I have tried every method possible for cloning with my turbo kloner and this is what i have found to work the best for me, i took the fan completely off the machine i don’t use air stones either just the pump. i have the 48 site turbo kloner.
Cut your clones using a sharp sterile razor blade every time you change plants make sure to dip the blade in rubbing alcohol for a few seconds then dip it into water to remove the excess. take your clones cutting 45 degree angles at the stem button near a shade leaf stem if possible as this is where roots come out the fastest. I trim off every extra node on the clone along with shade leaves i only leave the main node on top and its leaves. everything else is wasting the clones time and yours!
Using scissors or snips to cut the clones DOES in my experience affect rooting time as it crushes the bottom cells which is one of the hot spots for new roots to form. i have shaved the side skin off the clones and split them up the middle i see no faster results doing this and actually most times roots took longer to form.
My reservoir is 4.5 gallons i fill it up completely to the top using city water straight from my tap i fill until the water reaches the bottom of the spray manifold. now for the additives 1 teaspoon of KLN and 1 teapsoon of protekt ph to 5.7 it usually raises to 6.2 or just a little under which is exactly where i want it. if you read the labels or guides on cloner mfg websites they will tell you to use allot more of these additives into your reservoir i recommend that you use exactly what i have said and you will get roots in 3-5 days on fast rooting plants.
i do not use a humidity dome because i want the plants to feel the need to root if you make them too comfortable they will be happy enough and take longer to root the clone needs to feel like it has to root to survive. also you don’t have to worry about hardening off the clones when your all done. my reservoir stays at 84 right on those nose in my room with an air temperature of 78 which is perfect you want your water hotter than your air.
After 3 days i completely empty my reservoir and fill back up with tap water ph to 6.2 and let it go until the roots are what i want for planting keeping in mind 5 inch dangling roots are not necessary for planting and in my opinion are worse then 1-2 inch spikes going down the entire stem because when you plant in your medium you want the roots to ROOT not be balled up in a pile in the middle of the medium. Your stems will swell and split then roots will come out this is normal!
Now transplant into your medium i use soil so i mix up 1 table spoon of lime, 1/8th teaspoon great white, 1 teaspoon maxicrop(seaweed) per gallon of water plant the clone and soak the medium. Then just light watering over the next week or two. If yellowing occurs hit them with a light dose of NPK but as long as your using a loaded medium you won’t have to do this step.
Some soils are way to hot for clones and will burn them with no other added nutrients foxfarm soils are really hot for clones if you must use them i recommend cutting them with another soil. I mix up my own soil as follows half a block of sunshine mix #4, 1 bag ocean forest, 10 cups of perlite, 5 cups of lime. i am a huge fan of putting lime in your soil it correct ph issues that occur in acidic soils that contain tree bark which is your foxfarm ocean forest & happyfrog among others.
Note* some strains take longer to root its a fact your not always gonna get roots in 3-5 days sometimes it takes twice that time the darker green your leaves the more time its gonna take to root is a general rule of thumb, the less nitrogen in the plant at the time you take the cutting the faster roots will grow! Well thats it hopefully this helps some people!! GOODLUCK!
