Plant Cloning Guide With Instructions!
What is Plant Cloning:
Plant cloning is a process of creating new plants through asexual production. This is a very popular and widely used horticultural technique with which plant growers and gardeners can reproduce exact copies of a source plant, also called a “mother plant”. For plant cloning, the stem or leaf cuttings are taken from the source plant, then the cut is treated with a specific rooting gel and then stuck into a rooting space. In a short span of time, the new roots grow from the rooting gel treated cut area. In simple words, cloning is just to take the cutting of a mature plant and grow it in another medium on its own. After a few weeks, the roots will form from the cutting, and a new plant is born. Cloning plants is very useful in the production of seedlings for commercial use, and for the reproduction of plants that are not able to reproduce from seed.
Benefits of Plant Cloning
Plant cloning has a lot of useful benefits. That’s why most people prefer it nowadays. Some benefits of plant cloning are:
- Plant cloning helps you to improve the probabilities that the plant will produce the same result for each harvest. A plant clone will have similar traits to its mother plant.
- You can easily predict the growth and results of cloned plants. When you clone a plant, you already know the outcome of the new plant because it is a genetic match to its mother plant and so will be identical to it.
- