Cloning with fog - Fool-proof way to clone with a 100% success rate

[TheRoach]

After much research, I found a tutorial here at 420 Magazine made by JohnnyBTreed, explaining how to build a cloning device using a rubbermaid container and a ultrasonic fogger. I was impressed by the results and after much consideration, decided to build one myself. You can find the thread here: Making the SH cloner
After making an upgrade to the original design, it turned out to be exactly wath I was looking for; a fool-proof way to clone. Just add water, plug and forget for the next 1-2 weeks.
I soon found that with this cloning method you dont need to mist the clones.
No more cutting leaves, not even scrapping the stem or adding rooting hormones.
Even better, 100% of clones would survive.
The clones will continue to be perky and healthy from day one till day 8-15 (depending on strain), when they are ready for transplant.
Because you didnt wash away the cuticle layer of the clone with constant spraying, these clones will be hardier and will adapt to the higher temperatures in the flowering much faster, reducing the chances of shock. Normally, you take a cutting and spray it to keep it humid; this washes away a thin layer of wax that covers the surface of the leaves and protects them from dehydration.
I am very happy with this cloning method and wanted to share it with you guys, as the original thread is very old and very few people have seen this method in action. Thank you to Mr JohnnyBTreed for posting the original thread.

Tiis is the one upgrade I made to the original design. The fogging unit needs to be kept at a constant depth or it will stop making fog, so I came up with this floater made with a 3" netpot and a some pieces of a floating material in this case, swiming pool floaters for kids, only $2 at a local store. You just need a piece of it and you can also make the inserts with it.

You can buy most of it at a hardware store. You need a plastic tote ( I use a 10 Gal) neoprene inserts and the fogging unit

I hope it comes handy and if you have any questions let me now.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Nice one Roach! +reps
I don't think I'll make one anytime soon as what I've got going works great- but I kind of wish it wasn't so I'd have the excuse to build one of these. I'd be tempted to put in a stereo system and disco lights though I doubt the cuttings would appreciate that much.

 

[TheRoach]

Haha, thanks for the reps brother!
I have seen your cloning method and it is awesome, I was very impressed the firs time I saw it.

 

[paganini]

I would like to try this out, but... can you do it with Femanized Auto plants? I just started some Auto Fem Candy Kush and it would be awesome to try this.

 

[Big Sparks]

I actually recall reading the older original post some time ago as I too was having some trouble cloning to save some of my more favorable strains and this (fogger method) was one of the methods that impressed me the most. I never ended up pulling the trigger on the "diy build" because I finally found a method that seems to now work quite well for me. But, if I do ever start to have trouble again, or happen to run across a very stubourn, or "hard to clone strain" then I will definitely be giving this method a try! Two green thumbs up to you for sharing, and plus reps for putting a new twist on an already older method! Thanks again for sharing!

 

[TheRoach]

I would like to try this out, but... can you do it with Femanized Auto plants? I just started some Auto Fem Candy Kush and it would be awesome to try this.

It is my understanding that Auto plants dont lend themselves well to cloning, that is why they are grown from seed.

I actually recall reading the older original post some time ago as I too was having some trouble cloning to save some of my more favorable strains and this (fogger method) was one of the methods that impressed me the most. I never ended up pulling the trigger on the "diy build" because I finally found a method that seems to now work quite well for me. But, if I do ever start to have trouble again, or happen to run across a very stubourn, or "hard to clone strain" then I will definitely be giving this method a try! Two green thumbs up to you for sharing, and plus reps for putting a new twist on an already older method! Thanks again for sharing!

Thank you Sparks, I choose this method because of the simplicity and the succes rate. Being able to open the lid and have a look at the roots also helps me transplanting each clone at the right time, so they have enough root to support them and avoid shock. Thank you for The reps+, here is some for you as well.

 

[Auggie]

What is the unit that causes the fog called?
Where do I buy it? Hardware store?

So, I walk in and say "I'm lookin for a small unit, about this big, that makes small amounts of fog. You got anything like that? Here, let me show you a picture - pay no attention to marijuana starts in the picture ... do you have that in stock?"

What kind of a tutorial doesn't give a parts list?

~ Grumpy Auggie ~

 

[TheRoach]

Ha ha, dont be grumpy. Just relax and read the post again, last paragraph mentions what you need. There you will find the link to order the ultrasonic fogger.
Thanks for stopping by.

 

[Auggie]

OK. Had a cup of coffee and reread the post ... yea, I see it now.
The fog has cleared. (pun intended)

~ Not so Grumpy Auggie ~

 

[TheRoach]

If anyone builds one of these posting pictures here would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BrodyNitro]

This is the idea I've needed, wish I could have been doing this sooner. I just built one with a 2.5 gallon bucket yesterday, ended up cutting open a crappy old insulated lunch box for foam pieces to use in order to spare myself from battling the waves of zombies at Wal-Mart for a pool noodle. I'm working around my computer not recognizing my phone so it might be a day or two before I can upload the pictures but the cuttings look nice and perky.

