cloning-100% perlite or rapid rooter?

[free radical]

Whats up fellas, the time has finally come for me to take my first cuttings.

I've got most of the setup for the perlite method...rubbermaid, 2 10" bubble bars, air pump, lines, etc. (everything but the perlite). But I was reading around and it seems people have a lot of success with rapid rooters and a dome.

I didn't open the bubble bars or anything so I can easily take them back to wally world and get the rapid rooters/tray/dome.

What would you suggest for a first timer, and I know everyone says try all the different ways till you get one that works for YOU...but any insight would be appreciated.

*EDIT- and for a heating pad can I just get the kind you would use for your back?

 

[catman]

Why not combine the two? The perlite will allow you to not have to water the clones as frequently with just rapid rooters.

 

[Gilligan'sIsle]

Aloha from our little island.

When cloning there are a ton of environmental conditions that can and will influence your success. Of these I believe that temperature control is the most critical. I have used lots of different methods and the bottom line for me seems to be:

Watch the temps. I run at 75 degrees F and have success. A heating pad might work if you could get the temp stable, but a mat is worth the investment if you are serious (when you can afford it).

My cloner has a water temp controlled environment (as opposed to a heat mat) with a dome. The water heats in the winter and cools in the summer.

Be clean. Use alcohol and clean your tools.

Be patient. This is still hard for me. Different plants will root at different rates, don't rush it.

Provide enough but not too much light. A cfl will do the job.

I have found Rapid Rooters work, as do Pete Pellets, Rockwool Cubes, Pearlite, bubble cloners, wick cloners, and others too.

Just do not give up. Keep trying and you will find your own path. Rapid Rooters work well and I find that the material holds just the right amount of moisture, I would try those first, the Pearlite is a bit more sensitive to drying out.

Hope this helped.

Gilligan

 

[medicine farmer]

just do a bubble cloner, you wont need anything else, you've already got it! a "bubble cloner" or "aero cloner" search will offer more than you'll wanna read

 

[free radical]

Aloha from our little island.

When cloning there are a ton of environmental conditions that can and will influence your success. Of these I believe that temperature control is the most critical. I have used lots of different methods and the bottom line for me seems to be:

Watch the temps. I run at 75 degrees F and have success. A heating pad might work if you could get the temp stable, but a mat is worth the investment if you are serious (when you can afford it).

My cloner has a water temp controlled environment (as opposed to a heat mat) with a dome. The water heats in the winter and cools in the summer.

Be clean. Use alcohol and clean your tools.

Be patient. This is still hard for me. Different plants will root at different rates, don't rush it.

Provide enough but not too much light. A cfl will do the job.

I have found Rapid Rooters work, as do Pete Pellets, Rockwool Cubes, Pearlite, bubble cloners, wick cloners, and others too.

Just do not give up. Keep trying and you will find your own path. Rapid Rooters work well and I find that the material holds just the right amount of moisture, I would try those first, the Pearlite is a bit more sensitive to drying out.

Hope this helped.

Gilligan

Yes that helped a lot actually. I've got a humidifer that I could run as oppose to a dome...I heard domes can be death traps. I'll probably go the rapid rooter route for my first attempt.


Medicine Farmer - Yes I did a lot of research in the bubble cloner, and I'm tempted to go that way but it doesn't seem to be as 'beginner friendly' if you will.

I've got some really lanky girls that I need to clone and start over with so I really want to try to get it my first time (I know thats a lot to ask for but I'm gonna try my best).

Wish me luck and thanks again.

 

[GrassRoots]

Hey if you're going the rapid rooter route read, "cloning with jjscorpio." Good step by step easy to follow instructions. I've tried the "super cheap mass cloner" (perlite wick method) and a bubble cloner and have had the best success with the Rapid Rooters. I've gotten 100% success my last two times taking cuttings with the RR's. I've found that keeping things sterile has made no difference with my success, my first time I was wiping the blade with alcohol after each cut, nowadays I'll use any old razor I can find laying around. I do use the humidity dome but after a couple days I make sure I'm opening up those vents at the top and I'll always take it off a couple times a day for about 10 minutes and then mist the inside of the lid when I'm putting it back on. The only advice I don't follow on JJ's thread is misting the plants directly. I read some negative comments about that and didn't do it and I still get great success rates so I've deemed it unnecessary. Happy cloning free radical!

 

[GrassRoots]

Just noticed your question about the heating pad. I've read you can use them but personally I haven't. Just make sure you're monitoring the temps and adjusting your distance from the heating mat or adjusting the settings accordingly. Last time I cloned the weather was cold where I live and I run my house pretty cold, low 60's and I still got the 100% success rate I mentioned above however it took about 3 weeks for the last of them to root.

