Blue Gelato 41: Growing a MILF

Yay! Bertha was finally large enough this last week to offer eight clones. Time to get to work! I use Root Riot plugs for germination and cloning, so I started by dissolving a healthy glug of Clonex into some water and then soaking the plugs in that solution. I also prepared a milder Clonex solution in another container for the cuts. I removed the bottom four nodes to get clones of sufficient size and used scissors to snip off each branch before directly putting each branch into the Clonex solution. The clones sat in that solution for three hours as I was busy with other things. When I returned, three of the cuts stood proudly, while another three were semi-wobbly, and the last two were almost completely limp. Dafuq? I only had those eight cuts, and Bertha would have to grow more for additional cuts, so I had to roll with it. I removed unnecessary leaves and made a new cut on each clone with a fresh razorblade (a bit below a node) before dipping the end into Clonex and putting it into a plug. (Note: Put some Clonex in a shot glass and then dip the clones to avoid contaminating the Clonex bottle. I learned that the hard way…) The plugs went into a germination tray with a humidity dome over them, and the tray was placed under a T5 LED light, which is part of the germination/seedling set-up I use for my veggies and herbs. I also placed a heat mat underneath. The mat is on a 15-mins-on / 15-mins-off schedule to keep everything nice and warm but not toasty. The humidity under the dome is around 95% (+/- 3%). I also started the peppers I’m growing this year and put them in coco plugs on another tray next to the clones. Super-hot peppers aren’t my jam, so my selection is all on the milder side of things. This year, I’m growing Serrano Purple, Chihuacle Negro, Cayenne Yellow, and Penis Pepper Red. it’s a colorful mix this year! (I grow my peppers close together and think they look purty in many colors.) Yes. I picked that last pepper entirely due to its name. My girlfriend will have a blast talking about and showing off my proud Penis Peppers to everyone. (I know her well enough after 20 years together…) Also, a few of those seedlings will become fabulous gifts to some of our gay friends. The next day, the semi-wobbly clones had straightened up, and the limp ones turned into semi-wobbly ones. Now, after a few days, all clones are looking great. Healthy and vibrant. I reduced the light in the small tent to slow down Bertha's grow rate, as I don't want to flip her into flower until the clones are rooted. I also threw in a scrog net to help tame her when I do flip. She only has a tiny tent with very limited height, so I hope it'll work out, considering her size. Berth and her kids smell A LOT. I have never had a cultivar smelling this strongly in veg. I'm concerned about how the four clones will smell in full-flower...