What is the best cloning machine available?
A new unused clean scalpel blade and some rooting gel. Jiffy's or rockwell work fine. 45 degree cut, rooting gel, then into the holder and under a sealed dome. Mist them with water that is pH'd to 6.0 for the first day. After that just make sure the dome you have them under is misted with moisture.
The trick I have found to getting good healthy clones is not to over mist them for too long or else you will discourage root growth.
Secondly and most importantly, keep them air tight for the first 3 or so days. They don't seem to like much CO2, which is abundant in air, for the first part of their life while theyre switching from being attached to a larger plant, to living in a jiffy having to grow their own roots.
They will go through a phase where they look like crap, its the inbetween phase of receiving moisture through the leaves and popping some roots to receive the moisture that way. Don't panic, keep the clone dome misted and keep the lid sealed as much as possible.
Eventually you will see them start to perk up, then its time to allow a little air in, usually at about day 6-7. This means roots are forming and your clones have survived.
What kills clones:
- Not enough misting of leaves in the first day.
- Playing around with them disturbing the root development
- Too much heat to the tops or bottoms
- Too much CO2 in the first few days from cutting
- Throwing them directly under a 400 HiD...
- Fungus from used blades
Things that inhibit clone growth:
- Wrong pH (should be 6.0)
- Taking small clones with tiny leaves
- Taking clones from an extremely stressed or sick mother
- Fucking with the light cycles. 18/6 is about right and is tried and true.
- Continually drenching the jiffy or rockwell cubes
- Too much misting of clones longer than the first few days
- Fertilizing them
- Overdosing them with rooting formulas