L.S.D. 5 Plants from 5 Seeds.

Hello. I have turned "The Room" over to flower and took clones and wanted to go over the cloning procedure for you. > I haven't liked the tray and dome that you normally make clones in, so I tried something different. The problem with the domes and trays is they don't keep in the humidity. You need 90% to95% humidity for the first week. It makes it easier for the plant to start roots when it's not struggling for humidity. The clone takes up some water through the stem but relies on the extra water from the spay bottle sprayed on the leaves.. I needed a tight fitting lid to keep in the moisture. I liked the opaque light the ice cream bucket let in and I found a thin but ridged clear plastic lid to let in more light. When I put the lid on and looked at it from the side there were small gaps, so I needed some weight to hold the lid down flat, I thought pennies would work. Now I needed small pots to fit inside the bucket. These small pots worked for me, I could 5 in each bucket. The clones start so much easer in the peat pellets with cloning gel on the stem (see pictures). > If you look at last weeks diary, you'll see I set up clones on the plants. The bottom branches are best for taking clones. Being closer to the ground they carry more natural rooting hormone, so if damaged in nature and a small piece of plant fell to the ground and could start on its own. I remember the old hippies showed me how they took a few bottom branches, made clippings, dipped in rotting gel and put in the ground around the main plant. He had made plastic cups with a plastic straw in the side for some air transfer. He put a small rock on each so the wind wouldn't blow them away. Each day he would go look after the clones and in 2 weeks he would have a tall main plant with some smaller ones around the south side. > So you got all your stuff together and they sort of look like the pictures. A opaque plastic bucket, pots filled with soil and a swollen peat pellet, a clear lid. Now you will need a pan half filled with water, a safety razor blade(one side blunt), scissors, cloning gel and some paper towels or rags for the water on the fingers, scissors, and razor blade. I also like a waste bag or basket near by for waste plant pieces and leaves and you'll be touching the soil and will need a place to wipe your fingers to get back to work quickly. > Go get the branches you'll be working with. Keep in mind the pictures. I gave you 4 examples of good clones clippings. Put the branch in the water. You'll only make cuts under water. The idea is to stop the air bubbles from forming in the stem after you make your cut. If the air bubble gets too big then the plant will die. The leaves you can cut out of the water but I cut them under water because I'm working in it. > You need a leaf node in the rotting area. It's been showen that the roots start there first. It takes longer for the roots to form on the stem without the leaf node. So before you make a cut figure where you want that leaf node on the stem. Cut that leaf and small branch (that's just forming) off. Take the razor blade and cut a 45 degree angle cut. Hold the waste end of the stock when you make your cut. I've held the clipping end too hard an bruised the young stem, then it will be slower to take. > You want about half the big leaves taken off. The idea is that the plant can not take up enough water to keep all the leaves going. But the clipping will trade some leaves to make the roots. So if after a week you see the lower leaves going brown, you know the little clipping is starting to make roots. Please see the pictures and notice what I've taken off. Try not to hurt the growing tips. > O.K. You've made a good clipping. Now put in the rooting gel. You want about a inch on the lowest part. Please don't hurt the bottom of the clipping, that has to take up water. So put in the gel gently and into the peat pellet easily. > You'll need to put your fingers into the pot and close the hole without hurting the stem. If you leave it and just water, you might wash the gel off. Wipe your fingers off at the waste bucket. You can put a bunch of cuttings in the peat holes before you close the holes. Saves time and you don't have to wipe your hands so much. But don't wait to long or the gel might run off. > Gently water the soil until you get some run off. This will fill in all the finger holes. Let a bit of water sit in the bottom of the bucket, You might have to add more after 24 hours. Put the lids on with just the smallest hole (see pictures). > Set the lights at 18 hours on and 6 off. The day time temp. is best from 22 to 27 degrees. Try not to let the temp go too low in the dark period, > For the first 3 days nothing but water. Spray water twice a day at that time. After 3 days add a very small amount of food to the spray bottle for the foliar spray. Add to much food and the salt in the food will dry them up. After 3 days spray once a day. After a week you can take the small weights off and give them a bit more air transfer. Still straying once a day. Each time you spray, wave your hand over the bucket. the air movement will refresh the air in the bucket. The clipping is using up the air (oxygen and carbon dioxide) and it will also have waste air that needs venting. If your breath is nice and fresh Blow on your clippings, they can use the extra carbon dioxide (don't blow on them with stinky morning breath, they can smell too!) > After 2 weeks you can take the lid off and lower and the lights a bit. Some times, after a few days you might notice 1 sorta wilting more, you might need to put it back in the bucket and put the lid back on. Some strains might need a little longer that 2 weeks to take roots. You can add your favorite Friendly Fungus and Microbes straight to the soil. Sprinkle lightly around the soil. If you have any questions please ask. Chuck.