Clone stems rotting off in DWC cloner

Everytime I try and clone in a DWC I seem to have the same problem and I end up losing all of my clones. I have two DWC cloners. One is an Oxyclone and the other is a Turboklone T48. I have had so success with either. I start by cutting my clones and immediately put them in the cloners. I mist the leaves and try and keep them to a high humidity for at least the first week. What always happens is that the stems will simply rot away and not root at all. I don't even see root nodes develop. I have tried many different types of cloning solutions and they all have the same effect. I have tried Clonex solution, power clone, and that heisenberg tea. The stems just always rot off.

What is causing this? What is it that I am doing wrong?

Please help.

A pathogen causes that, soak everything in bleach for 24hrs.

What do you mean a pathogen causes it? Can you be more specific? I have physan 20 if that could be used.

I sometimes had that happen, it seems like when it did happen the collar was way to tight around the stem or I over did it with the rooting compound ( let it soak to long)

Well it is happening to ALL of my clones. Not just the ones I dipped in gel. Cause I dipped some of them in gel and I dipped the other in water.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/277/

It's called damping off, this should help.

the only time i have this problem is like stated above a tight collar on the stem, when res temps go above 70f, or if i tried a new rooting supplement containing organic kelp, stuff like that.

Sunbiz1 that seems like a solution to a soil garden. I have a Turboklone T48. It is an aeroponic cloner. I have been doing some research tho and it seems like Juciy Roots by Advanced Nutrients is a good choice. It specifically states that it fights pathogens. Anybody used that product?

You said all the clones you tried had this happen? None made it?

where are you taking the clones from? all from the same place on the plants?

Ok so this is still happening in all of my clones. The stem appears to be rotting off and doesn't even get a chance to pop roots. I have read that this could be a fungus that is attacking my clones when they root. How do I stop the fungus from attacking the plant? I have also found a product called Myco Stop. It states that it will protect the clone while rooting from all sorts of fungus. The problem is that it is very expensive. Like 5 Grams for 35 bucks. Can anybody tell me what i am doing wrong? I have probably lost about 200 clones so far to stem rot.

VgAce said:

Ok so this is still happening in all of my clones. The stem appears to be rotting off and doesn't even get a chance to pop roots. I have read that this could be a fungus that is attacking my clones when they root. How do I stop the fungus from attacking the plant? I have also found a product called Myco Stop. It states that it will protect the clone while rooting from all sorts of fungus. The problem is that it is very expensive. Like 5 Grams for 35 bucks. Can anybody tell me what i am doing wrong? I have probably lost about 200 clones so far to stem rot.

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Hey dude, sounds like you have too much water soaked up in the rockwool cube, you don't want it soaked nor do you want it dry, happy medium is what u are looking for. Remember roots need air, if the cube is too wet, the stem rots and no roots!!!!!. Try squeezing out about half of the water in the rockwool cube before you start popping the clones in the rockwool.

VgAce said:

Sunbiz1 that seems like a solution to a soil garden. I have a Turboklone T48. It is an aeroponic cloner. I have been doing some research tho and it seems like Juciy Roots by Advanced Nutrients is a good choice. It specifically states that it fights pathogens. Anybody used that product?

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Sorry about that, was assuming soil or peat pellets.

Perhaps I should read the thread title...duh.

reread and see its aeroponic, stilll think too much water is the problem........

Ok a little bit of an update. None of my clones are rooting. The stems seem to swell for a bit and then the stems do the exact same thing as before. They all just wilt away and die. I have found that Aquashield does have a positive effect as it helps the clones last a bit longer, but the end result is the same. The stems all become wilted and hollow, and never root. I am so frustrated. Spent so much money on this oly to fail time and time again. Can anybody please help me?

Hows the water temps need to be about 68, also try a couple drops of h2o2 they will help with fungus but also add water molecules to the water and aid inrooting

Try not using a rooting hormone in a cloner because it only clogs the manifold. also the cutting manufactures its own hormone anyway so one really isn't necessary..also before your next run in that cloner clean it out. Run clean water through all parts with about 1% bleach added. Make sure the mister pieces are all cleaned and the manifold also. Before you put cuttings in it again put it all together making sure the red misters are spraying properly. If you don't get a fine spray out of each mister head, replace it.

The Turbo klone res is completely cleaned out. I have been running Physan 20 between each attempt at cloning. Really cleans out everything. Also the sprayers are fine as well. I don't use bleach cause if that stuff gets on any part of a plant it will kill it in no time. The problem is not the rooting hormones I have been using. The problem is the stem rot. The stems rot out before i am able to do anything.

Try using a disinfected blade after each cut. With alcohol. Dont crush the stem when u make the cut. I've even used scissors. The solution you're using for cloning may be spreading the disease also. But just try not using a cloning gel or powder on one run. I promise u wont regret it. If that dont work I'll personally come over and show you how I do it with a 99% success rate

I have throughly cleaned the blade when I cut the clone. I have even used a clean razor out of the package. The solutions that I have tried have been numerous. I really don't think it is the kinds of solutions that I have been using. A local hydro shop, who I think is just fed up with me asking questions about this problem, told me that my mother plants may have a genetic disease or some kind of fungus which makes them really hard to clone. They told me there really is no way to get rid of the fungus and that I have to just start over with new clones.

The solutions that I have tried are as follows:

Clonex solution
Power clone and Aquashield
Heisenberg Tea
GH nutes with rapid Start

And for the Rockwool I have tried all of those and some more gels like EZclone other gels.
Each time the stems will swell but the roots never pop and the stem eventually rots away.

I have been able to clone about 10 out of the over 200 clones that I have planted. So that is a .05% success rate.