OnceAndAgain

Hello all. I have been away from "the craft" for a couple of years now. I have spent the past month or so lurking and collecting new ideas for my upcoming project. I am happy to say that the 'net has come a long way as a source of information on this gratifying hobby!

Anyway, there are some things that are new and some things that are standard practice. Cloning is one of those things that requires knowledge and experience to be successful. I have had repeated success in cloning plants and I would like to share the benefit of my experiences with this group.

Before I start, I want to say that the formula for successful cloning includes having the right materials, a sterile cloning procedure, and the proper rooting environment. Having a love for growing doesn't hurt either- your babies will require some TLC during their first week.

List of Materials:
(Available at local home center / drug store)
Pack of razor blades ($.99)
Grow n' Show flourecent fixture ($15.00)
Timer ($6.99)
Seedling tray with dome ($1.99)
Heating pad ($8.99)
Small fan ($9.99)
Spray bottle ($.99)

(Available at hydroponic (e-)store)
1.5" rockwool cubes ($.25)
Olivias Cloning gel ($13.00)
Hydroponic "Bloom" nutrient solution ($12.00)

Healthy mother plant (Priceless)
Sorry, I couldn't resist :-)

Procedure:

Remove any outside paper or plastic from your rockwool cubes then place them in boiling water for a few minutes. Drain in a clean collander but DO NOT SQUEEZE the water out of the cubes, you will ruin them. When cool enough, relocate the cubes to the seedling tray.

Prepare a location for your "cloning area". This area should include a table top, a comfortable chair, and sufficient lighting. Bring the cloning solution, a fresh razor, and the seedling tray there. A toothpick or a golf tee will also be helpful. Have some paper towels nearby to clean up the drips that will occur during the process.

Fill a rocks glass 3/4 full with warm water, bring it to your mother plant with a new razor blade.

Look at the mom and determine the branches that you are going to use for cuttings. To avoid mistakes, visualize before before you cut. You will be taking cuttings from between the 2nd and 3rd mature internode of the branch (by mature I mean that you do not count the cluster of growth at the tip of the cutting) with your cut occurring directly ABOVE the 3rd internode. The branch you are cutting should be healthy and have active growth. The stem

Make a straight cut through the stem and immediately place the cutting into the warm water. Repeat the process until you are finished or have taken 10 cuttings whichever comes first.

Relocate to the cloning area. Examine your rockwool cube for the side with the small hole. This will receive the cut end of your plant. Take a toothpick or tee and use it to open the hole in the rockwool to the diameter of your cut stems and a depth of 1". Try not to poke a hole through the bottom of the cube during this process.

Perform the following steps as quickly as you can, the time between removing the clone from the water and sealing the cut with the cloning gel should be as short as possible.

Remove a cutting from the rocks glass. The objective of this part is to prepare a 1" portion of the stem for insertion in the rockwool, and also to remove any large leaves (longer than 5" from stem to tip) that the plant will have trouble supporting during the rooting process. Note: If there is a large leaf such as this, it should only be at the first internode above the cut. If there are leaves of this size at other nodes above the first node, you probably took your cutting too far from the tip of the branch. A good indication that your cutting is too "big" is when the stem diameter of the cutting is greater than the hole that the golf tee made in the rockwool cube.

Any growth that is within the last 1" of the cutting should be cut off flush to the stem. You may need to cut the bottom of the clone slightly to insure that this area will be below the surface of the rockwool cube.

Note: This next step may require some practice, so try it out on a "spare" stem if possible. In order prepare the last 1" of the cutting for rooting, hold the razor to the stem at a 45 degree angle and LIGHTLY scrape the outside of the last 1" of the stem. This should be done in a downward motion from the 1" mark to the tip of the cutting. You should see VERY LITTLE plant matter on he edge of the razor. This is an important step, but if you are overzealous here you will ruin the cutting.

Dip the end of the cutting directly into the Olivia's gel container. Remove the cutting and use the toothpick to spread the gel evenly across the surface of the last 1". You do not need a lot of gel for rooting. Quality of application counts for more than quantity. After the excess gel has been removed, insert the cutting into the rockwool cube until the 1" depth has been reached.

The stem should be sealing the entire hole in the rockwool. If there are any gaps, insert the toothpick into the rockwool 1/4" from the cutting and pull the rockwool to the stem. To minimize your gaps, try to match the size of the hole in the rockwool with the stem diameter. Note: there is a happy medium between acceptable gap and a hole so tight that it rubs off the gel during the insertion.

Congrats on your new clone! Place your baby girl into the seedling tray to wait for her sisters.

The perfect enviromment for rooting include high humidity, moist rockwool, and a temerature of approx. 75 degrees. A common mistake would be to set up this environment without adequate airflow that would allow mold and mildew to destroy your girls. Do not neglect the fan!

Set your heating pad under the seedling tray and set it to it's lowest setting. This should be adequate, but it depends on the ambient air temperature of your rooting environment.

Read the instructions on the bottle of bloom nutrients. Mix up a gallon at 1/4 recommended strength. The bottom of the tray should have channels in it. Use your golf tee to make a hole in one of the corners of the tray. Place all of your clones at the opposite end of the tray. Pour some nutient solution into the tray while tilting it up toward the end with the clones. Shift the tray in a manner that allows all cubes to absorb solution from the bottom. Tilt the tray back down after a few seconds, and collect the run-off from the hole into your spray bottle. Place your tee under the corner of the tray with the hole to elevate it slightly. This will prevent additional run-off from leaking out of the tray. Fill the remainder of your spray bottle with nutrient mixture and spray the cuttings well.

Cut holes in the side of the dome of the seedling tray. Place the cover on the seedling tray. Place the fan nearby. You should see the leaves of the cuttings GENTLY rustling in the breeze. Note: too much air will lower the humidity, too little will allow an environment for mold and mildew. Everyone should know what mildew smells like. During the rooting process, use your powers of smell as a gauge for poor air flow.

Place the Grow n' show on top of the cover. Set the timer for 18 hours on, 6 hours off.

Repeat the watering / spraying process on a daily basis.

It is natural for your seedlings to wilt SLIGHTLY for the first 48 hours. Larger leaves may also show signs of unhappiness diring this time. What you are looking for is responsiveness from the leaves at the tip of the cutting.

Keep an eye on things, you will need to respond quickly to trouble. Remember: Light, temperature, humidity, air flow, and nutrients are your variables in this formula for success. I wish you all a merry Xmas and a green new year!