Is cloning outdoors under these conditions possible?

[Phillybonker]

I'm looking into whether it's possible for me to clone outdoors under the conditions in my local area. The conditions are - temperature averaging 22°C during the daytime to 13°C during the night time.

I want to start the cuttings directly in small pots containing soil and my plan is to mist the plants with a mist sprayer. I am aware of domes but I've seen it done without a dome and want to try doing it the same way. The method I seen was done indoors though but I'm going to try and replicate it outdoors using shade cloth to minimize exposure to direct sunlight.

Anyone tried cloning without a dome?

 

[bluter]

I'm looking into whether it's possible for me to clone outdoors under the conditions in my local area. The conditions are - temperature averaging 22°C during the daytime to 13°C during the night time.

I want to start the cuttings directly in small pots containing soil and my plan is to mist the plants with a mist sprayer. I am aware of domes but I've seen it done without a dome and want to try doing it the same way. The method I seen was done indoors though but I'm going to try and replicate it outdoors using shade cloth to minimize exposure to direct sunlight.

Anyone tried cloning without a dome?

i'd make a dome. your temps are barely up to it during day and are near killing temp at night for a clone. they'll be putting a pile of energy toward just staying upright not developing roots like you want.

a dome traps the warmer air keeping the seedling alive overnight. it also raises the rh around the seedling which is important for a clone type seedling.

otherwise just dump a hundred or so clones in starting pots and only keep the few that make it. at least 10% should make it unless you catch a killing frost or other weather event.

 

[Roy Growin]

I can't see that working at all, sorry PB
If you could at least root them in a plug and then plant them out, maybe you'd stand a chance

 

[SmokingWings]

I have done it but the temperatures were a bit higher. Daytime was about 26 to 28C and night about 18-20C.

The cuttings were put into pots of soil I dug up from the vegetable garden and loosened up. Did not add anything to it. The pots held about a half gallon of soil. Poked a hole in the soil with a stick and put the end of the cutting in and pinched the soil around it. Watered with a small watering can and no misting.

Did not use a dome. Placed the potted cuttings in an area where they would get dappled sunshine most of the day but still the occasional hour at a time of direct sun followed by a bit of shade.

It works but not always. An easier way is to wait till the soil temperature has warmed up and put the cuttings directly into the ground. Then if they root dig them up and plant them in their final spot.

In my case I had been trying to get 3 cuttings to root while in a glass of water. They did not root and started to look shabby but they were still alive. After awhile I was bored with them and was going to let them compost in the garden. At the last minute, while standing in the garden, I decided to plant each cutting directly into the ground---about 4 inches apart --- and walked away. In two weeks, maybe a bit more, I noticed that two were dead but one was growing. Left it there for several weeks. Had to keep pruning back so it would not get large enough to be visible to anyone walking in the parking lot behind us.

Then a week or so before it would naturally start flowering outside I dug it up, root pruned it and planted in a pot of soil mix and stuck it in a basement side room under lights. Here it is a couple of weeks before I dug it up.

 

[Phillybonker]

i'd make a dome. your temps are barely up to it during day and are near killing temp at night for a clone. they'll be putting a pile of energy toward just staying upright not developing roots like you want.

a dome traps the warmer air keeping the seedling alive overnight. it also raises the rh around the seedling which is important for a clone type seedling.

otherwise just dump a hundred or so clones in starting pots and only keep the few that make it. at least 10% should make it unless you catch a killing frost or other weather event.

Alright, it doesn't sound like I have a choice, I'll buy some domes.

 

[Phillybonker]

I can't see that working at all, sorry PB
If you could at least root them in a plug and then plant them out, maybe you'd stand a chance

I've decided to go with domes in light of what bluter was saying.

Are plugs the best way to get cuttings to root?

 

[Phillybonker]

I have done it but the temperatures were a bit higher. Daytime was about 26 to 28C and night about 18-20C.

The cuttings were put into pots of soil I dug up from the vegetable garden and loosened up. Did not add anything to it. The pots held about a half gallon of soil. Poked a hole in the soil with a stick and put the end of the cutting in and pinched the soil around it. Watered with a small watering can and no misting.

Did not use a dome. Placed the potted cuttings in an area where they would get dappled sunshine most of the day but still the occasional hour at a time of direct sun followed by a bit of shade.

It works but not always. An easier way is to wait till the soil temperature has warmed up and put the cuttings directly into the ground. Then if they root dig them up and plant them in their final spot.

In my case I had been trying to get 3 cuttings to root while in a glass of water. They did not root and started to look shabby but they were still alive. After awhile I was bored with them and was going to let them compost in the garden. At the last minute, while standing in the garden, I decided to plant each cutting directly into the ground---about 4 inches apart --- and walked away. In two weeks, maybe a bit more, I noticed that two were dead but one was growing. Left it there for several weeks. Had to keep pruning back so it would not get large enough to be visible to anyone walking in the parking lot behind us.

