ORGANIC CLONES IN PERLITE

[EclipseFour20]

BTW...if you let the stems sit in water for about a week or so, root hairs will start growing at the nubs/nodes. Great way to "root" woody specimens (large branches from must clone plants).

When experimenting the water soaking method, I tried filtered water with liquid seaweed, silica, Hormex, Rhizotonic, tap water (chlorine not neutralized) and plain ole filtered water. The best (indications of root growth) were:
1. Tap water.
2. Silica water.

The rest...including filtered water showed zero root growth and the water began to turn on day 5.

I also tried different time intervals with the "winners" and I observed no difference/improvement on cuttings that sat for 2-5 days; that is why I suggest 2 days (48 hours)--why wait 5 days if I can get the job done in 2?...well, sometimes--on day two a fatty will get between me and finishing the clone routine, day three "there is no time", day four "I forgot", so day 5 it is. Not saying wait 5 days, but if the "occasion arises"--all will be good.

Try a simple side by side experiment yourself; just snip some cuttings 2 days before you clone the rest and observe the differences between the two groups over the next week or so. At first, I doubted the person the said "this will shave a week plus off your cloning process"...let's just say, I no longer doubt his "crazy wisdom"--or at least, "right away".

Cheers!

 

[Sunfire]

You can always just do straight water cloning and KISS but I have bearded ladies from my aerocloner in 7the days

 

[dr-dank]

Bump of this thread to say "thanks" as I am now a convert.

Small pan, 100% perlite, 100% RO water. No wilting, or need for dome, roots on all 6 as of 3/5, 3 of them with very nice roots, inserted on 2/21; 13 days.

Thanks for the great thread/idea!

 

[woolybear]

oh yes this method does work!

 

[stoned-trout]

great thread...I been doing it all along..yeehaw...and I hate to say it but miracle grow perlite works great ..the minimal ferts in it is negligible but really helps them off....yeehaw,,, ya I know its not organic but its available too everyone pretty much...I usually use home depot perlite unfertilized

 

[sprinkl]

Very interesting thread. I saw someone root a clone by placing it in a cup of water, nothing more. Made me think about that little airpump I use to make compost teas, if that could increase the speed and rate of succes because roots love oxygen. And now there's the info in this thread I want to add to it. The problem with rooting in water is you need a system to hold the plants in place. Perlite would give a solid base for the clones to stand in = less construction work. Also the perlite clumps seem like a good thing to me, air pockets around the roots where the bacteria are...
Basically I would do the same as OP did but with a bit more water and the airstone on the bottom? As Granger noticed some slime and mold, that shouldn't happen with aerated water.

Alternatively, or additionally I could use a little water pump to continuously pump the bottom water on top of the medium. It would give an evenly moist yet still airy medium, in ideal conditions. It would also heat the water a bit which helps if temps are too low.

I want to wash the perlite for reusing as I don't use it in my soil. In that aspect expanded clay would be easier to wash, but would it be as good to root in?

 

[woolybear]

i've rooted cuts in plain water, its easy to do.

one word of warning: though perlite is great for cloning and for clones, it is HORRIBLE for seedlings.

i had a couple seedlings in rapid rooters in perlite cups, they did not want to grow roots even after a month. moves them into coco and the roots explode.

my rooted cuts on the other hand LOVE PERLITE. wierd eh

 

[Sunfire]

It's probably the difference in the seeds having a tap root and needing a more solid medium to push against. That would make sense to me. Seeds and soil is the only way I roll now. Especially outdoor!

 

[hayday]

So easy...Rinse and reuse.Roots always in 15 days.

 

[moses wellfleet]

After using this method for close to five years I still love it. It is so forgiving, you can use quite a lot more water than my original post and it still works. No great use of technology, and I am not the first grower to do it this way. But simplicity is what it is all about right?

 

[nickman]

Old thread but this sounds like it will be very easy. My only problem I see with it is my veg room humidity stays around 40-50%...

Putting a dome over them should help with that though,correct???

Thanx again Moses...

 

[hayday]

Hey Nick, do your standard method untill you know this works for you. However this way rarely fails me. No dome ,no crazy parts, just tap water and perlite.
Do some tests untill you know its dependable where you are. Emphasis on where you are

 

[moses wellfleet]

Old thread but this sounds like it will be very easy. My only problem I see with it is my veg room humidity stays around 40-50%...

Putting a dome over them should help with that though,correct???

Thanx again Moses...

Nickman yes. A sheet of plastic over the container for the first week should do it!!

 

[therevverend]

It's funny my old Mel Frank grow book had perlite as the best rooting medium and I've always believed it's true. I like rockwool myself, it's less 'work' but perlite has the highest % of clones rooted.

 

[moses wellfleet]

It's funny my old Mel Frank grow book had perlite as the best rooting medium and I've always believed it's true. I like rockwool myself, it's less 'work' but perlite has the highest % of clones rooted.

Yes I used rock wool before I discovered perlite. It work very well but was wasteful because I didn’t have a use for it afterwards.

I have all the parts for a diy aero cloner, I must get around to building it just so I know what I have been missing!!

I didn’t know that recommended perlite for cloning, very interesting. I think that is the only time a grow manual has suggested perlite as a cloning medium!!