Cloning... dirt or water (and seeds)? $100 Machine? HELL NO! Shoe box, air pump, and a pool noodle...

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MHippie

MHippie

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So this is the beginning of a pretty wild (for me) grow diary being that I've never publicly documented anything. But living in a legal State? It's all good now I guess.

I got caught up in hydroponics, aeroponics, and the like more than 25 years ago. Sure there are a TON of "advanced" growing machines and techniques out there. But the weed is basic (try doing a Desert Rose Bonsai from a Chinese importer that's been traveling for 3 weeks before you get it for a flex on difficulty level) in comparison to other exhaustively difficult types of plants. It adapts fast, reacts fast, and you really have to work to kill them. I never could get past the fact that while everyone is spending dump truck loads of money to replicate sunlight... it's sort of available for free. Might be more labor intensive, but all of my plants regardless of stage (flower/veg) are outside every day by 8am and inside by 8pm. This gets adjusted when the sun up/sun down times change.

I use supplemental florescent grow lights (... the little thin ones) at night for vegging plants. Can't seem to trust LEDs yet though my sons laugh at me constantly about it. Hey, if it works, stop fucking with it.

Cloning imo can be a challenge and I've learned once again that it can be all about the strain and its behavior.

The first pic is this White Widow strain I'm working with. I killed a good half dozen of these before I realized, this particular strain of White Widow SUCKS in a water clone method. On a whim, I hit a clone from a topped plant with rooting hormone and stuck it into moist GOOD dirt (cow shit, perlite, premium potting soil mixed). This is a week later. In a water clone, I would not have left the larger fan leaves intact. But on this one? Oh yeah. Push it. See what happens. Leaves have lifted and it's VERY happy. In another week, I'll use some bonsai tools and GENTLY check its root structure. If it's good, then outside it goes.

The second pic is my "cloning machine" lol which is currently hosting 4 Pineapple Express clones. So giggle... get it out of your system now lol! It's not a space age amazon thing. It's a $5 plastic shoe box, sliced up pool noodle, tooth picks, and the cheapest aquarium air pump on the shelf with the cheapest air stone they had. So like $14 bucks. Here's how simple this is. Drill a 1/4 inch hole into the upper side for the air pump. Feed the hose through, stick the stone on and you're done. Fill it with water. If you are lucky like me, you're on a well with no chlorine and fluoride. If you're not, head to the store and pick up a couple gallons of some decent drinking water... not distilled. Slice the pool noodle about 1/4 inch thick. You want 2 slices for each clone. Then do the toothpick thing you see there. One across the top ring to hold the clone upright. Three to hold it at least an inch above the one on the bottom. The reason for this is they soak up water and you don't want your clone's leaves constantly wet. They need to exchange air. The top ring needs to be dry. Stick your clones into the hole and drop them into the water. That's it. Make sure you prop them up against the toothpicks to keep them in the air a little and that's it. No supplemental lighting. They are sitting on an unused desk in my house next to a window that has a curtain over it. Mild light... no nutrients. These gals have been going for a week as well. I can hold the clones up to the lights and see the nubs of the new roots starting to emerge. When they are about a half inch, I'll add a VERY low very below "mild" dose of nutrient to the water. They'll go bonkers and into the dirt they'll go.

The third pic is Squirt and Purple Mountain Majesty sprouts started from seed. Germination mat set to 80F. REALLY good soil. Inside normal household lights are on around them and that's it. I see mixed reviews about Humboldt Seed Company's stuff on here. Uh... that's cool. Everything isn't for everyone. But if I'm getting 100% germination using the wet paper towel method within 48 hours? Yeah that's for me. I have three of each going. They have all started to erupt from the soil. So we'll see what happens.

In my part of the world, outside winter gardening isn't happening. So we have to grow enough to get us through the winter and early spring. Then we coast with mommas through the winter and clone out about 2 months before the temps come back up.
Cloning dirt or water and seeds  100 machine hell no  shoe box air pump and a pool noodle
Cloning dirt or water and seeds  100 machine hell no  shoe box air pump and a pool noodle 2
Cloning dirt or water and seeds  100 machine hell no  shoe box air pump and a pool noodle 3
 
mancorn

mancorn

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I've been using a sea rock (which catches sprinkler water) as my cloning “machine”. (Wish I could brag about my success, but can't.)

2C4C407E 4490 4E6B BAC6 03B1344158DD
 
dire wolf

dire wolf

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after reading and watching and reading and watching.. Im getting a clone box fuxk it.
Hey little , what do you mean , your going to try the homemade pool noodle thing or a traditional pre made cloner ?
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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Hey little , what do you mean , your going to try the homemade pool noodle thing or a traditional pre made cloner ?

Imma get me a professional cloner box, higher end water pump to ensure sufficient air flow, Perhaps even a water temp gauge/heater to ensure a steady 75-80F.

Seems like the least variable swings the more positive results when it comes to cloneing.
 
stanknugzz77

stanknugzz77

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Imma get me a professional cloner box, higher end water pump to ensure sufficient air flow, Perhaps even a water temp gauge/heater to ensure a steady 75-80F.

Seems like the least variable swings the more positive results when it comes to cloneing.

Don't waste your money on buying one. They are simple to make and much cheaper. I have 14 sites in each of my 5 gallon buckets. I usually get 100% success with each round if cuttings. My water temperature was a little high with with this last round of 28, but it took around 16 days (instead of the usual 14) to be ready to plant and I only lost 1 cutting. 27/28 isn't too bad. Positive vibes...

