Clone Advice Please

[jonnylongton]

Hi everyone. I really dont know where to start as this is my very first time to try and do clones.
I need some advice please, and try not go to hard on me as im learning and trying my best, but being told different info.
Firstly when the cutting were given to me, they were i stalk with a bit of a leaf growing off, that was it,no node sites, anything.
So i put them in some 1" rockwool and i bought some root!t, soaked the rockwells in it and kept my fingers crossed.
Well 8 week later they had all rooted, some much better than others.
So on Friday i went and got some 3" rockwool and replanted them in there.
Now here come the questions where im stuck and dont know what advice to follow and need your valuable advice.
Please tell me if i am doing right or wrong
They are going in 60/40 soil in a flood and drain system I don't know if this bit of info helps I feed them the full shogun range when established,

1-when i transplanted them with them being fairly well established and approx 8 weeks old already i soaked the 3" rockwools in 0.3mg of Shogun Katana Roots, and 0.5mg of Shogun calmag. Left them in the propagator and see how they go.
2-well i went the shop where i get my nutes from and told one of the guys what i did and he said "no no, dont do that, soak them in Root!t.
3-So i came back and made a fresh mix in a bucket, put Root!t in 5-8mg per litre bucket being 10ltre so i put 40mg in as it was only 8 litre full, put Neutralise in, to help with the water, phed to 5.8 , and soaked them in that yesterday.
Now i dont know which is the best way to feed them, do I need add A or B yet? i am at a loss.
Also they are getting close to the light in the propagator, do i need to move the light which is on the lid so meaning ive got to higher the lid? Or ive been told once that old they dont need a lid? Is that right or wrong. I cannot move them into the plant pots as they are busy and will be for around 6-8 weeks yet..
So will these live that long? What do i feed them ? Do i leave the lid on or off?
Also im also using the 25watt x 2 bulbs for the light which is set to 18 on 6 off.
I know this is very long winded but being british i cant write english properly lol. And to those i have tagged i apologise in advance for doing so if it has caused you to feel aggrieved about it, i am so sorry and it won't happen again,its just you've posted to me before and gave good advice.

Thanks all in advance just for having the patience to read this thread, and also id be very grateful if anyone could kindly point me in the right direction on the rights and wrongs im doing as im praying these live so i know i can hopefully get pain relief still on top of my other painkiller which doesn't touch me, whereas this does so its become vital to me and means so much to me to get it right.
Please bear with me, and try not to diss me, as i am very new to this, and this is my first attempt, and im shitting it to be honest, so i come to you and put my trust in you to kindly give me a helping hand.

Thank You and Stay Safe. Peace to all..

@IndoBlazing76

 

[IndoBlazing76]

Hi Jonny, hope you're doing OK my friend. Raising cuttings can be daunting, but just getting them to root is the hard part so now that they're established you can treat them as normal plants. I personally don't use rockwool as I grow completely in soil, but once my cuttings have rooted I put them in to their starter pot and take the propagator lid off. I find this helps to get them used to the big wide world and encourages the roots to grow and look for water/nutrients as it won't be taking so much moisture in from it's leaves. Once my cuttings are established in their starter pots I start off with half strength veg nutes and build up to full strength as they grow bigger. Your cuttings are looking good and if they were rooted enough to go from the small cubes into the larger ones then they're OK to have the propagator lid off and just keep an eye on them. The T5s are a bit like the Cfl I use for cuttings/veg and run fairly cool so you should be able to keep the lights quite close to the tops of your plants, my cfl stays about an inch from the top of my cuttings and they love it. Thanks for tagging me, it's nice to keep up with how you're doing.

 

[IndoBlazing76]

Just to show how hardy cuttings can be once they're rooted and established here's a pic of my 2 and half week old cuttings from day of rooting in my flowering tent under my 400w Hps. They're in there for 12hours a day and then they go under a Cfl for the other 6hours. It's pretty warm in my grow area as you can see from my Hygrometer, but my cuttings are still thriving.

