How to clone cheap!??

Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
Ok I have never taken clones. I want to do this as cheaply as possible. I have watched a video or two on the technique. I just wanted to get the bare minimum supplies, the to get some healthy clones going. Here are my questions. Do I need plugs, or rockwool cubes, to start clones in. I am assuming they cannot be put in soil until they establish roots? Is cloning gel or hormone powder needed, or will they root well without it? Do I need to get a humidity dome? Any other tips are appreciated.
 

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
My "simple" method (just also pasted on another thread). I am not an expert, but I cut 7-8 to eight at a time and at most one dies. So I must be doing something right:
1.) Solo Cups with holes cut at bottom
2.) Soil - MG Seed Starter with 30-40% PLAIN (not MG with nutes) Perlite added in. Make it moist, not wet, with PH 6.5 water
3.) Put a little plain perlite at the bottom of the cups (in addition to what is in the soil, I find it helps get it to come out of the cup when I transplant), then fill 1/2-2/3 full with soil. Put a hole in the center with a pencil or something (sanitize it to be safe)
4.) Clean off your scissor, razor blade, cutting surface, etc with ISO
5.) Take your cuttings with a straight cut. Cut one and immediately put the stem in water. Repeat for as many as you are doing.
6.) One at a time, take cutting out of the water, cut off any extra foliage, slice the stem with as much angle as possible (maximize surface area of cut), dip well in rooting gel, place in hole in soil, lightly pack. Repeat for all clones
7.) Pour a SMALL amount of water (1-2 oz) on each to get the cutting firmly into the soil
8.) Get a baggie, make one small slice in the bottom, mist water inside, place over the solo cup
9.) Put them on a warming mat, keep in a warm place with a little light (for eight clones I use 2 normal CFL about 8" above the cups
10.) Mist the baggie daily. Mist around the soil every couple of days, Water when needed (usually not for more than a week)
11.) After about 10 days, make the slit in the baggie bigger, then remove altogether a couple days later
 

Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
From what youre saying I can put the clones straight into soil mixed with perlite? They dont have to root first in starter plugs or rockwool?
 

GroErr

Well-Known Member
The absolute cheapest, most reliable and easiest way is an aero cloner. You can make one for ~$30 or buy one online for about $50. After that, all you need is tap water. No gels, rooters, rockwool, dances or the like...
 

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
Yes, I put the cutting straight into the soil (with the added perlite). Not arguing with GroErr, I have pondered an aero before. But what I am doing is working for me... Next grow will actually end up being more of a SOG because I cut too many clones and couldn't stand to kill any...
 

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Yes, I put the cutting straight into the soil (with the added perlite). Not arguing with GroErr, I have pondered an aero before. But what I am doing is working for me... Next grow will actually end up being more of a SOG because I cut too many clones and couldn't stand to kill any...
Hey no doubt, I just did something similar and ended up running 6x 1gal in a small 2x2 tent - lol When I only have one or two clones and don't want to fire up the aero cloner that's what I do, straight into a cup with a light blend of soil, it's usually about 80%+ success. I've tried a bunch of methods and to me using gels and rooters and whatever other "add-ons" just complicates the process and ime produces worse results, not better.

I was really just answering the question the op posted and if you're comparing it to anything but straight into soil, aero's cheap as it doesn't deal with any other costs once you're initially setup.
 

MonkeyGrinder

Well-Known Member
If you wanna keep it stupid simple you can clone in strait cups of water. Pack of solo cups @ dollar general store is a buck. Grab some tin foil as well. Make your cutting. Build a makeshift lid out of foil. Poke a hole in it. Put it through hole down in water. Change your water every 2 or 3 days. I've gotten better/faster roots by shaving the stem that's submerged. Cheap rooting powder will help from Wal-Mart. I've rooted cuttings like this without the makeshift lid with a tall triple shot glass And water. My mom does it with her roses and an old vase. It just takes a bit mote time. I've had great success cheaply using *gasp* MG perlire and solo cups. People be all like Hur durr its got nutes in it. Start frothing at the mouth over 1-0-0 that's gone with a minutes rinse in the sink (i didn't bother) Just turn your solo cups into mini hempy buckets. Put your drain hole about an inch up. Make your cutting long enough to reach the bottom. Remember to top your cup off semi frequently. Every other day works fine. If you try this method just shave and apply hormone to the stem. The 2 inches at the bottom will be fine. I would do more. Fill cup with perlite. Poke hole with pencil or whatever. Toss clone in. Put clone under veg light. I've gotten roots in 8 days with no bullshit this way. It'll cost about 10 bucks for perlite, powder and cups. Rooted 24 in one go last summer. In a bathtub (drainage yo) no deaths. Uncle Ben has a good write up on air layering as well. You could do that for like 8 bucks tops. With good results too. On a side note though just make sure your cuttings are decent size with any method.
 

Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
A wealth of info! Thank you all. I am looking to simply cut clones and put them straight into solo cups with a mix of seed starter soil and perlite. From what you all seem to be saying they will root fine. I do have some heat mats that I use for germinating. Will heat mats aid in faster root development for clones? My last question....Is there need for a humidity dome over seedlings, or can I just water the soil and let it dry up a bit and rewater? I am assuming the dome and foilar feeding is better because there are no roots on clones initially? Will the clone's stem be able take water up to the foilage from the soil without roots?
 

Cobnobuler

Well-Known Member
I cut too many clones and couldn't stand to kill any...
Ha Dont ya just hate when that happens ? I've had the same thing myself thinking I would keep the best looking ones only to find out I cant really kill anything thats growing. If they die on their own thats one thing but I just cant bring myself to do it. :)
 

mattypp

Well-Known Member
I've tried to clone with rockwool in covered dixie cups, a bubble cloner and lastly I used a cheapo setup from homedepot with jiffy pellets. Out of all of them, I have 100% success with the jiffy pellets.
My process simple.
  1. Add 1/8 tsp of superthrive to 1 gallon of water. Then soak the pellets in a bowl full of the mixture for about 15 minutes. Then very lightly squeeze out the excess moisture. This step is extremely important. Don't completely distort the pellet or else it won't hold firmly against the stem of the cutting.
  2. Take your cutting, ensure there's at least 1 node you can strip off for roots to grow out of (As Steele_GreenMan noted above). I take it 1 step further and lightly scrape off the outer skin on the plant to show the darker green underneath.
  3. Let the cuttings sit in your cloning solution for 15 minutes then put them into the jiffy pellets
  4. I put just enough of the cloning solution into the cloner to soak the fabric that helps wick the water to the pellets. I cover it and leave it for 1 week. I then just check and make sure the fabric doesn't dry out.
This process has taken me from 0% success to 100% success every time. I just got done potting 6 clones that I had pulled. They all had roots shooting out everywhere! I put links to the cloner and superthrive below.


Superthrive - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbrande...lizer-100047020/100662160?keyword=superthrive
Jiffy cloner form HD - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Jiffy-Tomato-Starter-Greenhouse-313126/202250741
 
Top