Hello everyone! I have been participating in canna-curate recently thanks to the unreleased game Hashkings by @qwoyn. They really like plants over there, so I have decided to show my grow and explain how to set up your own in appreciation.

Introduction

I will be cloning my favorite weed today, but this exact same method can be used for many different plants. Some will be a little more finiky and need certain conditions or a different process like starting with a leaf or root. Check google for steps on different plants.

The methods I am going to show you may not be the best methods, but they have done me very well. Since today was cloning day, I will make this my first topic. It is also my favorite part of the entire process. It's truly amazing watching new plants take root and grow from just a few cuttings.

The Clone Machine

This is where the magic happens. The setup is super simple, but a pain in the butt. All you need is a plastic bin, a fountain pump, pvc pipe (one connector threaded for the pump), and the sprayer tips.

That's the method for this machine, but honestly there are plenty of methods for achieving similar results. All you need is a way to spray the bottom of the cuttings with water. You also want a light over head, I use two cheapy long LED lights.

With the lid on. I didn't get a pic of them alone, but the holes are for baskets and styrofoam that hold the top of the plant above the machine. These should be pretty easy to substitute, just use something that won't absorb water. The only time I have had plants get root rot was when I used cloth instead of styrofoam to hold the plants up. Unused holes just get the basket and styrofoam without a plant.

Cloning

Pictured above will become our newest plant, or rather our newest three plants. You can take any piece of stem and form new clones as long as there's at least one leaf. As I am going to do with this one you can cut up a stem multiple times.

The task at hand is to expose the inner bark. With a clean (and ideally sanitized) razor, cut off the stem at an angle. Afterwords shave off the thin layer of outer bark on one side of the bottom of the stem. I couldn't get a pic that showed the difference but it is easy to see. The inner bark will be smoother and brighter green compared to the outer. After words turn the plant over and put 3 horizontal cuts down the side of the stem you didn't shave.

Cloning Gel

I've heard you can stop at this point, just stick the clones into the machine and let them go. Though your success ratio will be much higher if you give the plants a little extra help with some cloning gel.

This stuff not only uses hormones to encourage root growth, it protects your young and fragile new plants from any diseases they might get from the exposed bark.

Apparently if you are looking for a homemade recipe tea made from willow makes a good substitute, and honey won't help your roots grow faster, but will help protect the plant.

I have used multiple brands of gels with no noticable difference, but can't comment much on the honey, willow, or other methods people use. Perhaps next batch I will give them a shot.

Just dip them and stick em.

After about a week you will see little white spikes begin to poke out of your stems. I dont have pics of this atm, but will post them in an update. When these appear I dose the water with a quarter to half the amount of nutrients they would normally recieve to give them an extra boost. A week after that you should have 2+ inch roots ready to be transplanted.

Unfortunately, even though I use hydro nutes it will clog the machine up. I like giving them extra time to strengthen before transplanting however.

Ending Thoughts

If you are interested in seeing these baby girls grow into full fledged trees then please consider leaving a follow. I will also be documenting other parts of the process like lighting, nutrients, staking and topping.

Also, if you have any questions or would like to discuss other methods please leave a comment. I am always happy to teach and learn.