 

[IndoBlazing76]

One last thing I've just realised is that your T5 lights are in your propagator lid, do they come out so you can use them separately from the propagator lid? Cheers

 

[FRICKITYFRICKTYFRESH]

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I really need to get my cloning method wrote down into a guide for beginners. It's super simple and organic using only some ro water and a couple pieces of aloe vera leaf. They take longer to root than using an auto cloner, but have had 100% success using this method.

 

[IndoBlazing76]

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I really need to get my cloning method wrote down into a guide for beginners. It's super simple and organic using only some ro water and a couple pieces of aloe vera leaf. They take longer to root than using an auto cloner, but have had 100% success using this method.

It's a funny thing cloning as I remember when I first started out many moons ago how difficult i found it, but now it's like 2nd nature and I have an excellent success rate. I use clonex on my freshly cut clones which go in to root riot cubes and then in to a propagator under a 125w Cfl. Roots mostly within 5 to 7 days, max of 10days. I love making clones now, part of the fun raising your little babies, lol.

 

[IndoBlazing76]

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I really need to get my cloning method wrote down into a guide for beginners. It's super simple and organic using only some ro water and a couple pieces of aloe vera leaf. They take longer to root than using an auto cloner, but have had 100% success using this method.

I'd like to try your method though, I've got loads of aloe vera growing which could go to good use and save me money on clonex. I've also been successfull rooting clones in just plain water so I'm always looking for new techniques and ways to save cash with my grows. Cheers

 

[FRICKITYFRICKTYFRESH]

I'd like to try your method though, I've got loads of aloe vera growing which could go to good use and save me money on clonex. I've also been successfull rooting clones in just plain water so I'm always looking for new techniques and ways to save cash with my grows. Cheers

Well, I'm quite bored today and stoned, so I might as well go ahead and take another cutting and document the process. It's actually quite simple. Like i said, im sure there are faster, more expensive, and more complicated cloning methods out there, but this is practically free and you should be able to utilize stuff you already probably have as a grower. I'll get started and hopefully i dont forget to post it. LoL

 

[IndoBlazing76]

Well, I'm quite bored today and stoned, so I might as well go ahead and take another cutting and document the process. It's actually quite simple. Like i said, im sure there are faster, more expensive, and more complicated cloning methods out there, but this is practically free and you should be able to utilize stuff you already probably have as a grower. I'll get started and hopefully i dont forget to post it. LoL

Thanks Very much, I really look forward to checking your method out and giving it a go. I've ran out of clonex a few times so always happy to try something new. Like i said before I've rooted cuttings in just tap water, but ive also used Willow water which worked well and was free. I know what you're saying about those crazy complicated methods, especially those that grow stores often get you to try that involve using special sprays and nutes. Best way is to keep it simple and you'll have yourself some beautiful cuttings in no time at all.

 

[FRICKITYFRICKTYFRESH]

Thanks Very much, I really look forward to checking your method out and giving it a go. I've ran out of clonex a few times so always happy to try something new. Like i said before I've rooted cuttings in just tap water, but ive also used Willow water which worked well and was free. I know what you're saying about those crazy complicated methods, especially those that grow stores often get you to try that involve using special sprays and nutes. Best way is to keep it simple and you'll have yourself some beautiful cuttings in no time at all.

just posted on newbie central

 

[jonnylongton]

Hi Jonny, hope you're doing OK my friend. Raising cuttings can be daunting, but just getting them to root is the hard part so now that they're established you can treat them as normal plants. I personally don't use rockwool as I grow completely in soil, but once my cuttings have rooted I put them in to their starter pot and take the propagator lid off. I find this helps to get them used to the big wide world and encourages the roots to grow and look for water/nutrients as it won't be taking so much moisture in from it's leaves. Once my cuttings are established in their starter pots I start off with half strength veg nutes and build up to full strength as they grow bigger. Your cuttings are looking good and if they were rooted enough to go from the small cubes into the larger ones then they're OK to have the propagator lid off and just keep an eye on them. The T5s are a bit like the Cfl I use for cuttings/veg and run fairly cool so you should be able to keep the lights quite close to the tops of your plants, my cfl stays about an inch from the top of my cuttings and they love it. Thanks for tagging me, it's nice to keep up with how you're doing.