 

[Gilligan'sIsle]

Glad to help

Glad to help

I've got a humidifer that I could run as oppose to a dome...I heard domes can be death traps.

It is my understanding that the reason a dome is used (and I have both used one and not depending on the style) is to maintain a micro environment with really high humidity to help the plant from transpiring and trying to suck up more moisture from roots that don't exist yet.

Since it is winter, if you are warming the air that gets sucked into your space with a furnace , that air will be really low humidity, I am not confident that a humidifier would work well enough to prevent the cuttings from drying out too much.

Death trap domes in my experience come from not allowing any fresh air exchange, so I just pull the dome off for fifteen or twenty seconds while I drain the condensation back into the system, keeping the Rapid Rooters moist. I usually do this twice a day.

Keep us posted with your results, the Castaways are rooting for you.

I am truly sorry about that folks, but not enough to remove it

Gilligan

 

[bostrom155]

Why not combine the two? The perlite will allow you to not have to water the clones as frequently with just rapid rooters.

This is what i'm doing this run, i like the perlite wick cloner and now i just set the plug in the perlite and wait for roots. basically no maintenance. Just check the water every once in a while

 

[dontstepongrass]

rapid rooters and double trays in a temp controlled dome is how i roll.

keep RH high then after rooted (95% in 14 days or less) and planted into dirt, plants are placed in second dome with that i keep RH around 50%. plants are weened off this dome in a few days

 

[Gilligan'sIsle]

I do a second dome also when the RH dictates it.

Good advice

Gilligan

 

[cygnus]

Nothing like rock wool a little hormex and a tray with a dome . I get roots in as little as 5 day 99 percent ratio from a very nice Ak47 mom. It helps if you give mom a nice nitrogen boost a day or so before cutting. I took 25 today and they are all standing up proud.

 

[Capo dei Capi]

I myself don't like rockwool...I've used it and i just flat out don't like it. I don't know why i just never have. I use the Jiffy 7 Peat pellets 80% of the time...the other 20% i use rapid rooters. There's no reason why i use the peat pellets more then the rapid rooters other then i've used peat pellets from the start so that why I go with the pellets 80% of the time. Rapid rooters make cloning a breeze though IMO...I'd also strongly reccomend a heating matt when you can afford it. It'll be the best $30.00 you spend for your grow that you can use over and over and over again.

 

[sarek]

i use rapid rooters in tray. I abuse the heck out of them and get 80% rooting which is why I always take twice as many as i need. easy.

 

[free radical]

Awesome replies guys! I'll be sure to update this thread in the following week with my progress. Thanks fellas!

 

[cork144]

perlite, its just so simple, put it in thebottom of a sandwhich box, put in some water, place in the clones, put on the lid, open everyday or so.

took 5 days for my white widow to root in perlite.

 

[Nughit]

I use the jiffy 72 mini green house that comes with a heating pad. $30 at casa depot. The dome that comes with it is only 2" tall so I had to hit the hydro store for one of the 8" domes. All together with 72 peat pucks, the heating pad, tray, and extra dome it cost $36. I have to say that along with clonex gel it is the best money I have spent money on my grow.

I just did a side by side comparision with 1 1/2" rockwool cubes and peat pucks. The peat pucks showed roots on average of 4 days before the rockwool cubes did.

 

[RockyMountainHi]

Cheapo aero cloner.

I've tried the all.

The pearlite SUCKS - if anything DID grow roots - removing it from the pearlite can damage tender roots. - I've never gotten roots, most the cutting died wintun a couple days, the restwithing a couple weeks. Ugly.

Rapid rooters - I haven't tried because I built a cheapo aero cloner and it worked and keeps working.

My clones from the aero cloner can go into soil or hydro-tron rocks, lava rock or whatever media I want. --

 

[free radical]

I use the jiffy 72 mini green house that comes with a heating pad. $30 at casa depot. The dome that comes with it is only 2" tall so I had to hit the hydro store for one of the 8" domes. All together with 72 peat pucks, the heating pad, tray, and extra dome it cost $36. I have to say that along with clonex gel it is the best money I have spent money on my grow.

I just did a side by side comparision with 1 1/2" rockwool cubes and peat pucks. The peat pucks showed roots on average of 4 days before the rockwool cubes did.

Argh wish I saw this before I went and bought a tray, dome, and peat pucks for $20 at hydro store...heating mat was another 25 so that will have to wait for now .

 

[T.Baggins]

good luck with your cloning, waiting to see the roots pop'n out is the hardest part.... i like to use the rapid rooters myself. their not that expensive, maybe ten bucks for 50, i cut them in half sometimes if I'm stretching my cash. i get about 99% success with um. well anyways, good luck to ya....