How long can you keep cuttings in the fridge?

Overgrowtho

Well-Known Member
I've had cuttings in the fridge for 1 or 2 months that rooted but when we are talking about 3 or 4 months I have had very limited success rooting those. Of this batch of long time fridge preserved clones, I think only the 2 on the top that have a bit of turgidity. 251809109_404537474590385_792873085061812741_n.jpgt will be viable. What are your relevant observations of this and your past relevant experiences?
 

farangar

Well-Known Member
You keep clones in the fridge? That's a first.

No wonder they look terrible they need warm conditions not cool!
 

GroBud

Well-Known Member
I thought they were talking about that kind of cuttings ( little buds and trim ) lol plz dont put live plants into the fridge. I've never seen that suggested anywhere for you to pick that information up.
 

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Eastownclan

Well-Known Member
I thought they were talking about that kind of cuttings ( little buds and trim ) lol plz dont put live plants into the fridge. I've never seen that suggested anywhere for you to pick that information up.
People do it, there are other threads on here about it. I think one guy was keeping them for a month or so.
 

GroBud

Well-Known Member
People do it, there are other threads on here about it. I think one guy was keeping them for a month or so.
Look how shitty their cuttings look. Does that look like a successful method to you? I would agree putting them in the fridge would represent the temps. When they sprout, as with like peach seeds. You put those in soil in a fridge for up to 3 months. However I wouldn't agree a cold dark fridge would be as successful as a dome and heating matt under low light. Or in a controlled environment with a aeroponic cloning machine
 

Eastownclan

Well-Known Member
Look how shitty their cuttings look. Does that look like a successful method to you? I would agree putting them in the fridge would represent the temps. When they sprout, as with like peach seeds. You put those in soil in a fridge for up to 3 months. However I wouldn't agree a cold dark fridge would be as successful as a dome and heating matt under low light. Or in a controlled environment with a aeroponic cloning machine
i think there’s a purpose for it. If it’s for one mother than probably a waste of space in the fridge and a poor method vs just using a clone dome, but I can imagine a few scenarios where someone might want to take a cutting but not root it right away. Might be a viable shipping option with a cold pack instead of rooted clones that take up a lot of space and aren’t discreet to ship.
 

MyBallzItch

Well-Known Member
Look how shitty their cuttings look. Does that look like a successful method to you? I would agree putting them in the fridge would represent the temps. When they sprout, as with like peach seeds. You put those in soil in a fridge for up to 3 months. However I wouldn't agree a cold dark fridge would be as successful as a dome and heating matt under low light. Or in a controlled environment with a aeroponic cloning machine
I'm guessing the reason would be to keep the cut while you flower the plant it came from.
 

GroBud

Well-Known Member
I'm guessing the reason would be to keep the cut while you flower the plant it came from.
I use a closet 2 tents and outdoors there has to be a better place to rest them. Imo if they were having success and the plants looked healthy would make a difference
 

MyBallzItch

Well-Known Member
I use a closet 2 tents and outdoors there has to be a better place to rest them. Imo if they were having success and the plants looked healthy would make a difference
I have never put a plant in a refrigerator so I'm just pulling that out of my ass but taking care of clones for a few months while you see what's worth running again gets old fast as hell
 

Jjgrow420

Well-Known Member
I put clones in the fridge all the time. Especially in the spring when I'm taking hundreds of cuts.
It's a great way to keep them alive for an extended period of time without having a spot for them otherwise. The plants aren't doing anything they just go dormant. You can keep them longer if you wash them every once in a while and change the bag or whatever. All I do is snip the cut wrap them in wet paper towel around the stem then into a bag filled with air and into the fridge they go until I'm ready to root them. Used to do this with cuts from outside when I had limited space as well. The longer the cuts are in there the longer they will take to root and the more dampening off you will see. But if you're trying to keep something alive while you're doing something else or out of room it works.
Try giving them a h202 bath before trying to root them, and it's kinda like Encino man waking up... You need to be gentle and give them some time to kick back.
 

Jimmy Slade

Well-Known Member
I put clones in the fridge all the time. Especially in the spring when I'm taking hundreds of cuts.
It's a great way to keep them alive for an extended period of time without having a spot for them otherwise. The plants aren't doing anything they just go dormant. You can keep them longer if you wash them every once in a while and change the bag or whatever. All I do is snip the cut wrap them in wet paper towel around the stem then into a bag filled with air and into the fridge they go until I'm ready to root them. Used to do this with cuts from outside when I had limited space as well. The longer the cuts are in there the longer they will take to root and the more dampening off you will see. But if you're trying to keep something alive while you're doing something else or out of room it works.
Interesting.

What's the longest you've done this?