Thanks so much for replying mate, I really appreciate that. It is daunting trying to do this with the cuttings. They are T5 lights on the top of the propagator lid, and yes the lights do come off the lid, they just sit in a groove in the lid mate, so I'm trying to work out how to put 2 lights on a wire over the top of them, so any suggestion on how to work that out would be gratefully accepted mate.
I am glad you don't mind being tagged, you have been such a great help and very friendly and patient to go out your way to help me, I feel such a nuisance keep asking, I read as much as I can about how to do it, but there's so much rubbish coming off some people on the net, and others do it differently and it seems like yourself where everyone grows in soil and put there's in soil in pots, which does the most popular way to go.
I will keep you posted Indo.
Next time before i feed them ( or dip the rockwool ) in a bucket of pre made food i will put the normal stuff i use in a normal grow but at a very week solution to start on, then leave the lid off and somehow get the lights over top of them. Take care good friend and thanks once again.
Stay safe mate.

 

[jonnylongton]

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I really need to get my cloning method wrote down into a guide for beginners. It's super simple and organic using only some ro water and a couple pieces of aloe vera leaf. They take longer to root than using an auto cloner, but have had 100% success using this method.

That sounds a great way how to clone mate, but i haven't got a clue with organic nutes, and also what is RO water and aloe vera leaf. It does sound a good way, and very easy if you know how, just like you do specially with a 100% success rate, but being new at this my head is already in overdrive trying to take things in. Stay safe mate

 

[jonnylongton]

Just to show how hardy cuttings can be once they're rooted and established here's a pic of my 2 and half week old cuttings from day of rooting in my flowering tent under my 400w Hps. They're in there for 12hours a day and then they go under a Cfl for the other 6hours. It's pretty warm in my grow area as you can see from my Hygrometer, but my cuttings are still thriving.

Hi Indo, I did forget to mention as I was so tired, that your clones look brilliant mate. You say 2 and half week, that's amazing, something I dream about lol. I guess though that's the difference between a seasoned good grower, and a noob trying something for the first time. Happy days for you looking at those Indo mate. Stay safe

 

[IndoBlazing76]

Thanks so much for replying mate, I really appreciate that. It is daunting trying to do this with the cuttings. They are T5 lights on the top of the propagator lid, and yes the lights do come off the lid, they just sit in a groove in the lid mate, so I'm trying to work out how to put 2 lights on a wire over the top of them, so any suggestion on how to work that out would be gratefully accepted mate.
I am glad you don't mind being tagged, you have been such a great help and very friendly and patient to go out your way to help me, I feel such a nuisance keep asking, I read as much as I can about how to do it, but there's so much rubbish coming off some people on the net, and others do it differently and it seems like yourself where everyone grows in soil and put there's in soil in pots, which does the most popular way to go.
I will keep you posted Indo.
Next time before i feed them ( or dip the rockwool ) in a bucket of pre made food i will put the normal stuff i use in a normal grow but at a very week solution to start on, then leave the lid off and somehow get the lights over top of them. Take care good friend and thanks once again.
Stay safe mate.

Hiya Jonny, good to hear from you and no problem for the help. When I 1st started out 10 or so years ago I found it difficult to get good help/information because things were much more underground so now I'm always happy to be able to help someone who is 1st starting out especially for someone like yourself who is looking to use the plant medicinally. Just out of a matter of interest why didn't you choose soil for your 1st grow as opposed to the system you did choose? There's no right or wrong system, it's all about choosing what suits you best. I've done hydro and soil and personally for me I find soil easier and slightly more forgiving than hydro, but I know people who find hydro easier than soil. With regards to hanging your lights you can use ratchet hangers like these as an example https://www.onestopgrowshop.co.uk/products?utf8=✓&keywords=ratchet+hangers or Easy Rolls https://www.onestopgrowshop.co.uk/products/easy-rolls-2-0-enhanced-design-plus-easy-hooks-genuine . Both of these you can use to hang from hooks. I like to use chain for my lights, I just feel its stronger and safer. Your cuttings look healthy mate and with practice it'll just get easier and easier. Let me know if you have any more questions. No questions are stupid questions my friend.

