Ice-tube cloner from WallyWorld

[someotherguy]

my attempt failed miserably

if you detail exactly what you did and what resulted, maybe one of us can help you figure out what you did wrong.

This is what I experienced, as well. The method overall worked alright, but I probably won't be using my Wal Mart cloner again primarily because it is so awkward and messy when the time comes to remove the rooted clones.

if you make yourself a ram as i posted recently your cuts will pop out with ease, hell, just take a penny and shove it up from the bottom if you don't want to make a ram.

One thing I would try differently if I were going to bother is... not sticking the cuts down past 2" deep. I pushed them down about 1" from the bottoms and so the roots only grew down from there, and the result was that the roots only grew in (and bound together) the bottom inch or two of vermiculite.

this is in large part why your experience was so messy.

If you only stick them down an inch or so, 75% of the vermiculite "plug" will be colonized by roots and should hold together much better, making removal easier.

exactly, and if you'd stuck with it this is what you'd have gotten.

I wish someone made one of these ice cube trays but about 2-3x the size, so it would be easier to work with. It's a solid idea and I'm glad it works for so many!

Peace-

Dig

if you go back a few months in this thread and read up you'll find some postings by Highlighter i believe, anyway, he uses something i think are called 'hiko' trays, something easy to find in the nursery world, anyway, they are about 3 or 4 times the size of these trays, although i'm pretty sure his medium of choice is coco or peat or something.

peace, and stay safe, SOG

 

[zeke99]

I should have quoted back to the original post. It was actually my second attempt with the icetube and the first one went ok. For the second I wanted to see if Turface MVP was compatible as a medium. One cut was in Verm the rest in Turface and none of them sprouted roots. I'm going to try with the Verm only again.

 

[Budley Doright]

I should have quoted back to the original post. It was actually my second attempt with the icetube and the first one went ok. For the second I wanted to see if Turface MVP was compatible as a medium. One cut was in Verm the rest in Turface and none of them sprouted roots. I'm going to try with the Verm only again.

Zeke.... thanks for the post.... I was confused by the post as well.....


knowing you were trying a new medium puts the post into perspective.....

 

[freeskierpj]

I just made one of these bad-boys today and took about 17 cuttings from her over the past day and a half...

(Before surgery)

Straight Haze clone given to me by a friend whilst trading some mushies for some bud as he didn't have the space to flower it in his room (luckily I do/will but I'm gonna keep her as a "bonsai mom" about 4 inches tall atm and use the healthiest cuttings to flower...)

(After surgery)

Cuttings are developing roots hopefully via THIS TEK and I have 15-20 from her going right now...

 

[Nonphixion]

So where is an alternative to purchase these water bottle ice cube trays? For those of us fortunate enough not to have a Wal Mart nearby, Amazon?

 

[someotherguy]

So where is an alternative to purchase these water bottle ice cube trays? For those of us fortunate enough not to have a Wal Mart nearby, Amazon?

why not start with Google and go from there.

SOG

 

[Fire On High]

high man, i've posted this before so if you've seen it, just disregard it.

anyway, a penny with a hole drilled into the center so it can be screwed to a piece of dowel works terrific as a ram.

peace, SOG

WOAH WOAH WOAH.
Isn't defacing money ILLEGAL?

 

[High Country]

So where is an alternative to purchase these water bottle ice cube trays? For those of us fortunate enough not to have a Wal Mart nearby, Amazon?

HIKO TRAYS

CLONES

What ever medium you want to use.

 

[someotherguy]

WOAH WOAH WOAH.
Isn't defacing money ILLEGAL?

lol, you becha!

just another example of me exercising civil disobedience. ...besides, what could the penalty be?

peace, SOG

 

[vicious bee]

Well I've had good luck with the ice tube tray but not lately. Twice I've lost 51 clones of Tom Hills Haze. Root rot. I've used H2O2 and that's worked before. Not this time. I think also I'm planting them too deep. I've got the tube cloner soaking in bleach now and I think I'm going to use a little physan 20 in my water, use diluted bleach to wash the clones before I plant them, and cover the whole thing with a clear shoe box lid to keep out the air born stuff. Out of 108 I got 3 clones. Could also be Tom Hills Haze just hates to be that wet. Maybe? I've thought about using the cloner in a sealed clear tub, (plastic shoebox). Wet the media but don't let it sit in water. Anyone tried this?

On using turface. I tried something similar called diamotacious fired earth. You get it from NAPA auto parts store. It worked in cups but it gets stuck in the tubes and then falls apart when you finally get it out.

The penny on a dowel works fantastic. I hot glue mine on the dowel.

 

[vicious bee]

This a response to a response where someone earlier said I only needed water. Maybe he was right and adding the seaweed screwed things up. I do have to have some kind of antiseptic though in my case.

