Clone into DWC bucket just gave up and died?

[Kip22]

Hey all

I just started well sort of started a clone into my first attempt at DWC and within 2 hours it went from super happy to wilting over 90 degrees and sad. It not actually dead yet but it might be soon. I pulled it out and put it back in its cloning dome and we'll see.

It was about 2 weeks from cut in a rapid rooter and had 4 roots sticking out of the rapid rooter so I figured it was ready. It was all the same room lights temps etc. It was in a humidity dome and then to the dwc bucket no dome. I'm guessing the harsh humidity drop shocked it?

Thanks!

 

[Guy Cavallero]

Yeah that's a good call. What's the humidity like where your DWC is? Is it top feed or a recirc pump/airstone combination? My root systems are crazy too before I introduce them into soil or my DWC buckets.....granted, I'm using a cloner though. If I remember correctly, my wilted girls always perked up.....its all totally new. I usually lost a few leaves though.

 

[DukeO]

When cuttings/plants are under a dome they need to be hardened by slowly bringing the humidity down.

When under a dome they start to take more water from the air through their leaves and it takes a little time to get them to uptake more water from their roots. If they are moved to fast out of the dome a lot of the time they will wilt and they will get some lacing on their leaves.

Things that would help with that is. Slowly lifting the dome more and more over two days. Keeping them out of the light for the first 24hrs after the move so they do not need as much water at first.

If you are going to be doing more DWC. The best thing is to get or make a spray cloner. There is no need for a dome with one of those and you can let the roots grow about 6" long so you can pull some through the basket and into the rez the day you move them.

With my spay cloner all the leaves stay nice and green all the way through and they just take off as soon as they are moved into their buckets.

The only time I use a dome and Rapid Rooters is for popping seeds and they also need to be hardened before moving out of it.

 

[Guy Cavallero]

Only time I use rapid rooters too. Come to think, im soaking 12 seeds, i had better soak some rooters lol. Although my 24 site cloner was super inexpensive and completely indispensable......moving forward, well worth the investment.... it's saved me hundreds of dollars on seeds. I also tried making a cloner, Out of a Rubbermaid, irrigation heads etc...... let me save you the trouble..... Buy one instead lol. From a frustration and costs standpoint.

 

[DukeO]

I payed about $30 on ebay for my first cloner a 2gal bucket one with six holes. It works great but I wanted it taller and to be able to hold more water(that also keeps the water cooler) so I built one out of a 5gal bucket a little pump and two 360 irrigation heads. It works great and never clogs and lets the roots grow long before having issues with them getting into the pump. It only has 8 holes. But that is all I really need.

 

[Kip22]

Thanks for the help guys. I moved it back to the dwc, put a dome over that, opened the vent a little, and still happy today. I'll have to remove the dome a little at a time. Good learning experience for me. I've had plants go south on me before but never so fast.

As far as cloning goes I've done maybe 8 clones and am still at 100% success. I've used rapid rooters and just straight promix with a dome, rooting powder, and I use a sprayer on the leaves daily that's it. Always visible roots by two weeks.

On the rapid rooters I always hear people talk about soaking them first. Are yours dry when u get them? I get them in a ziplock bag from the store already wet and ready to go.

 

[DukeO]

With a spray cloner you just put them in and 7 to 10 days later you will have roots. No need to do anything in between.

RR come damp and I keep them sealed well and in the dark so them do not mold up. I like to flush some ph7 water into them before dropping in my popped seed.

 

[iNeedMeds]

I used to clone about 100 cuttings at a time, and I made my cloner with air stones and shallow storage containers. If you're doing only about 3-4 cuttings, a margerine container works. All you do is drill a bunch of 3/4" holes in the lid with a spade bit at whatever spacing you like. Then you take aluminum foil tape and cover over all the holes. Poke a hole through the foil tape in the center of each hole with a nail. Take your cutting, dip it in rooting hormone, and push the stem down through the holes. Fill the container until it's about 2" below the lid with water, and add air stones. The bubbles popping at the surface mist the stems. Once the roots are formed, just tear the hole in the foil tape wider, and remove the clone. Costs about $30 for everything you need. The cuttings just rest at the lowest node, and the stem should be cut 2" or less below that node. Hope that makes sense.