Clones wilt or die after transplant???

[hero4u]

Hello everyone.  Im having some problems with my clones.  When i first started growing, not too long ago, i was cloning in soil.  That was kind of a pain in the donkey so i switched to ROCK WOOL cubes for cloning.  Im having success getting them to root, BUT within 2-3 days after planting them in soil, they droop and wilt very bad and sometimes die?  Not sure what im doing wrong?  ANy help or suggestions would be great.  Thanks!  

[Restorium2]

Put them in plain PRO mix soil at first. 

[Slappy]

First of all, never transplant into a dry medium. Second, don't transplant clones until they have feeder roots. Water roots shoot downward, while feeder roots grow sideways from those. Try waiting a bit longer to transplant after striking next time. Doing this has drastically increased my survival rate. And of course humidity is important, knowing when to open and close the domes. I keep transplanted clones under domes until they are preteens. After which, can handle quite a bit of stress.

[Restorium2]

And don't give them too much light. I would be willing to bet it's either the soil or the light.

Edited July 24, 2019 by Restorium2

[hero4u]

ok thanks.  I DO use wet soil NOT dry soil.  BUT i have been adding nutrients to the soil which i will stop doing.  Once rooted and planted in oil, i put them under a full spectrum 300 watt led.  Is that too much light? for them?

[Slappy]

1 hour ago, hero4u said:

ok thanks.  I DO use wet soil NOT dry soil.  BUT i have been adding nutrients to the soil which i will stop doing.  Once rooted and planted in oil, i put them under a full spectrum 300 watt led.  Is that too much light? for them?

I've found best results slowly acclimating them to a full spectrum. Vegetative plants really only need a blue light. Full spectrum isn't going to hurt, but isn't necessary that early into life. You should buy a blue led veg light, or a fluorescent light for veg, and put full spectrum into flowering where it counts.

[Kingdiamond]

Rockwool sucks I use  my  ez cloner straight into fox farms light warrior making sure a healthy amount of roots are showing.

[Kingdiamond]

1 hour ago, hero4u said:

ok thanks.  I DO use wet soil NOT dry soil.  BUT i have been adding nutrients to the soil which i will stop doing.  Once rooted and planted in oil, i put them under a full spectrum 300 watt led.  Is that too much light? for them?

In that case it sounds like you are drowning them the rockwool  holds a good amount of moisture alone  adding it to wet soil means even more will get sucked into the  rockwool that to me sounds like your true issue and not lights used.

[glued gorilla]

Make sure you have a decent number of roots poking out of the cube. Instead of burying the cube, set it just into the soil. Moisten the soil before hand, let excess water drip out. Spray base of cube, getting soil wet where it meets the cube. Then when plant is healthy bury it. When cube is getting dry spray it, just enough to keep it damp not wet . Or get an aero cloner, easiest way I've found for me. Clone King cloner is 80 bucks shipped, and is a good unit. Ready for transplant in less than 14 days, 100% success Everytime for me.

[Restorium2]

17 hours ago, hero4u said:

ok thanks.  I DO use wet soil NOT dry soil.  BUT i have been adding nutrients to the soil which i will stop doing.  Once rooted and planted in oil, i put them under a full spectrum 300 watt led.  Is that too much light? for them?

It's the nutes. No nutes until they start growing a little. Keep the light 4 foot above them during that time. 

[hero4u]

ok thanks  will try everyone's suggestions.   hopefully it will work.  cause its so annoying  lol.  

[Cannaclysmic Events]

Changing to Rockwool from soil  is the only that changed from a routine, effective procedure to a failing one. Basic diagnostic skills should tell you that's the issue. And it is, here's why and how to avoid it: the rockwool and whatever else is likely in that solo cup with it, is acting like a wick, continously pulling moisture from the soil to be evaporated. 3 gallon pot or 300 gallon, It will be the last thing to dry. Meanwhile your roots are drowning while root rot is thriving. Best thing you can do is avoid the technique all together, but if you must, make sure the rockwool cube is never buried below the soil line. Halfway down max, and make a buffer zone with perlite around it. Perhaps try a method I use instead. Grind up some coco with your herb grinder. Mix it 2:1:1 with clean, washed, course sand and perlite. Make a pouch of it with a piece of brown coffee filter; or press it into cube via ice cube or mini brownie tray. You can poke a hole in it just like a rockwool cube, and it will disinfect and blend right into your soil after transplant.