Super Cheap Mass Cloner

[Flutch]

Ok I will build this one fore sure when I get my first plants going and I hope that is really soon! But how long can you keep the clones in there? I would love to be able to have like 20 clones in there for as long as I need them too. Have them ready to go ad any time.

So If I did a rubbermaid with 2 X 26w cfl about 8" away from the top I should be fine?

 

[locomark]

Well Grat3fulh3ad,

Let me give you an update. I did a small tupperware bowl painted black with wicks placed into a larger bowl of tap water. I got a bunch of dried cuttings then discovered that the wicks were not cutting it. I drilled larger holes then stuffed with cotton balls which definately increased moisture into the perlite.

So the second set of cuttings started Nov 16 went as follows eight cuttings two dried in six days. As of day 10 three had mold and two were just hanging out no roots. The set up is in a closet no fan, moderate temperature, CFL about 10 inches from cuttings. Yes your set up is working better than the aerocloner but still no roots. You have any suggestions?

Loco

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

Well Grat3fulh3ad,

Let me give you an update. I did a small tupperware bowl painted black with wicks placed into a larger bowl of tap water. I got a bunch of dried cuttings then discovered that the wicks were not cutting it. I drilled larger holes then stuffed with cotton balls which definately increased moisture into the perlite.

So the second set of cuttings started Nov 16 went as follows eight cuttings two dried in six days. As of day 10 three had mold and two were just hanging out no roots. The set up is in a closet no fan, moderate temperature, CFL about 10 inches from cuttings. Yes your set up is working better than the aerocloner but still no roots. You have any suggestions?

Loco

temp & humidity? maybe use a dome and add a fan...

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

oh, ok. wow i feel even dumber now. makes sense though. cool

awww your not alone Shibby -

I was wandering around the dollar store looking for DIFFERENT sized pans that fit inside and one that made a humidity dome. I bought 2 of the dishpan pices. At the grocery store - they had a little larger semi clear pan so I can see the water level - - Then I get home - find the thread and see I needed 3 dishpans. hehehe - ok now off to find wicks

I've got 2 cheapo aero cloners going full blast and something is wrong. I'm going to put one of these together and get a backup plan in order.

crap it's snowing - tiki torch wicks - - that's a riot!

I'll be back - looks like the wicks extend up about 3 inches and the pearlite is about an inch higher?

 

[Elevator Man]

I bought cheap cotton dishcloths from the budget store and rolled them up into about 1cm diameter cylinders, chopped them into threes, and wedged them through the holes to serve as wicks - they work great.

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

I was at Home Depot - they had a 50 ft roll of 3/8 diam. rope made from sisal. Kinda fat, natural fiber - that I am hoping is clean and harmful residue free, I have a couple feet of rope left if anybody needs a wick.

My cuttings from under the MH are having lots of problems - the ones from under the floros are doing much better hmmmmmmm

dammit Watson - think this could be part of the problem I've been having?

 

[mpro]

You could be giving them too much light, depending on what wattage the MH is, and how close it is to the clones. example, 400 MH should be 4-6' away from the cuttings. the fluoros only need to be 6" or so above, but it sounds like you are having good results with the fluoro's

I was at Home Depot - they had a 50 ft roll of 3/8 diam. rope made from sisal. Kinda fat, natural fiber - that I am hoping is clean and harmful residue free, I have a couple feet of rope left if anybody needs a wick.

My cuttings from under the MH are having lots of problems - the ones from under the floros are doing much better hmmmmmmm

dammit Watson - think this could be part of the problem I've been having?

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

I think my attempt to energise the grow , mucked it up. (again)

When all else fails - return to that which was working correctly.

I have a couple side by side aero cloner vs wick cloner testers - we can let em race.

How deep should the cuttings go?

My wicks are about even with the pearlite and the pearlite seems to get pretty tightly packed as you go deeper I don't want to get them so deep they are burried

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

25 to 35 % of the length of the cutting should be inserted...

 

[Jahminded]

GH...Thank you for the informative thread....K+

Couple questions if you will and my apologies if you have addressed these already...

How far down into the 4" perlite do you put the tip of the cutting?

Its the perlite itself that holds the cutting upright, correct? If so, how easy is it to replace, unharmed, after inspecting for roots?

I have 24W HO T5 floro's....How many bulbs should I use over each tray and how far would you recommend from the tops?

