OneWithJah
Active Member
Greetings all~
I'm in the midst of transitioning a 90%-organic grow into one closer to 100%, and as part of this changeover I'm looking to no longer root my clones in rockwool, yet I still have questions regarding other medium choices. Any input on the following queries would be most appreciated, as cloning has never been one of my strong points:
a) ReadyGro Super Plugs: These might be one of my top choices, but do they need to be conditioned with some pH-down type stuff before using, like rockwool does? Usage instructions for these things seem frustratingly non-existent. Does anybody on RIU use these for their clones, and with any measure of success?
b) Jiffy 7 Peat Pellets: Since these do need to be hydrated before using I've been soaking them in the same conditioning solution as my rockwool cubes before cloning, but would unconditioned water work just as well? I have had a much lower success rate with these than with the ReadyGro plugs; are Jiffys better suited to seeds than clones?
c) Soil: My Rasta friend starts his clones directly in soil and swears by it, yet I've never had too much success with this method either. Does anybody else do this, or is my friend just a freak of nature? And should soil be conditioned or watered with a lowered-pH solution when cloning?
d) Other Media: Is there an organic alternative that I haven't thought of? These are the only ones I know of to date.
e) Cloning Trays: I use the 10" x 20" black plastic trays with the clear domes for cloning, and I have seen different people use different methods with these; some fill the tray with a layer of perlite or soil to nestle the plugs into, while others use the compartmentalized black plastic seedling racks, the ones that come in 4-, 6-, and 9-packs, sometimes on top of some type of rooting bed, sometimes just bare plastic. Any opinions on these methods, or is it just a matter of personal preference?
Sorry about the laundry list of questions; I haven't been able to find anywhere else where all of these things have been answered. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I'm in the midst of transitioning a 90%-organic grow into one closer to 100%, and as part of this changeover I'm looking to no longer root my clones in rockwool, yet I still have questions regarding other medium choices. Any input on the following queries would be most appreciated, as cloning has never been one of my strong points:
a) ReadyGro Super Plugs: These might be one of my top choices, but do they need to be conditioned with some pH-down type stuff before using, like rockwool does? Usage instructions for these things seem frustratingly non-existent. Does anybody on RIU use these for their clones, and with any measure of success?
b) Jiffy 7 Peat Pellets: Since these do need to be hydrated before using I've been soaking them in the same conditioning solution as my rockwool cubes before cloning, but would unconditioned water work just as well? I have had a much lower success rate with these than with the ReadyGro plugs; are Jiffys better suited to seeds than clones?
c) Soil: My Rasta friend starts his clones directly in soil and swears by it, yet I've never had too much success with this method either. Does anybody else do this, or is my friend just a freak of nature? And should soil be conditioned or watered with a lowered-pH solution when cloning?
d) Other Media: Is there an organic alternative that I haven't thought of? These are the only ones I know of to date.
e) Cloning Trays: I use the 10" x 20" black plastic trays with the clear domes for cloning, and I have seen different people use different methods with these; some fill the tray with a layer of perlite or soil to nestle the plugs into, while others use the compartmentalized black plastic seedling racks, the ones that come in 4-, 6-, and 9-packs, sometimes on top of some type of rooting bed, sometimes just bare plastic. Any opinions on these methods, or is it just a matter of personal preference?
Sorry about the laundry list of questions; I haven't been able to find anywhere else where all of these things have been answered. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