~nugzz
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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Don't waste your money on buying one. They are simple to make and much cheaper. I have 14 sites in each of my 5 gallon buckets. I usually get 100% success with each round if cuttings. My water temperature was a little high with with this last round of 28, but it took around 16 days (instead of the usual 14) to be ready to plant and I only lost 1 cutting. 27/28 isn't too bad. Positive vibes...

~nugzz


Tbh the cost of making my own diy version vs the professional.. I'd rather just waste my money :P

I can distill whiskey my self too but yet i still prefer to buy the smooth smooth over priced tastse of jameson irisih whiskey. Sometimes its not about the journey but its about the destination :P
 
MHippie

MHippie

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Love the cloning machine. Something I'd be proud of.
Honestly? My wife came up with it. I was getting frustrated with just dirt cloning and I wanted to go back to water culture of some kind but that &&^^%$%$ Pineapple Express clones kept dying on me. So she goes... we need a pool noodle and toothpicks. I'm like ok... lay it on me. And the rest was born.
 
MHippie

MHippie

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I've been using a sea rock (which catches sprinkler water) as my cloning “machine”. (Wish I could brag about my success, but can't.)

View attachment 989057
Suggestions? Trim the huge fan leaves, at least the two largest ones. That clone will have to work VERY hard to get and keep water in those huge leaves. Keep that brick moist with just water. Keep the brick inside at least for the first two weeks and you should have much much better results ;)
 
MHippie

MHippie

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Tbh the cost of making my own diy version vs the professional.. I'd rather just waste my money :P

I can distill whiskey my self too but yet i still prefer to buy the smooth smooth over priced tastse of jameson irisih whiskey. Sometimes its not about the journey but its about the destination :P
That's the thing. You don't need anything but consistency. And inside your home? Temps are usually consistent. So the water temps will be too. You don't want or need fast moving water, just a lot of O2 to foster good root development. PH at 7 and that's about it. Remember... it's a weed :)
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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Oh i agree it works, I just think for the money i might as well spend the few extra bux and go pro.. After all they spent the time money and energy on R&D to birng a working product to market, usually with proven sucesss..


Im not saying your method wont work im sure it will for you :D

For me.. Spending money on a product that I like the looks of works better lol
 
dire wolf

dire wolf

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Imma get me a professional cloner box, higher end water pump to ensure sufficient air flow, Perhaps even a water temp gauge/heater to ensure a steady 75-80F.

Seems like the least variable swings the more positive results when it comes to cloneing.
Excellent
 
cruzin

cruzin

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What would the distance of the root tip to the water or is it in the water and if so how much in the water? great cloner you made.
 
MHippie

MHippie

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What would the distance of the root tip to the water or is it in the water and if so how much in the water? great cloner you made.
I have to give my wife props. She's the one who suggested the double pool noodle. I was about to go to neoprene collars and drill the lid :) I was pissed because I thought I was doing something wrong with a particular strain. It wasn't the method, it was the strain. Strain in question likes dirt cloning, not water. Weird but true. The White Widow strain (first pic) I'm working with likes dirt cloning. (Clone "machine" pic) Pineapple Express likes water.

Anyway, that's the beauty of the simplicity of her toothpick thing. You always want at least the last node on the stem to be submerged always. So you can adjust it up or down to fit the requirements of the clone instead of cutting the clone to fit your machine.

It's just clear water at this stage until decent root formation happens. Then a VERY weak veg nutrient is added... like 1/2 strength... in week two. Once there is a solid root foundation formed... into the dirt they go :)

Here's a side note with how over complicated things have gotten. WAAAAAAY back in 1999 I had a friend who owned a hydro store. Asked him one day what would happen if he needed to build a system quick. Out of ALLLLLLL the shit you have here... what would you use. So I'm drooling waiting for the answer because that will unlock ALLLLLLL the secrets right? He looked me dead in the eye and said "I'd fucking go to home depot and grab cow shit, perlite, potting soil, miracle grow, and a watering can. I've got seeds and pots." Enough said :)
 
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MHippie

MHippie

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Day 2 In The Dirt. Day 4 from First Germination:

Back story... a friend of mine got these HSC seeds for me and said "Try them out". I'm like cool... not my normal deal but we'll see what happens. I germinate with the tried and true paper towel method. 48 hours and I had 100% germination. 48 hours more and we have little alien stalks poking up through the dirt already. These things moved FAST. They are now outside but shaded totally from direct sunlight.

On the left is HSC Squirt. It's supposed to be a sticky icky, predominant sativa.
On the right is HSC Purple Mountain Majesty, predominant indica.

Jumping ahead... the Squirt will under go mild LST. 1 will be a momma. The other 2 for consumption. The PMM, because it is indica will be a completely different ballgame. 1 will be a momma but will undergo some bonsai training. There will be nothing low stress about that one. Basically the momma indica will have 1 sidways growth shoot so that clones come up out of it like a manifold. The other 2 will be for consumption.
 
S2
OLDSILVERTIP

OLDSILVERTIP

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Don't waste your money on buying one. They are simple to make and much cheaper. I have 14 sites in each of my 5 gallon buckets. I usually get 100% success with each round if cuttings. My water temperature was a little high with with this last round of 28, but it took around 16 days (instead of the usual 14) to be ready to plant and I only lost 1 cutting. 27/28 isn't too bad. Positive vibes...

~nugzz
bucket 7.21 lowes water ,part of a old foam mat [big ugly],napa .air pump,two table spoons hydrogen proxide add to 4 and ahalf gallons of city water let stand for 24 hrs. and we have roots! out of 12 cuts 6 have roots 3 more have little nubs started not bad for a el chepo setup at about 9 days in @ the moment still useing first round of water ! run hole saw in reverse to cut foam. or wind up with shirt sleeve wound up in foam foam and flesh wounds .
 

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