Starting Clones Domes Vs Hydro

[peacefulfield]

  So I've been mastering the art of clones latey... I'm at about a 95% sucess rate,  I'm using Root Riots with traditional domes.. I have a large 4' 100watt heating mat which fits 4 dome trays and 160 watts of floresents on them.. I can get them to root in about 7-10 days.. So just wondering what everyone optoion is on aeroponics vs domes?

Edited February 9, 2014 by peacefulfield

[garyfisher]

If its not broke, dont fix it. 

I've always used clone domes with dip n grow and had 99% success.   The only time I would lose a clone is when I forgot to mist and let them dry out too long.

 

I have now spent over $200 on an EZ cloner and my success rate has went down.  It does produce amazing clones when it works, though.

[Kingdiamond]

My EZ Cloner 30 works awesome I get a 90% success rate transplanting the rooted cuts directly out of the ez cloner into beer cups of soil.

[Guanotea1]

If it's not broke... don't fix it. Once you got it down you'll clone slightly faster but probably not any more reliably than 95%. You'll save little to no work this method vs. rapid rooters / clones but on the upside - you can leave it alone for a week at a time no problem. Maybe longer, I'm sure I've left mine 2+ weeks.

 

Ensure your heating mat is thermostatically controlled. Seasons change, locations change, that 95% can easily go down to 0% ask me how I know . The cost of a matt thermostat pales in comparison to losing even 1 clone that turns out to be THE ONE. UGH!

 

ALL commercially available (marketed to pot grower) cloners are made with garbage submersible pumps.

These low pressure pumps supply some 2 or so PSI to sprayers designed to be operated at 30+. It is basically a crummy NFT system. Should an impellor fail... and they've been known to (I've replaced several)... you can say goodbye to those clones in less than 12 hours. The timers that users of these systems often employ put further strain on these pumps, shortening impellor life. Replace the impellors or whole pump regularly.

 

THAT being said, if you must leave your grow for a week or even a little more, there is not a lot of good options. Since I value my freedom, I've worked up a system that uses 2 small (still crummy and cheap) submersibles so that... even if one pump dies, I don't lose all my clones. I can go into further detail if you want to know, the whole system with heater with 2 pumps and with floating thermometer - none of which you get with the commercial units - will cost you about $75-$100 to build.

 

Temperature is the KEY factor to "aero" cloning. The range is limited 68-73 I find.. Less and rooting time will be lengthened signficantly more and root rot / general mushiness is a very keen possibility. On the upside at 75 clones can be ready to transplant in 5-7 days... so long as they are not dead . Nutes / pH not as important (tap water will do fine) although I've taken to pHing at 5.0-5.3 and using 1/4-1/2 strength basic veg nutes. 

 

For most full, perpetual, weekly harvest gardens you'll need no more than 12X clones sites.

 

The future is in Mist Propagation Benches. Greenhouse standard method, good for seeds and clones.

 

http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-1282/HLA-6708web.pdf

 

Imagine having a cannabis garden big enough to require just one of those benches that gentlemen is building !!

[AnotherPatient]

Out of the two options you purposed, I prefer aero cloning. It is a lot more forgiving just because they don't use much water so you wont run out. Like Guano said, the temperature of the water is KEY. If you have high or even fluctuating temperatures you can easily end up with 0% results. Because of this factor, I have been looking into DWC cloning as it doesn't require a pump (which adds heat to the water) and only requires an air stone for oxidation. The only problem is, I hate trying new things when old methods work. It's just a pain in the butt putting frozen pop bottles in the machine during the hotter seasons and a water cooler itself costs 2-3x as much as it initially costed to build my cloner.

 

-Oh they joys of growing!

[trichcycler]

did you know that the amount of air that enters the water from the bubbles created by an air stone is minimal, compared to the amount of 02 that enters when the bubbles break the surface?  splashing water surfaces is more efficient than an air stone for oxygen saturation of water.

 

I dip my fresh clean cuttings in willow water, then into a moist root riot, and place in a small dome, sprayed with water for a couple days, under the ambient light in the veg room, with roots showing in around 7-10 days. I do have to moisten the cubes a couple times during those days. I think I could root a broomstick this way lol

[pic book]

  I have a large 4' 100watt heating mat which fits 4 dome trays.

got a link to order that 4' mat?

[pic book]

 I can go into further detail if you want to know, the whole system with heater with 2 pumps and with floating thermometer - none of which you get with the commercial units - will cost you about $75-$100 to build.

I would like more detail.