I used to have a separate clone tent with a pair of 2ft T5s. It ran a few degrees over room temp(SoCal). A year ago, I fixed a single 2ft T5 under the tray in the veg tent, which runs roughly at 400 watts. It's about 10 degrees over room temp in there and I get roots kicking out roughly 1 to 3 days faster versus the old setup, warmer temps in there.

The idea of preserving genetics via the fridge interests me though. I've let a few cuts go throughout the years cause I was sorta on the fence about them, only to end up regretting it later.
 

Jjgrow420

Well-Known Member
Interesting.

What's the longest you've done this?

I used to have a separate clone tent with a pair of 2ft T5s. It ran a few degrees over room temp(SoCal). A year ago, I fixed a single 2ft T5 under the tray in the veg tent, which runs roughly at 400 watts. It's about 10 degrees over room temp in there and I get roots kicking out roughly 1 to 3 days faster versus the old setup, warmer temps in there.

The idea of preserving genetics via the fridge interests me though. I've let a few cuts go throughout the years cause I was sorta on the fence about them, only to end up regretting it later.
I've kept them for up to 2 months. You loose alot of them, they'll start rotting basically if you don't tend to them often, but if you're on it just toss what's bad wash the rest and repack, good for a little while longer...
I mean this isnt any kind of magic cloning process or anything. If anything you have to be good at cloning to get decent results. I'm generally running like 95% success rate on average with reg cuts but I'd imagine it's something like 50-60% after a month and less after that. But if you're looking to save something it's a viable option.
Just like veggies. They'll stay fresher longer in the fridge than in the open
 

Jimmy Slade

Well-Known Member
I've kept them for up to 2 months. You loose alot of them, they'll start rotting basically if you don't tend to them often, but if you're on it just toss what's bad wash the rest and repack, good for a little while longer...
I mean this isnt any kind of magic cloning process or anything. If anything you have to be good at cloning to get decent results. I'm generally running like 95% success rate on average with reg cuts but I'd imagine it's something like 50-60% after a month and less after that. But if you're looking to save something it's a viable option.
Just like veggies. They'll stay fresher longer in the fridge than in the open
I honestly have room in the veg to keep them, I just try and be efficient. Just phased out Wedding Cake. Good producer, but gets all tall and lanky.

Currently Blackwater, Gelato 33 LBC, Mac 1, Zookies, and two of my own creations.
 

klx

Well-Known Member
Its handy for if you need to delay your clones for whatever reason. I have had them in there for a couple weeks with no problems but when I tried it for longer they picked up some pathogens and went black. I would only do it in an emergency really.

Take the cutting and store them in fridge in a glass of water. Then when you are ready just stick them into rockwool or whatever and under a light and root as normal.
 

Jjgrow420

Well-Known Member
Its handy for if you need to delay your clones for whatever reason. I have had them in there for a couple weeks with no problems but when I tried it for longer they picked up some pathogens and went black. I would only do it in an emergency really.

Take the cutting and store them in fridge in a glass of water. Then when you are ready just stick them into rockwool or whatever and under a light and root as normal.
Ah I forgot to mention I dip them in a h202 bath before I put them in the bag and the paper towel is saturated in that as well. When I wash them I pull out the dead/dying stuff and toss whatever is a lost cause then bath them again in the h202 before going into a new bag. Obviously I dont do it everytime all the time so ya some goes slimy and brown or black sometimes but I just take waay more than I need. Eg need 5 take 25 or 30 even. Then you're less likely to keep something poopy because that's all you got. Just toss anything that looks poopy wash and repack
Ya I mean it's not something I'd recommend to someone just trying to make clones, but if someone wants to or needs to keep something alive for an extended period of time and have a chance at least to bring it back it's viable. I'll grow my mom's huge then take as many cuts as I can and pack them starting mid-late March. In April I'm revegging the moms while still holding onto hundreds of cuts, and start running 2 trays at a time until those cuts are done and gone then I'll do it again with the vegged out mom's and put those cuts in the fridge while the others finish rooting once those are done it's a root by order so I'll do one tray at a time until those are gone. Usually finishing up in mid-late July. (Scragglers)
 
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klx

Well-Known Member
Ah I forgot to mention I dip them in a h202 bath before I put them in the bag and the paper towel is saturated in that as well. When I wash them I pull out the dead/dying stuff and toss whatever is a lost cause then bath them again in the h202 before going into a new bag. Obviously I dont do it everytime all the time so ya some goes slimy and brown or black sometimes but I just take waay more than I need. Eg need 5 take 25 or 30 even. Then you're less likely to keep something poopy because that's all you got. Just toss anything that looks poopy wash and repack
Yep I would agree with all that
 
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