 

[IndoBlazing76]

its a couple of weeks away yet and I've never done one before, but I thought I'd do my first Flowering grow journal with a couple of those cuttings I showed you to show what I can produce in my far from perfect setup. I'll have to take some cuttings to replace those so ill take some pics to show you what I do. Real simple and might even help out.

 

[jonnylongton]

Hiya Jonny, good to hear from you and no problem for the help. When I 1st started out 10 or so years ago I found it difficult to get good help/information because things were much more underground so now I'm always happy to be able to help someone who is 1st starting out especially for someone like yourself who is looking to use the plant medicinally. Just out of a matter of interest why didn't you choose soil for your 1st grow as opposed to the system you did choose? There's no right or wrong system, it's all about choosing what suits you best. I've done hydro and soil and personally for me I find soil easier and slightly more forgiving than hydro, but I know people who find hydro easier than soil. With regards to hanging your lights you can use ratchet hangers like these as an example https://www.onestopgrowshop.co.uk/products?utf8=✓&keywords=ratchet+hangers or Easy Rolls https://www.onestopgrowshop.co.uk/products/easy-rolls-2-0-enhanced-design-plus-easy-hooks-genuine . Both of these you can use to hang from hooks. I like to use chain for my lights, I just feel its stronger and safer. Your cuttings look healthy mate and with practice it'll just get easier and easier. Let me know if you have any more questions. No questions are stupid questions my friend.

Hi Indo, thank you so much for your reply mate. I know in a sense what you mean when you started out no one really knew anything about it, I had something similar, when I first got a PC in 1996 no one I knew anything about them, or the internet (dial up) as it was then, so I had to learn all myself, and when others started get Pcs they were always phoning me and asking for advice.
As for the grow system, I bought it off someone mate, they showed it working round their home and how simple it was, so I took to that. They came to mine and set it all up (because my back isn't good enough to even do that mate), they told me the basics, but I've learned much more of your good self mate. I did stick a plant in soil in the room and saw what gave me the best results and also which was easiest, and having to hand feed with a 5tlre water can it pulled on my back and I was finding my back getting worse each day. So ended up sticking to hydro with the Shogun Range. I use ratchet hangers for the big lights mate, but these 2 t5 I'm going to use for a bit are so light I'm going to use some string and i can always adjust them mate, but i will still have a look at those links you sent (thank you). Im glad you said no question is a stupid question, i bet you i come up with a brama and you'll be pulling your hair out lol. Theres so much i want to know, but i cant take in to much at once, specially with all the painkillers and pills in on, the morphine alone blurs my mind.
Thank you for your kind advice and good words of wisdom, i will keep you informed mate, i will just tag you in a post if that is ok with you, if it becomes a pain i will stop it, i will never be a constant bother to you. Take it easy Indo, your a really sound guy

 

[jonnylongton]

its a couple of weeks away yet and I've never done one before, but I thought I'd do my first Flowering grow journal with a couple of those cuttings I showed you to show what I can produce in my far from perfect setup. I'll have to take some cuttings to replace those so ill take some pics to show you what I do. Real simple and might even help out.

