Clone Tops Yellowing

[hippylettuce]

2 days ago i cut about 20 clones and placed them in my homemade bubble cloner.. i understand clones use stored nutrients to survive.. but the very top leaves have turned bright yellow.. not the bottom leaves. this only seems to happen when i use a humidity dome.. could my dome be the problem? Sorry if my post sounds bland.. its my first post.. i usually wont ask for help but everything i found only talks about the lower leaves yellowing.. just curious to what other growers think it could be.. thanks

 

[nick88]

2 days ago i cut about 20 clones and placed them in my homemade bubble cloner.. i understand clones use stored nutrients to survive.. but the very top leaves have turned bright yellow.. not the bottom leaves. this only seems to happen when i use a humidity dome.. could my dome be the problem? Sorry if my post sounds bland.. its my first post.. i usually wont ask for help but everything i found only talks about the lower leaves yellowing.. just curious to what other growers think it could be.. thanks

They say you don't need a humidome if you're using bubbler

 

[Grumpy']

I had the same thing recently happen (soil grow though). To close to the light, with humidity dome bleaches the tops. Backed the light off and removed the dome and all is well now.

 

[hippylettuce]

Yeah i dont have much luck with domes. last time i used a dome i used one of the jiffy green houses took 30 clones in peat pellets top leaves turned yellow. after about a week i started removing the dome for a few hrs.. they all wilted and eventually died.. ive had little success cloning. I find straight coir and beer cups work the best.. thanks for the help nick88. Ill try removing the dome and i guess ill see what happens..

 

[hippylettuce]

I dont keep my clones under my light.. i only use ambient light in the room so they focus on rooting.. i use a t5 flourescent for my mothers.. maybe light is my problem.. thanks for your input grumpy..

 

[hippylettuce]

Heres some pics..

Bubble cloner

Vs.
Coir/perlite in ice cube tray

 

[problemsolver]

I had the same thing recently happen (soil grow though). To close to the light, with humidity dome bleaches the tops. Backed the light off and removed the dome and all is well now.

You are totally correct you grumpy stoner dwarf! Keep the light far away and no humidome. I had probs with my rubbermaid level controlled bubblers for about 2-3 months (this was a long time ago) before I figured out the the humidome wasn't necessary. I cannot say exactly what will work for you, but I will tell you what I have seen work quite well. Keep your water at 74-78f, vigorously aerated but not too much because you will just get a lot of turbulence at the water surface and not enough bubbles. For most folks who use aquarium style air stones and air pumps, stirring too vigorously usually isn't even possible. If you use a Danner pond air pump (there are many sizes to choose from depending on how many bubblers you have) with an 8" round aluminum oxide air stone ( this is hard to find, but you can order it from drsfostersmith.com in the pond aeration links, I think it's on back order until next week) I guarantee that you will wonder why you ever used anything else to make bubbles. in fact, aluminum oxide air stones do not deteriorate and are the gold standard for fish farm aeration.
As for the light, I'll give you an example. If you had a 20 gallon rubbermaid brute pail 3-1/2 feet away from an adjust a wing medium sized reflector fitted with a feliz brand 125 watt 6500k compact flourescent bulb, and let's say you threw out the pail lid and used 3/4" polyshield mylarized foam board for a lid, you would be able to fit 59 clones ( with spacing of about 2-1/4" between each). They would all be happy, and wouldn't yellow prematurely. In fact, you could arrange 3 of these identical rubbermaid rigs in a triangular position under that one light fixture and they would all be happy until they are rooted. Remember the temps need to be high (74-78f) because they need some help to make roots. I've tried this set-up at 68-71 and it slows everything down 2-3 fold. Just put some superthrive at 1 drop per gallon if your tap water isn't hard ( if it only measures up to 120 ppm and naturally adjusts to the 7-7.5 range when left alone in a standing 1/2 gallon pitcher. If you have this kind of tap water you must never add ph adjusters if you want happy expedited rooting. Oh no, I've said too much.

 

[hippylettuce]

I have 7 moms in soil style hempys they are about 8 weeks old and desperatly need transplanted. I plan to take them outside in the next week.. i feed them with osmocote 14-14-14 because i find i have less deficiencies.. i add 1/4 tsp superthrive when i water.. my cloner is a qt qt shoebox with a 5hose inch bubble stone.. it stays very humid beetween the waterline and the lid. I have a submersible waterheater that i keep at 72.. my dome is simply another shoeboox flipped upsidedown and my pucks are made from a beer cuzi.. ill post some pics of my setup.. i appreciate the help. =)

 

[hippylettuce]

Heres a pic of my mothers and my cloner with and without the dome i had it on my dresser to jeep it ooff the floor away from dust ect.

But i wasnt giving the clones much light before today and they still yellowed maybe the humidity was too high because of the dome?

 

[hippylettuce]

Thanks for the advice problemsolver! Ill try raising the water temp 5 degrees and add a drop of superthrive.. there only 2 day old cuttings so im not expecting rooting for about a week or 2.. my biggest enemy with higher temps is pythium..