Simple Guide and Tools to start Propagating

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:

• Source Plant

• Fluoro lighting kit (i.e. 2x18W Gro-Lux tubes)

• Propagating Box (clear, vented hood; mesh seedling tray; drip tray)

• Rockwool propagation cubes/plugs (e.g. GRODAN)                                        

• Heating Pad (e.g. GT Heat Pad)

• Sterile scalpel or blade (sharp)

•  Rooting hormone (e.g. Clonex Purple Rooting Hormone)  

   

• Clone specific nutrient (e.g. Clonex Clone Solution )                                                   

• pH meter or pH test kit

• Trigger spray bottle (optional)

• Peroxide sanitiser

 

THE IDEAL SOURCE PLANT

•  Compact and bushy growth

• Disease free and disease resistant The cutting will be an exact genetic copy of the mother plant, so choose your mother with care!

PREPARATION

• Sterilise scalpel and cloning box with peroxide, as per dilution instructions on bottle. Failing to do so increases the chances of disease.

• Soak rockwool cubes in Clonex clone solution as per dilution instructions on bottle.  (Hint: For best results use reverse osmosis H2O or rainwater)

• Check pH and adjust to between 5.5 and 6.5. This is important as nutrient availability is directly affected by pH.

• Take cubes out, making sure that they are free draining. Cubes sitting in puddles of nutrient are prone to disease. In addition, excessive water can cause root rot, stem rot and wilting.

• Place cubes in mesh seedling tray, and turn on heating pad so that it is at the ideal temperature (~27ºC) for when the clones are ready.

• Pour a small quantity of Clonex Purple rooting hormone gel into a small open container.

 TAKING CUTTINGS

• Take cuttings from the growing tips of branches at the bottom of the plant(s). Cuttings should be taken in the vegetative or early bloom stage, as they will root sooner and faster!

 

THE OPTIMUM CUTTING 

• 10cm

• Approx. 3mm in diameter

• 2 – 4 sets of well developed leaves and ‘sprout’ at the top

• A cutting should have at least three nodes

1. Take your sterilised scalpel and make a clean 45º cut through the node (where branch meets stem) and gently scrape stem around the cut to increase availability of the rooting cells.

2. Trim some of the bottom sets of leaves by cutting as close to the stem as possible. Also, remove any large leaves.

3. Dip cutting into the Clonex rooting gel, and gently ease cutting into the hole in the top of the rockwool cube far enough to cover the cut node and support the cutting. Do not push too far.

   

4. Mist cutting (using trigger spray bottle) with Clonex Clone solution (solution made up as per instructions on bottle).

    

 

 

THE IDEAL ENVIRONMENT 

• Humidity: Between 70 – 90%. This is facilitated by, regular misting, and keeping the clone box vents closed for the first 3 – 4 days.

• Root zone temperature: Between 24 – 27ºC. This is facilitated by the placement of the heat pad underneath the clone box.

  

• Air temperature: About 3ºC less than the root zone temperature.

• Ventilation: Although high humidity is desirable, the lack of fresh, circulating air can cause damping-off disease. Open the vents on the clone box hood after the first 3 or 4 days.

• Lighting: Fluorescent lights are recommended as they can be placed within a few cm of the top of the clone box. Lights should run for either 18 or 20 hours per day.

All the equipment required to begin Propagating is available online, click here to view products and start shopping.

 

 

GOOD LUCK.