Brilliant mate , i look forward to seeing it, will you please tag me in the journal and posts please mate

 

[IndoBlazing76]

Hi Indo, thank you so much for your reply mate. I know in a sense what you mean when you started out no one really knew anything about it, I had something similar, when I first got a PC in 1996 no one I knew anything about them, or the internet (dial up) as it was then, so I had to learn all myself, and when others started get Pcs they were always phoning me and asking for advice.
As for the grow system, I bought it off someone mate, they showed it working round their home and how simple it was, so I took to that. They came to mine and set it all up (because my back isn't good enough to even do that mate), they told me the basics, but I've learned much more of your good self mate. I did stick a plant in soil in the room and saw what gave me the best results and also which was easiest, and having to hand feed with a 5tlre water can it pulled on my back and I was finding my back getting worse each day. So ended up sticking to hydro with the Shogun Range. I use ratchet hangers for the big lights mate, but these 2 t5 I'm going to use for a bit are so light I'm going to use some string and i can always adjust them mate, but i will still have a look at those links you sent (thank you). Im glad you said no question is a stupid question, i bet you i come up with a brama and you'll be pulling your hair out lol. Theres so much i want to know, but i cant take in to much at once, specially with all the painkillers and pills in on, the morphine alone blurs my mind.
Thank you for your kind advice and good words of wisdom, i will keep you informed mate, i will just tag you in a post if that is ok with you, if it becomes a pain i will stop it, i will never be a constant bother to you. Take it easy Indo, your a really sound guy

Hiya Jonny, how's it going? Sorry for the slow reply, busy last few days. Totally understand why you went for Hydro now and makes total sense to me. With all the pain you're in I can imagine lifting 5l buckets to water your plants would be hell. You made the right choice for your situation and I think thats something some folks forget. Everyone wants to grow in the best conditions, but sometimes its just not possible because of our personal situations. I hope you managed to hang your lights ok mate and as always if you ever have any questions feel free to ask. I might not have the answers, but I'll always try help out if I can. I'll definitely tag you in to my grow diary when I start it and hopefully you'll enjoy seeing my plants come along. Take care my friend

 

[jonnylongton]

Morning or Evening Indo mate, how are things my friend i hope ll is well. No problems about being late to reply mate, i dont come on pc for days at a time so i totally understand not to get replies straight away, im not one of these who live on the pc 24/7 and if they dont get no reply they start to pester etc. My problem about not telling you the reason i couldn't start off in soil mate, when i have to have new 60/40 coco in s very good friend has to come and change the pots for me. You know what mate, even bending over the Nutrient tub to stir in the neuts wreck my back, and i did use a Bluelab wand, and ph meter to check, but once again bending over and getting a reading hurts so much, so i bought a trimeter which reads EC , PH , and water temperature, so i just look on the wall now each day to check. I didnt really want to bore your good self or anyone else saying "ive lost every disc in my spine due to degeneration, also got mechanical back failure, and spondylosis , tennis elbow both arms, i wont go into anymore lol, but now you know why its so good and important to talk to you and get the great advice ive had already my good friend, as this is the only real relief i get even though im still in pain 24/7 but it takes the edge off. If you know a good strain which helps a lot with pain and anxiety would you kindly message it to me please, i would really aprreciate that mate.. I know you will go out of your way to help and that is why even though i dont know you i have the utmost respect for you and see you as a good virtual friend. I thank you for tagging me in your grow diary, i will learn that way as well, im not that far advanced to get a grow diary just yet, i just take a few pics every 4 or 5 days.
Still not managed to get the lights sorted yet, and its only a week since i put clones from 1" ro 3" rockwools and roots are sprouting everywhere. I thought they would last another 4 or so weeks so i can do a quick change over and get a good start, but im a bit stuck now as ive no room to put the rockwools, they are still in the propagator packed together with the T5 lights ledged about them, without the propagator lid on, i will take a few pics and add later as they are asleep now mate.
All for now till i get the pics Indo, so you take care and stay safe my good friend

kind regards from the UK - laughing stock of the world, just look at the prime minister and it says it all lol.

 

[jonnylongton]

@IndoBlazing76 - pics as promised mate. I know they are getting abit of algae on them, need to get them into pots asap mate. But what do you think of them my friend? Would you do your best to keep them going till its time to do a quick turn around or would you start again mate.

best wishes jon