I understand perfectly. I'm ok with constructive critism and yes people do tend to go a little nuts online. I've tried it without and I just have bad fungus problems where I grow. I recently started adding the seaweed after a failure where 80% didn't make it. Under the same conditions with the same plants 100% made it with seaweed added. Maybe most won't need the additives I used I'm just trying to tell people what I've used that raised the success levels higher. The whole idea is to make the process idiot proof. Yes idiot proof is good. I have my moments just like everyone else.

Just to add. My clones looked great and then they suddenly didn't. I thought they were making roots because they looked so healthy but they eventually just rotted. I've got some clonex. Before I had a different brand jel..Maybe that will also help. I'm not giving up. I've used this cloner before and had good results. I like it. I just need to find a way to dial it in for my conditions.

 

[Budley Doright]

I have found when you do nothing you get best results.....


the cloner should IMO be treated like a small veg plant....

It should not be locked away in an airtight place.....

The plants should be able to transpire normally without wilting.....


If they dont wilt they are fine......


Make sure the temps are over 80 degrees....


use clonex

tapwater....


feed lightly after 7 days is ok.....

done at 14 days....

 

[RipVanWeed]

Yea Burnt,

I agree, the less I do to 'em the higher the success rate. Mine take longer though, last round went 28 days, but all had excellent roots. I used Clonex on 1/2, nothing on the other 1/2, couldn't tell the difference.

2 drops of Kelp, 2 drops of Hygrozime in 1/2g of tap water. My temps have been low lately so I put a heating mat under the tray. Otherwise they're in there in the back with the young'uns in Beer cups. I let them dry out before wetting the vermiculite again. No hood.

Last 2 rounds were 100%.

Sometimes I've foliar fed/pest controlled with 1tsp Neptune's Harvest and 2tsp Azamax per gal. They love it.

This method has relieved me of all stress related to cloning.

Thank you

Much Respect,

 

[megayields]

I just used Clonex and a wee bit of thrive in PH's RO water in rockwool and a little clone/humidifer (plastic cover) in my veg tent - 100% success did not loose a single one. First time I ever had 100% though...might have been luck lol.

 

[Oregonsgreen]

I just bought these trays and got a 98% rooting ratio in 12 days.

I simply used water ph'd to 5.5-6.0 and used rooting compound(clonex) and vermiculite.

Very good idea and post

thanks

 

[Mr. Beanz]

Great idea with the bottled water ice cube trays. I never even knew those existed.
Quick suggestion, if you placed the tray in two poly trays (makeshift dome), you wouldn't have to put a pool of water underneath and you'd only have to water once at the beginning and every few days after that.

Thanks.

 

[Budley Doright]

IMO its best to limit the use of domes....

I have never used one....

If I did it would only be for a day or two....


If you take clones and watch them for a few hours....

check to see if they wilt.... if they dont no dome is necessary....



Good Cloning....

 

[someotherguy]

Great idea with the bottled water ice cube trays. I never even knew those existed.
Quick suggestion, if you placed the tray in two poly trays (makeshift dome), you wouldn't have to put a pool of water underneath and you'd only have to water once at the beginning and every few days after that.

Thanks.

no offense man but some of us have been using these trays for years now and if you took the time to read the thread you'd already KNOW that a dome isn't needed, period.

btw, "you'd only have to water once at the beginning and every few days after that." is exactly what i already do WITHOUT the dome.

peace, and stay safe, SOG

 

[ItGrows]

no offense man but some of us have been using these trays for years now and if you took the time to read the thread you'd already KNOW that a dome isn't needed, period.

btw, "you'd only have to water once at the beginning and every few days after that." is exactly what i already do WITHOUT the dome.

peace, and stay safe, SOG

Dont use the word period unless you are sure. I do need a dome but not for the usual reasons. I use it to protect the cutting from wind damage. ;]

I have only been using this method for a few weeks. Didnt clone for me in a week like I read. It was loaded with root nubs. I knew they were ready to pop so I moved one of them to a my old method and am loaded with roots 8 days later. Im assuming had I left it in the tube I would have had the same explosion of roots.

I didnt stop by just to be a wise guy. I wanted to know how you guys were getting them out of the tubes. I tried using my finger but that just didnt work well. Now I see the penny ram! Thanks again icmag.

A quick ? for anybody that wants to share. Are you just poping them straight out of the tube soggy? Or do you pull them out of the tub and let them dry for a few hrs to a day/s?

 

[Budley Doright]

for anybody that wants to share. Are you just poping them straight out of the tube soggy? Or do you pull them out of the tub and let them dry for a few hrs to a day/s?

I woulndt call them soggy....


however you can plant them immediately and probably should...


Not planting them may result in some root tips being air pruned.....