This is the one I got: 12 Colorful Led Ultrasonic Mist Fog maker Fogger Atomizer Air Humidifier

 

[TheRoach]

Awesome Brody, Im glad this was of help. And thank you for letting me know the name of those is pool noodle! You will soon see how your clones begin rooting. First roots should appear after day 6-7.

 

[BrodyNitro]

I'm so pumped. My gf will listen to grow-talk but doesn't get into it and doesn't really mind, but she was probably pretty happy when the fogger showed up and I finally stopped blabbing about it. I've got a good pheno of POGK that I'd like to keep around for a while (clone of a clone of a plant from seed) and it's giving me a bitch of a time compared to how easy my Cheese and Purple Haze (supposedly PH, bag seed) clones rooted in coco, PH donor turned male under 12/12 so I popped the clones on I think day 8 after cutting and potting and they both already had ~1cm

 

[BrodyNitro]

Not sure why the two are sideways but here it is. Little girls are looking as fresh as the day they were snipped




I had to make a device like yours to keep it floating at the proper level below the water, it's pretty much the same as yours so I opted out of trying to take a picture. The bowl over the top has two decent sized holes cut out for them to breathe, it's mostly just there to keep curious cats away from the goods

 

[TheRoach]

Hey Brody, thats very nice. You dont beat around the bush wen you say you are going to do something right? I Like the dome, it looks like you will be getting plenty of clones soon. Are you going to set up a perpetual grow?

Edit; Forgot to add, make sure you can remove the cuttings from the holes and the collars without damaging the roots. After double checking your pictures I think you may encounter problems with that.

 

[BrodyNitro]

They might be a touch small, I wasn't sure how much space would ultimately be necessary to slide the roots through. They're probably just over an inch in diameter, the foam strips are maybe a half inch wide. Guess I'll find out but lesson learned for next time!

 

[TheRoach]

I made the holes using a cut 2 inches net pot as a guide to draw the circles. Then I draw a cross inside the circle and drilled 5 holes, 1 in the middle and then 4 in the circumference of the circle, just touching the edge of the mark, then I cut them using a scroll saw. Some sanding and smoothing is required so the rough edges don´t cut through the soft inserts. I suggest you, if I may, to expand the holes now, because the first roots protrude a couple inches to the sides.

 

[BrodyNitro]

That's a good idea, all I did was took a small torch to the plastic until it went concave and twisted a knife blade in the middle of that spot. They all came out fairly round but quickly got jagged while trimming off the slag. Just to save the trouble and stress to the little ones I'm gonna try to avoid redoing anything and hope for the best but I will heed your advice next time around for sure. I was thinking if anything I could wrap a strip of paper into a funnel of sorts to protect the leaves and slide the cuttings through the bottom. We'll see!

I never answered your question about the perpetual grow. Ever since my first three beans went in the dirt early this year (first three since actually getting serious about this) it's been that way, my ultimate goal is to have just enough for myself that I don't ever or at least rarely have to go seeking meds. Put three purple OG kush seeds in the same 5 gallon pot and cloned off of the one that overpowered the other two. At one point I had that first big one, six clones from it, eventually flowered the second biggest and ended up killing the runt in a series of experiments. The clone I kept from the big one is in week 6 of flower right now, the clone from that one is damn near 18" now. And now there are 10 clones from that one, 7 in the fogger and 3 in coir in a seedling tray.

My (supposedly) purple haze plant turned out to be male so I tossed the two clones that had already rooted in the time it took for their donor to show male parts, tried cloning the cheese plant I have but made a big boo boo when I accidentally watered them with full strength nutrients a few days in a row and they didn't want to bounce back.

 

[TheRoach]

Thats the way it is brother, by making mistakes we get experience. The things get easier, hopefully. The funnel idea sounds interesting. Why dont you start a journal, I will follow it for sure!

 

[Auggie]

This is a good example of "more than one way ..."

This manner of cloning won't work for me, as I clone three to five hundred at a time - and several thousands through out the "clone season" from December to August. But, for others, this may be perfect. That's why, when someone says "I need to know how to ..." whatever it is, I tell them the way I do it. But, that may not be the ONLY way to do it. And it may not be the best way FOR THEM to do it. Then I get the question ... "So, doing it this away is wrong?" No, not necessarily. Try it and see how it works for YOU, whatever "it" is.

Just as there are many paths to heaven, there are also multiple paths to success with this amazing plant. And, they truly are amazing. Never cease to amaze me. When I work in my garden for a few hours I leave so relaxed and balanced. I don't even have to consume them to benefit from them.

~ Auggie ~