Lastly, I have heard a few people mention difficulties when transplanting into soil after roots have formed...can you speak to this at all?

Thanks again for your time....

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

hey Jah - read the post right above yours. tells ya the depth.


Yes checking for roots is a drag - no you don't want to lift the clone - I suspect we have to pick the pearlite away and dig down. gently

Not wise to forget too long.

I had some clones in a glass of water and moved them into the wick cloner - they are really not happy. some may have a fatal droop.

Others that were cut fresh and inserted - look pretty good.


I think a peat pot or something might be preferable - I'll try it this way while I resolve my aero cloner problems

 

[Guest]

Thats pretty cool, but have you built a cheap-o bubble cloner? If so how does this cloner compare to the bubble one?

In my experience - ez type cloners root a little faster, but using a medium is just as easy if you make sure your babies have what they need - low light, warmth, humidity, auxins.

good luck!

 

[Jahminded]

hey Jah - read the post right above yours. tells ya the depth.


Yes checking for roots is a drag - no you don't want to lift the clone - I suspect we have to pick the pearlite away and dig down. gently

Not wise to forget too long.

I had some clones in a glass of water and moved them into the wick cloner - they are really not happy. some may have a fatal droop.

Others that were cut fresh and inserted - look pretty good.


I think a peat pot or something might be preferable - I'll try it this way while I resolve my aero cloner problems

Not quite...that dealt with how much of the cutting goes into the perlite...not how far down INTO the perlite the tip of the cutting goes....close, but distinctly different.

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

25 to 35 % of the length of the cutting should be inserted...

Not quite...that dealt with how much of the cutting goes into the perlite...not how far down INTO the perlite the tip of the cutting goes....close, but distinctly different.

???


pretty clear - depends on the size of the cutting.

 

[Jahminded]

???


pretty clear - depends on the size of the cutting.

When placing a cutting, in say Grodan cubes, you are supposed to put the tip of the cutting at the very bottom of the cube...so it almost protrudes, but doesn't, for best results....my questions is along those lines.

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

Exact 'depth' doesn't really matter that much...
The percentage of the cutting below the surface is really more important...
The media stays consistantly moist enough, I insert 8" cuttings nearly to the bottom, 4" cuttings less than 1/2 way to the bottom...

when putting the unit together, cutting removal has to be taken into account...
I place the perlite into the tray loosely. not packed down any...
When I check for roots after 5 or 6 days, I loosen the media around the base of the cut, and gently lift her out, using the pointed end of a bamboo shish ka bob skewer.
Sometimes a few of the longer roots get damaged, but I've never lost one as a result.

 

[TokenBlackGuy]

Exact 'depth' doesn't really matter that much...
The percentage of the cutting below the surface is really more important...
The media stays consistantly moist enough, I insert 8" cuttings nearly to the bottom, 4" cuttings less than 1/2 way to the bottom...

when putting the unit together, cutting removal has to be taken into account...
I place the perlite into the tray loosely. not packed down any...
When I check for roots after 5 or 6 days, I loosen the media around the base of the cut, and gently lift her out, using the pointed end of a bamboo shish ka bob skewer.
Sometimes a few of the longer roots get damaged, but I've never lost one as a result.

I had the same problem when i would pull out the clone, the roots would tear off with this cloner and i ended up switching to rapid rooters and changed your design around a little but used the same concept with tiki wicks and perlite..

I used those black gardening trays and 72 cell tray to hold the rapid rooters... In each cell there was a single hole that i could fit a small piece of tiki wick into... then i filled the hole half way up with perlite and my rapid rooters sits on to the perlite... i then pour water on the bottom tray and its a set it and forget.. I dont even use a humidity dome cause i hate when i hate to wait for the plant to adjust to lower humidty and then shrivel up and die..

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

New trouble - the water in the reservoir is going bad , has a stagnate smell and appears to have killed a butt load of clones.

I flushed the pearlite with a gallon of water and will let it drain overnight - that should help knock down the anaerobic condition

I'll take a body count in the morning


all of a sudden clones are kicking my ass

 

[Jahminded]

Interesting....maybe it has something to do with the negative Karma you throw around.....I'll throw you some positive to help ya out.....peace.

 

[TaprootErection]

how can rockwool be used with perlite?