Then a week or so before it would naturally start flowering outside I dug it up, root pruned it and planted in a pot of soil mix and stuck it in a basement side room under lights. Here it is a couple of weeks before I dug it up.

That clone is looking healthy, exactly how I want my clones to turn out like.

I see your temps are more favourable, I'm going with domes now as my night temps are apparently quite terrible for cloning.

 

[Roy Growin]

I've decided to go with domes in light of what bluter was saying.

Are plugs the best way to get cuttings to root?

I use them because you don't disturb the roots when you plant/pot them, and hold moisture for a few days to get them going

 

[bluter]

Alright, it doesn't sound like I have a choice, I'll buy some domes.

avoid buying if you can. we just used clear 2L pop bottles with the bottoms cut and top caps removed for ventilation.

I see your temps are more favourable, I'm going with domes now as my night temps are apparently quite terrible for cloning.

the root / media temp is the determining factor. the air temp can be lower.

 

[Roy Growin]

avoid buying if you can. we just used clear 2L pop bottles with the bottoms cut and top caps removed for ventilation.





the root / media temp is the determining factor. the air temp can be lower.

Yep, on the veg plot I use hoops of old hosepipe stuck in the ground with some fleece/plastic to cover
It raises the temp of the soil by 3-5°C
Laying a bit of tarp a week or two before you plant will work just as well
Another way is to chuck fresh manure down, as the microbes break it down it releases heat
That's how I do early crops of beans, peppers, aubergine etc

 

[bluter]

Yep, on the veg plot I use hoops of old hosepipe stuck in the ground with some fleece/plastic to cover
It raises the temp of the soil by 3-5°C
Laying a bit of tarp a week or two before you plant will work just as well
Another way is to chuck fresh manure down, as the microbes break it down it releases heat
That's how I do early crops of beans, peppers, aubergine etc

we used hoops and plastic as well on ground plots.

 

[SmokingWings]

clear 2L pop bottles with the bottoms cut and top caps removed for ventilation.

Yep. Remember to take the cap off, even if the overnight temps might drop. I wonder how many people have cooked their seedling plants, whether vegetables, flowers or Cannabis because they left the cap on and a warm sunny day came along.

 

[Phillybonker]

I use them because you don't disturb the roots when you plant/pot them, and hold moisture for a few days to get them going

Okay I'll use the plugs in domes, Thanks.

 

[Phillybonker]

avoid buying if you can. we just used clear 2L pop bottles with the bottoms cut and top caps removed for ventilation.

Thats going to be alot of pop bottles

the root / media temp is the determining factor. the air temp can be lower.

Okay understood, thanks for the information.

 

[Phillybonker]

Yep. Remember to take the cap off, even if the overnight temps might drop. I wonder how many people have cooked their seedling plants, whether vegetables, flowers or Cannabis because they left the cap on and a warm sunny day came along.

Do you know if dome tops have to be removed if the day temps go above 25C?

 

[SmokingWings]

Do you know if dome tops have to be removed if the day temps go above 25C?

Think of those 2 liter soda pop bottles as mini-greenhouses. The big benefit of a greenhouse is that it lengthens the season. In early spring commercial gardeners can start seeds as soon as 2 months before it would be safe to plant the same seed out in the open. On a day with a clear bright blue sky with plenty of sunshine a greenhouse traps heat even though the outside temperature might only be 2C or 35F. On a sunny day the temperature inside the soda pop bottle dome can easily climb higher than is best for the health of the plant.

Come to think of it, you might want to consider building a cold frame and place the cuttings in the ground at a 4 inch (100 mm) spacing. When the weather is going to be warm and/or sunny during the day and be about 4C or higher overnight the top of the cold frame is left partially open day and night. Only need to get out there to close it up on those really cold nights.

The spacing on the cuttings might seem to be too close but with confidence and a bit of practice it is easy to dig each one out with its root ball still intact if and when they show signs that roots have started growing. Not much different than removing a small plant from a small container of soil and transplanting to a larger pot of soil. The key is the practice which builds the confidence.

 

[Roy Growin]

Do you know if dome tops have to be removed if the day temps go above 25C?

They should be fine so long as they are not in full sun

 

[Greengoodness]

These are clones i made from cuts that barely had roots before i put them into 2"x2" soil cups. They are now over 1 month old. To cold for me to place outside in my unheated greenhouse yet. I transplant them 3x before they go into their final 15gal pots outdoors.

 

[bluter]

Do you know if dome tops have to be removed if the day temps go above 25C?

with the pop bottles they should be fine if you remove the top caps.