Cloning 101

phallca · 05-15-2002, 07:12 AM

I know I’m still a newbie to the site so I hope the more established members won’t mind me putting 2cents worth in, but I’ve been a gardener all my life and thought it may be handy for anyone who has never taken a cutting/clone to have a pictorial view of how its done.

First of all select your cuttings try and find non budding stems about 4” in length preferably ones that have the leaf axels (base of the leaf where the stem joins the main trunk of the plant)

phallca · 05-17-2002, 04:27 PM

This is where I intend to make my cut.

phallca · 05-17-2002, 04:29 PM

Using a SHARP knife or blade (a blunt knife will give you a ragged cut that will take longer to root if it dose at all) take your cutting (which at this stage it still is it doesn’t become a true clone until it is rooted) by slicing through the stem about a half inch or so above the next leaf down, there is always a little die back in the stem as it heals itself and this will lessen the shock to the parent plant. The actual pic of the cut was crap but this is the after cut stem.

phallca · 05-17-2002, 04:31 PM

Prepare your pot (I use a three inch pot and put four cuttings in each) by filling it with perlite and leaving it to soak up as much water as it can hold.

phallca · 05-17-2002, 04:33 PM

Now prepare your cutting, strip all the leafs except for the top two or three the amount depends on the size of the leafs themselves, make sure to remove the calyx (the little leafs surrounding the leaf stem just where it joins the main stem) then trim the base of the stem back until it is about a quarter of an inch below the lowest leaf joint.

Pre-stripped cutting.

phallca · 05-17-2002, 04:35 PM

Stripped cutting.

phallca · 05-17-2002, 04:37 PM

If you trim to much or little you run the risk of the stem rotting instead of rooting, the next three pics are of the right and wrong way to trim it.

WRONG!!! To close to the leaf joint.

phallca · 05-17-2002, 04:38 PM

WRONG!!! To far away from the leaf joint.

phallca · 05-17-2002, 04:41 PM

CORRECT! Aprox quarter of an inch below the leaf joint.

phallca · 05-17-2002, 04:43 PM

At this point some people like to dip the cut end into rooting hormone but I prefer to let the plants survive under there own power but this is a matter of personal preference.
Dibble a hole in your pre-soaked Perlite and firm your cutting into it I bury mine until just the top third is left showing. Now set the whole thing in a tray containing about an inch of water, don’t worry about flooding them the Perlite will only soak up as much water as it can hold.

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