This is how I do it (Most Of The Time) and you can too. That being said, there are many ways to clone and I’ve found that between planting seeds and cloning, almost everyone comes up with their own special routine. You’ll notice I don’t use any coconut water in the recipe. That’s not for any particular reason but it’s just how I’ve done it personally. You can use it if you like and see if your results are better than mine. These methods were passed down to me and many others on the forums from ClackamasCoots and I take no credit for the info. All I wanted to do was show everyone how well this recipe actually works in hopes that you will ditch the rooting hormone bottles and go the all natural route. It may look like a lot of stuff, but in action it only takes me a few minutes to get setup.
I personally take cuttings two weeks before I go into flower. That way I can make sure they all rooted and have one last emergency chance at it before the ladies go into flower.
NOTICE: There is a myth that you have to keep a mother plant and that clones of clones eventually lose vigor. This is preposterous and totally untrue. The only thing that causes bad clones are when you clone from an unhealthy plant. You can clone a clone from a clone forever.
List Of Items:
Instructions: Keep Everything Clean! No Dirty trays or Scissors. (I scrub every tray with soap and water)
These are the rooting pucks that I use. I like them because when you pull on the corner of one it stays together and doesn't crumble apart.
This is the Super Sprouter Tray that I really really like. It's MUCH thicker and won't buckle when carrying it around with weight in it.
This is the Rooting Tray That I really Like. It's double sided and durable. (Just Imagine It's Not Upside Down)
Here is the Dome. It has Side Flow through vents and a top Vent. I like it, but any tall one like this will do.
Getting Ready to make the recipe.
How I Use My Agsil16H for ease of measuring. Clear Bottle So I know it's mixed properly.
Make your bowl of solution and then take cups for each type of cutting you will be taking. Label the cups with the cutting name and pour a little bit of the freshly made solution into each cup. When you take your cuttings and prepare them, you will soak them in the labeled cups for at least one hour while the rooting pucks soak.
This is how I mix the aloe first. I like to activate the saponins by really shaking it together in here. (Some warm water from the bowl was used to keep the Gallon ratios even and accurate)
Take Cuttings of newer growth with at least a couple nodes on it. (Old stiff woody growth won't work well)
I then pull the lower leaves off and downward. Sometimes the leaf pulls a thin layer of the stalk off with it and that's perfectly fine.
This is what it looks like when the leaves are taken off except the top. I don't trim the fan leaves off but you can if you are taking many clones and they will be crowded together.
After at least one hour and up to 12 hours I like to take the pucks out of the water and then set them into the tray gently. Don't squeeze them as that will close some of the air bubbles out of the pucks and drain too much water out... these things are perfect right out of the bucket of solution.
I line mine up in rows two wide and alternating so there is space between each cutting. See Photo Below.
I label them like this and then snap a photo, then I don't have to keep the labels, you can do this however you want.
Insert Cuttings gently, don't force them or you will snap the stem. If this happens cut the clone shorter and try again. Also keep clones with bigger leaves in the center and away from the sides where your dome will pinch the leaves etc. If you are worried about it you can trim all the tips of the leaves off.
All ready to go into the veg room or under the clone light.
See that spot way out of the direct light? Yeah, that's a great spot. Too much light will cause yellowing as the plants attempt to grow. You want little light as this will promote rooting. I even think you could clone in the dark, but I'm not 100% sure how effective that would be.
Now Make sure the dome is all closed up and foliar spray. I didn't use a heating mat here because it was Very warm and humid in the tent. But I encourage you to use one as long as your area is below 85 degrees or the night is too cool.
Foliar Spray with this same mixture and make sure it gets really humid.
Open the dome at least once per day but preferably once at night and once in the morning. You can start to vent the dome after a few days depending on your local environment. I live in Colorado and it's dry so I usually leave them closed mostly until I see roots then I Crack them a little more each day.
They should look like this the whole way, no yellowing Etc.
On Day 6 Start Checking for roots, or just wait until day 10 when most will be rooted.
This is Day 6!!!
About half looked like this at day 6-8 and the other half by day 10... with a few stragglers. I left the stragglers and took care of them until around day 15 or so and this is what they looked like.
I would rather transplant a day after I see the first roots pop.
I usually clone into small square cups so that I can keep them under a humidity dome and slowly harden them off once transplanted.
These are the cups I transplant into (I use BuildASoil Living Organic Soil Right Away) I put them in a tray under a dome and then slowly open the vents and after a few days remove the lid and then eventually under the full light. Once roots are popping out I'm ready to use this clone finally!
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