (Jun 27, 2014)

Sounds like a plan. In rosedom cloning is a 50% success rate. I seem to need to cut three to get two good ones. Sometimes i get all sometimes i get one.. Mostly two though. And they look so dead before they come back... so dead. lol  

White root mojo 7!


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## 8planets8 (Jun 27, 2014)

this cloning thing i got a lot more to learn before i even attemp trying the procedure first of all where would i pick up a scapel i have all the gel and stuff which came with my technaflora kit it has all the things you need to seceed everything except the scapel and useing a needle sounds like a brilent idea. 888 can anyone point me toward a scapel?


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 27, 2014)

You don't need to use a scalpel--any very sharp implement will work, like a razor blade, a box cutter blade, or an exacto knife blade.  Just make sure it is sharp and sterile.


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## 7greeneyes (Jun 27, 2014)

yeah I know I didn't but I do just to keep a sterile environment. I've used everything from straight razor boxcutters, to old scissors, to almost clinically sterile conditions. 

Plus I bought like a 20 box, so....lol...

I'm going to 50/50 this Chemdog. Take half the plant as clones and air layer the other half of the plant.

Thanks for posting *Rose* and _*Goddess*_. As always you gals rock!


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## 7greeneyes (Jun 27, 2014)

8planets8 said:


> this cloning thing i got a lot more to learn before i even attemp trying the procedure first of all where would i pick up a scapel i have all the gel and stuff which came with my technaflora kit it has all the things you need to seceed everything except the scapel and useing a needle sounds like a brilent idea. 888 can anyone point me toward a scapel?




This is where I went. I picked up the #11. Straight-edged blade, perfect for scoring and cuts.

_woops correction:_ http://www.ad-surgical.com/medical_uniblade-scalpels/#.U62ah_ldW3s


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## 7greeneyes (Jun 27, 2014)

yes, but it doesn't hurt either, multi.

Like I said I've used scissors, box knives, any bladed item you can think of.

Scalpels as well as everything else for growing can be ordered online, so I do


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## P Jammers (Jun 27, 2014)

The Hemp Goddess said:


> Thanks for that great tutorial PJ.  I have never done air layering before, I think that I will give that a shot.  When you say "cut the branch as high as you can", do you mean cut it up close to the bottom of the rockwool cube as possible?


Yes.




The Hemp Goddess said:


> Do you think rapid rooters would work (I have those on hand, rockwool, I am out of and need to order)?



So the only thing with the Rapid rooters I have noticed that differs from the Roockwool is they dry out faster. So long as you were to stay on top of it, I am sure they will work.

Give err a whirl and let us know how it does.


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## P Jammers (Jun 27, 2014)

7greeneyes said:


> *I'm wondering what everyone else does when they have a hard-to-clone varietal that they want to keep in clone form?*


Personally, I hit one with my best stud at the time and find a better her later down the road. 

There is no strain worth the hassle for me. Buh bye.


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## 7greeneyes (Jun 30, 2014)

Cool. Thanks PJ


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## Warrior (Jul 5, 2014)

:vap_smiley:


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## JustAnotherAntMarching (Jul 10, 2014)

Have you tried a clone bucket?   Only cut that ever really gave me issues in a clone bucket was Hamsters Larry cut which you sometimes need a blue moon as well as a Yeti to cross the road to get roots...  

I know that General has been using that rooting method PJ posted for years now to keep his plant numbers in check as well as cut down on his veg time before next flip... If ya got room for big mommas this is a amazing technique...

I agree with Rosie too...   take a bunch of cuts and cross your fingers for one or more to root...    I have always been a Clonex fan using both the gel and rooting solution in my clone bucket for years...     hope some of them cuts take for ya...   or ya try Generals method...  gl


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## 7greeneyes (Jul 10, 2014)

Thanks JAAM, I'll def give it a try.


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## 7greeneyes (Jul 11, 2014)

Do they have my specific Chem pheno of grandoggy purps? ....lol...doubt it...


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## DrFever (Jul 12, 2014)

7Green  do you stop giving plants food few days prior ??  I just give my girls  water  week of cloning  as for clonex used it   and for what its worth  shultz #2 works just  the same only  difference is  price  one is what????? 25,00 other is 2.00 lol


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 12, 2014)

LOL--I actually discovered that I am out of rapid rooters, but have rock wool.  I have a plant that I am going to try this on.  Have you had any problems with the rockwool growing algae as they are in the light?


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## MR1 (Jul 12, 2014)

THG, have you tried the Super-simple cloning method with MG seed starter? I am trying it out for the first time with 4 Satori's and 1 The Purps. You don't need a dome or have to mist them at all.


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## DrFever (Jul 12, 2014)

THG    if you got  peat moss  that will work as well   

 I was reading  while back  when air layering there is a absence  of the tap  root  which weakens   the plant  meaning  your  going to need to   stake plant  when  in   flower ,  
 i have not tried this???  as its useless for my  style     can take  15 - 40  cuttings per plant   with air layering  you can only  do a few per plant  

So i am wondering    if the above is true       when air layering  your not only  propagating your also  changing  a normal  tap root  species  Marijuana  into a  fibrous root system  ????
Either way  might work good for that  hard to clone  strain   also is there fail rate  when  going this route ???


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 13, 2014)

MR1--I have not tried that--I generally do bubble cloning since I an usually a DWC grower.  I have been having a tough time with almost everything lately, but the hard to clone strains seem to be becoming impossible for me.  My humidity is sooooo low (it was 15% yesterday) that I cannot imagine not doming and misting them, however, I would be happy to hear more about the super simple cloning with MG seed starter.

Dr. Fever, I do have peat moss too.  I think that when I first saw this done many moons ago that they did use peat moss.  None of the plants that I clone in water ever look like they have a tap root--the roots are always fiberous--it makes me think that the way you propagate or grow makes the difference.  The plant I was going to experiment on is a leggy Larry OG that is not even sexed yet


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## MR1 (Jul 13, 2014)

I will let you know if it works. You can use straight perlite also if you do dwc.


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## DrFever (Jul 13, 2014)

Mri     were  airlayering  branch  so that is  taking  like  hALF INCH to inch of bark  off      so i cannot see how   DWC has nothing to do with this  ??? again only time  i would  is like  PJ mentioned  if you had a strain that is impossible to clone  this route  might work  


 [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8URJMNgY44[/ame]


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## MR1 (Jul 13, 2014)

Not too worry Dr.Fever it was only two posts, you have it back on track.


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## 7greeneyes (Jul 14, 2014)

Great root porn there Multi :hubba:


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