If you were to poll a hundred hydroponic growers about what the most frustrating thing about hydroponic gardening is, it would probably be having such a high percentage of their clones die off when they try to propagate. It’s true that even gardeners with a lot of growing seasons under their belt can have trouble with this essential part of hydroponic gardening. But no matter your skill level, there is one hydroponic product that you should use very single time that you clone: <A rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”htpp://www.advancednutrients.com/landing_pages/juicy_roots_landing.html”>cloning gel</A>.
The first time that you use this product, even if you do not make any other adjustments, you will probably notice that a much larger percentage of your stems are surviving until they root successfully. This is because cloning gel has a lot of hormones and vitamins that stimulate the rooting process. But you should not jump into cloning blind, even with a cloning gel. You also have the take the right kind of precautions and measure in order to make certain the process is a success.
Use the Cloning Gel Right – Do not completely drown the stem in cloning gel. This will not just be a total waste of your cloning gel, but it can possibly cut off the supply of oxygen to your roots just as they begin to form. Instead, you should simply coat the bottom of the stem in a thin film of the cloning gel. This should be enough to stimulate those faster roots while still providing plenty of oxygen.
Make the Leaves Moist – Normally, leaves get the majority of their moisture from soaking up the nutrient solution through the roots. But when you cut off the stems from the mother plant, they are essentially on their own, and can only get moisture from the atmosphere. If you leave your stems to their own devices, they will probably dry out and die. To counteract this effect, you should use a spray bottle to moisten the leaves of the stems a few times a day. To lock in the moisture, you should purchase a humidity dome that covers your cloning tray.
Deal with Stress – Cloning, while it is an essential part of a good hydroponics garden, takes a serious toll on both your mother plant and your stems. The increased stress is often what kills the stems, and it can seriously weaken your mother plant, making future clones more difficult to create. You can cut down this problem by using a B Vitamin supplement. These products are made to severely cut down on stress that are caused by common hydroponic problems.
Take Good Care of the Mother Plant – Obviously, even extremely good cloning gel won’t help you if you don’t have a good mother plant to start with. The more you care for and nurture your plant, the healthier your stems will be, and the more likely they will survive.
Make no mistake: you significantly increase your odds of a successful cloning if you use <A rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”htpp://www.advancednutrients.com/landing_pages/juicy_roots_landing.html”>cloning gel</A>. They are packed with vitamins and hormones designed to jump-start the development of roots. But that doesn’t mean that you should buy the first one that you see advertised. Shop around and ask other growers what has worked well for them. A cloning gel that might work well for one kind of plant might not necessarily be the best for all cuttings.
Hello,
My name is Michael Straumietis. I am the co-founder of Advanced Nutrients, an international marketer and manufacturer of agricultural, home & garden, hydroponics plant nutrients and soil less fertilizers. With an inherent green thumb, I began studying and practicing gardening & hydroponics at a very early age. In university, I explored the fundamental processes of plant life at the molecular level. After years of perfecting my knowledge and skills, I formed Advanced Nutrients to share my expertise in hydroponics, plant nutrition and soil science. In my spare time, I love to work in my garden and yard and I also have a small greenhouse where I experiment with new formulas and techniques. I also publish my knowledge in short original papers with a focus on accelerating growth, increasing yield, and improving soil-plant interaction. If you would like my free newsletter, sign up now. I look forward to sharing my knowledge with you here at Articlesbase and making new, lifelong friends. Good luck!
