Cloning using peat pellets? Funky leaves?

This weekend I'm going to take some cuttings and my idea is to take peat pellets (expanded in plain warm ph'd water), dip the cuttings in cloning gel and jam them in there to root before transplanting to pots.

My question is, does this method work well and should I maybe microwave the moist pellets a bit first to kill any bad junk in them so the clones don't get sick? I also have some straight up MG seed starter soil that I could use instead and go party cup style. Ideas?

Also I've noticed some plants have funky leaves on them, healthy but shaped wrong, like having two points instead of coming to a single main point, asymmetrical leaves, etc. Is this just bad genetics or is this common? (Unknown Indica bagseed.) SEE PICS BELOW!!!

Thanks! =)

Ive had some crazy leaves before to but none like what u described. Mine is always because I did something wrong like drop the sproutling on the ground. Some times the babies get nocked over and I have to repot them. Some times afew of the roots will get broken off and I think that is the reason for the misshape. It fucks them up.... lolz I keep everything more organized now since I got more space and better equipment to work with. As for the peat pellets id say plant them!!!! Just plant afew first and if all is good plant the rest.

i grow in soil its all i know sorry

but i took my first clones from a plant three weeks into flower and the leaves were really strange untill it started to reeg and to grow

keep em green
1Luv

Maybe I'll have to post some pics of these stupid leaves. I'm starting to wonder if maybe the plants that have them are 'special.' =)

Dwezelitsame said:

i grow in soil its all i know sorry...

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So when you do clones do you stick them straight in the soil or do you go from seed every time?

The only time I've had really misshapen leaves was during over nute / ph problems.
You can save yourself the trouble and skip the peat pellet altogether and just put the gel-dipped cutting into plain h2o. Keep it warm and you should see roots in 7-10 days. Plain water is nice 'cause you can literally see the instant roots start - then just put it in a pot and gently cover them with soil
I've had 100% success for the last 6 months( 4-6 clones every 10 days) since adopting this strategy.

On one of your other questions - yes microwaving is a great way to kill off bugs in soil. I take garden compost from my bin in the backyard - literally crawling with tiny bugs - put it in a big glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and nuke it for 10 min. I take it's temp to make sure it's at least 180f. I know organic folks would throw a fit about destroying microlife, but I don't want bugs in my grow...

Pullin' weeds said:

The only time I've had really misshapen leaves was during over nute / ph problems.
You can save yourself the trouble and skip the peat pellet altogether and just put the gel-dipped cutting into plain h2o. Keep it warm and you should see roots in 7-10 days. Plain water is nice 'cause you can literally see the instant roots start - then just put it in a pot and gently cover them with soil
I've had 100% success for the last 6 months( 4-6 clones every 10 days) since adopting this strategy.

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Does this method work with powder hormone? I have 100% Success rate so far using rockwoll cubes and humidity dome but that seems so much damn easier and i like being able to see the roots, how exactly does that work?

Should work, but idk. The gel seems too stick to the cutting well, even after putting it in water - at least if I don't shake or disturb it too much. I don't know how well the powder would cling after dipping.
Though I hear neither is really needed - as long as you keep them warm and humid, they should root without any gel or powder. So I hear...
I kinda like the security though.

this is true I could be poking my plan into baby powder for all I know

Here's some pics of my "special" little one lol. YAY!

^^^ Note: Those are not chewed on, that is the exact shape those grew in. Bizzare eh?

were thes clones taken from a plant in flower stage

and i used rockwool cubes the small ones the fist and only time i took clones once rooted i throw cubes into soil

Dwezelitsame said:

were thes clones taken from a plant in flower stage

and i used rockwool cubes the small ones the fist and only time i took clones once rooted i throw cubes into soil

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This one was from seed and was born this way. He/she is very special indeed! =)

looks like bad genetics lol, idk let me know how it keeps up interesting little girl you have there

Exodus434 said:

looks like bad genetics lol, idk let me know how it keeps up interesting little girl you have there

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Haha thanks, yeah it's a wild one. I'm hoping like crazy it's a female because I want to see if I get any funky nugs on it. =)

Edit: If it's a mutant maybe it will have special X-men type powers! =D

Update:

- Soaked peat pellets in boiling water to sterilize and let them cool off.
- Stuck a colored toothpick in each plant so I could mark each of their clones with a same colored toothpick later. (These were un-sexed at the time.)
- Took cuttings with razor at 45 degree angle then threw them right into water. (Note: Cut upwards not downwards or you'll accidentally whack off fan leaves.)
- Slightly peeled the backside of the 45 degree cuts, dipped in Rootech gel and then stuck in peat pellets about halfway, pinching the top of the pellet around the stems tightly, squeezing out excess water.
- Trimmed leaves then put into my DIY biodome which is just a clear upside down storage bin under 4 100W CFL's. (23w actual consumption.)

It's been well over 2 days later and they look great! =D

BAD news is...it looks like 3/5 may be male. So a bunch of these may end up going down the shitter anyway. I seriously understand why people pay extra for feminized seeds now, what a heartbreak! I'm trying to remain hopeful and I won't know FOR SURE until sometime this next week but damn....so much time and energy wasted. =/

Yep, the extra for fem seeds is worth it when replenishing the moms. I usually buy a small pack of the fems, then a larger pack of mixed. Plant the fems for moms for cuttings, throw some regular seeds in a veg room for seed stock if need be. Hopefully I have enough to not buy seeds for a very very long time.

My latest clones were using the powdered stuff from lowes. They seem to really be responding so far. 5 days in and the wilting has stopped, and tiny nubs forming at the cut location.

How old were the plants you took the cuttings from? On what basis do you say that some may be males?

I use the Jiffy pellets exclusively. I use Miracle Gro Starting and Rooting solution (at 1/4 strength) to expand the pellets. I use Green-Light rooting powder. just dip the cutting into the powder a bit over half way and stick it in the pellet. Squeeze the pellet around the stem to sort of "Lock" it in. Put it into the tray and your done. I use the same tray/dome that comes with the pellets. Keeping them in a warm place until you see roots is paramount tho...
Yes, they'll root without the added auxins (rooting powder/gel), but I like the added insurance, it doesn't hurt them and I sleep better at night because of it, and I have not had any fail to root except one time I kept them in a place that was too cool (under 70 deg).
This is MJ we're talking here. It's a hardy weed. If you have clean hands, and disinfected tools, you'll be fine. I hear people going on about "prepping the plants for open heart surgery" and just shake my head. So much unnecessary worry and stress. For over 5 years I have done the same thing with the peat pellets and never had a problem, and near 100% sucess rate. Since I use the 72 pellet packs, I take anywhere from 72 to 288 clones (I gift alot of them) at a time. All root without exception.
They're like kids. I believe that if you over sanitize them early on it can lead to a weak immune system later in life.