Gee's Organics - Cloning for SIPS/Swick

[Gee64]

If you are using sub-irrigated planters, whether its a SIP, a SWICK, or any other bottom watering style, this is how I clone into a bottom watering atmosphere for minimal recovery time and maximum growth. I use living organic soil but this may work for synthetics too.

FEB 1 - DAY 1

Here is our mother plant.

These are the 6 main tops we will cut for clones.

This is how I clean up my nodes. I will cut directly below the trimmed node on a 45 degree angle. By leaving stubble I have made a smaller wound than if I cut right at the stalk. I leave about 1/8". More will decay, less is a larger wound for the clone to heal.

All 6 in water looking limp.

 

[Gee64]

Into the aero cloner looking sad. Just reverse osmosis water in there.

FEB 3 - DAY3

Perking right up under a 18" t5 bulb 2' above.

FEB 5 - DAY 5

FEB 9 - DAY 9

Roots are starting.

FEB 10 - DAY 10

FEB 11 - DAY 11

FEB 13 - DAY 13

 

[Gee64]

FEB 14 - DAY 14

Its time to prep a pot.

So I fill a 10 gallon pot with my favorite flowering soil and put it on a perlite bed to hydrate overnight. The 12" paper towel tube will be removed when I plant the clone.

FEB 15 - DAY 15

The front right clone is the one we will plant.

Some myco for the bottom.

Our clone, which gets its roots dusted with more myco.

Very gently twist and pull the tube. Go really slow and twist it as you pull so the hole doesn't cave in. Then lower the clone in. Gently spray the roots so the myco powder is damp/wet. No dry roots allowed.

Fill the hole and add myco as you go.

A bit more on the surface. 2 teaspoons myco in total.

 

[Gee64]

Lightly spray the entire surface, then use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to slowly and gently pour 1 full litre down the stalk to settle the back-fill and dampen the myco.

And you are planted. Now let's watch the magic.


FEB 16 - DAY 16

Absolutely no shock.


FEB 17 - DAY 17

A little hungry looking but otherwise happy. Still no shock. Growth has started already.

The perlite is working well.

FEB 19 - DAY 19

Two more ready to plant. These ones get 1.66 gallon pots.

 

[Gee64]

They fill the small pots nicely.

FEB 20 - DAY 20

10 gallon girl is no longer hungry.

FEB 24 - DAY 24

She is growing nicely for only 9 days in soil.


FEB 27 - DAY 27

Shes really taking off now!


FEB 28 - DAY 28

She's ready for leaf training to get the lower branches into the light.

MARCH 01 - DAY 29

All 3 are growing very well.

 

[Gee64]

MARCH 05 - 33 DAYS

One of the small ones is 15" from soil to top.

One is 16".

And the 10 gallon pot is 24" from soil to top.

MARCH 06 - 34 DAYS

10 Gallon pot

1.66 gallon pot.

1.66 gallon pot.

The roots say its time for flower, so there you are. From a 4" cutting to a 24" plant heading into flower in 34 days.

Aero-cloning and bottom-watering work together extremely well to avoid 2 weeks of down time converting a conventional soil clone to bottom watering.

* All clones were cut from a bottom watered mother so they expect bottom watering. That makes a difference.

 

[Gee64]

MARCH 8 - DAY 3 of flower.

 

[Gee64]

March 12 - Day 7 of flower

10 gal Gal.

1.6gal Gal.

The other 1.6gal Gal

 

[Gee64]

On Day 29 of flower after stretch was fully finished the 17-19" clones are 40" tall.

 

[Carmen Ray]

Excellent tutorial here Gee, thank you for putting it together!

 

[Gee64]

Thanks Carmen I stumbled onto it and it works really well.

 

[Azimuth]

Into the aero cloner looking sad. Just reverse osmosis water in there.

Do you add any nutes after they root but remain in the cloner?

 

[Gee64]

Do you add any nutes after they root but remain in the cloner?

no I dont.

 

[Azimuth]

no I dont.

Ok thanks. I've got a cut that finally rooted in the perlite hempy and, given my low percentage of success in getting cuts to root, I want to make sure I don't inadvertently screw the thing up.

How long can you go without nutes in the cloner before you pot it up and give it some food?

 

[Gee64]

Ok thanks. I've got a cut that finally rooted in the perlite hempy and, given my low percentage of success in getting cuts to root, I want to make sure I don't inadvertently screw the thing up.

How long can you go without nutes in the cloner before you pot it up and give it some food?

Usually between day 12 for the cuts that root quickly, and day 16 for the slower cuts is when I uppot.

Are your fans still healthy or are they looking pretty hungry?

If they are still looking good give it a few more days.

How long has it been rooting for?

 

[Gee64]

Ok thanks. I've got a cut that finally rooted in the perlite hempy and, given my low percentage of success in getting cuts to root, I want to make sure I don't inadvertently screw the thing up.

How long can you go without nutes in the cloner before you pot it up and give it some food?

Actually in this above demo the last 2 clones were 19 days in the cloner with only RO water.

 

[Azimuth]

Usually between day 12 for the cuts that root quickly, and day 16 for the slower cuts is when I uppot.

Are your fans still healthy or are they looking pretty hungry?

If they are still looking good give it a few more days.

How long has it been rooting for?

Given the size of the root I'd guess only a couple of days, but it's in perlite so not easily visible. I'd like to let them develop more to be more solid at up-pot.

The leaves still look fine. I'll give it a week and see how it does, hopefully by then I'll have others as well.

 

[Gee64]

I use a hormone called Stim-Root #2. Here is the back of the container. It shows what #1, #2, and #3 are for. Note the levels of iba in each. Keep that in mind when you make your compounds. When I was mentioning that less is more this is how less it really is.

I use #1 on small cuts and mainly #2 on larger cuts. Its only dusted on and 30 seconds later its in the cloner getting spray washed.