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Cloning without lights, success.

Fat J

Member
I would also suspect that you can leave more foliage on clones rooted in the dark, as the lack of light will prevent photosynthesis and stretch, I would imagine you could start with bushy cuttings and thereby reduce needed veg time. Just a thought, gonna try it out after this round.
 

Neo 420

Active member
Veteran
Some of us tested the idea in this thread
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=185937

Results were that cuts put into an aero-cloner without lighting were able to root with no problem. (thanks to Mule420 for running the experiment)

For most people this will mean nothing, but for some it might mean the world.

The experiment was done in an aero-cloner but now that it was successful I would really like to ask more people to run the experiment using different cloning methods. So if there are any awesome growers who have their cloning method down it would be great if you could verify the results.

I'm very impressed the results of the test and the drive to carry out such experiments to get a fuller understanding of my favorite lady!:tiphat:

If this can be replicated and achieve the same or higher survival rates as lighted rooted clones this will benefit closet/small growers everywhere. Kudos to you and Mule!
 

KGB

Member
Bro I'm a dumbass! Rooting gel is what made those marks... I'm almost out of gel so I tip the jar with my left hand and dip with my right, then when I go to make the 45 cut on the end I grab the plant right in that spot....... :dance013: Wont happen again! Peace and puffs

LOL I was thinking the same thing. Not that you are a dumb ass. I couldn't figure out how you got gel way up there so I wasn't sure.
 

DocLeaf

procreationist
ICMag Donor
Veteran
We never use lamps,, we clone directly into soil,, with a lid,, we normally expect 50% to root happily.

Hope this helps
 

Japanfreakier

Active member
Veteran
Obviously I knew some people did it this way because after somebody claimed they did I decided to try to run that experiment. I wouldn't have guessed that so many people have though.

Doc some people have been suggesting that cloning in the dark would cause stress (but cutting a piece of off the plant isn't stress in their mind I guess) so what's your take on that?
 

Japanfreakier

Active member
Veteran
I would also suspect that you can leave more foliage on clones rooted in the dark, as the lack of light will prevent photosynthesis and stretch, I would imagine you could start with bushy cuttings and thereby reduce needed veg time. Just a thought, gonna try it out after this round.

One of the things I love about aero-cloners is the ability to do just that. I'm sure cloning in the dark would allow even more.


Time for me to talk out of my ass for a sec. Many growers can back me up when I say that plants seem to do their best just before they need to be watered (talking soil and hempy/coco). I wonder if by keeping in the dark the plants will respond the same way to light like they do water, eat it up even more when they really need it.
 

globel

Member
I use to use this trick for clones that I give away or donate. They take a little longer but they stay 100% green and look amazing when there done. I still do clones in light for myself... I usually need them asap.
 

DocLeaf

procreationist
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Doc some people have been suggesting that cloning in the dark would cause stress (but cutting a piece of off the plant isn't stress in their mind I guess) so what's your take on that?

Cloning is an artificial process (based on a natural plant mechanism),, so whatever works. Taking clones stresses the mother plant loads and opens it up to plant-viruses.

Hope this helps
 

Fat J

Member
I wish someone had a sidexside for this with equal variables, light being only difference... maybe i will inna little bit. Limited space and all.
 

FoCo(No.Co)

Barned
Veteran
I just got 12 of 12 cuttings rooted straight into coco in the dark (seven different strains).

They all look perfect.

Mule + Japan, mad props friends, this is huge for me...
 

HydroCab

New member
>I just got 12 of 12 cuttings rooted straight into coco in the dark (seven different strains).

They all look perfect.<

100% success?! Jesus, if everyone who tries this gets that, i think you guys will really have something here.

i have a little seed starter kit that uses a capillary mat to bottom feed, would be perfect for keeping them watered for the extended period of time that i would neglect them.

imagine taking 10 node clones and flowering immediately after rooted, would be wonderful

EDIT: I'm gonna try this without that starter kit too, with the cutting just sitting in a cup of water

as soon as my lil baby AK's grow up a bit that is
 
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High Country

Give me a Kenworth truck, an 18 speed box and I'll
Veteran
lol, I had 3 guesses, 1 was salt built up from being splashed from below, 1 was root bumps and 1 was dampening off. All of them I thought were unlikely. That's cool though, first time to see root bumps form above the cloner.

That whitening and swelling of the stem certainly looks like the base of a clone before it puts out roots. That clone appears to be trying to aerial layer itself. Many plant species do this naturally, cannabis may have the ability to do it naturally in certain circumstances as well. Interesting.
 

FoCo(No.Co)

Barned
Veteran
Wow that's amazing. Can you tell us what kind are area they were in and the air-flow etc?

They were in box in a cabinet in a warm kitchen with no air flow(opened every couple days to allow fresh air in) that stayed between 75-90% rh.

100% success?! Jesus, if everyone who tries this gets that, i think you guys will really have something here.

i have a little seed starter kit that uses a capillary mat to bottom feed, would be perfect for keeping them watered for the extended period of time that i would neglect them.

imagine taking 10 node clones and flowering immediately after rooted, would be wonderful

I usually get 100% with smaller numbers of clones, so I cant say anything about this method improving my rate of success, but they definitely look much better than clones rooted under lights... which makes me wonder about taking big cuttings as well.

Shaving even a couple weeks off my veg times would help alot.




I will need to take more cuts in the next week and I can do a side by side with photos.
 

Japanfreakier

Active member
Veteran
They were in box a cabinet in a warm kitchen with no air flow(opened every couple days to allow fresh air in) that stayed between 75-90% rh.

Looking forward to seeing the pics of it. I think this method might start having a bigger appeal to a wider range of growers.
 

ShroomDr

CartoonHead
Veteran
My two died, however they were basically in very poorly insulated cubbie hole, and it probably got real hot in there a couple days.

Im not discouraged and i'll try again
 

trichrider

Kiss My Ring
Veteran
One of the things I love about aero-cloners is the ability to do just that. I'm sure cloning in the dark would allow even more.


Time for me to talk out of my ass for a sec. Many growers can back me up when I say that plants seem to do their best just before they need to be watered (talking soil and hempy/coco). I wonder if by keeping in the dark the plants will respond the same way to light like they do water, eat it up even more when they really need it.

talk out of your ass?
as well as both sides of your face?
if you're so sure someone's going to back you up, you wouldn't need to state it.
I grow soil and I have NEVER thought my plants look their best as they're wilting and in need of water...
...and how for, crying out loud, is a plant going to eat up more light when it is available? jeez
get some basics down.
 

Japanfreakier

Active member
Veteran
Well I grow in Hempy and have talked to many hempy growers at the Cabana where I first started growing in that style and all of them report the same thing as well as my friend in soil. So I'll take their experiences over yours since you seem to have an issue (nasty comment you left me). And I hope you understand the difference between "just before they need water" and "wilted"

Too many people around here claiming things they don't know are the basics, too many people teaching from their failures instead of their successes.
 

mule420

Member
They were in box in a cabinet in a warm kitchen with no air flow(opened every couple days to allow fresh air in) that stayed between 75-90% rh.



I usually get 100% with smaller numbers of clones, so I cant say anything about this method improving my rate of success, but they definitely look much better than clones rooted under lights... which makes me wonder about taking big cuttings as well.

Shaving even a couple weeks off my veg times would help alot.




I will need to take more cuts in the next week and I can do a side by side with photos.

Sweet you beat me! I'm trying to thin my herd of moms right now so my next side by side will be my 2 go to strains... I might just chop the SD mom I have and try a whole branch... It's a hold over cut that didn't do so hot in flower... Peace and puffs!
 
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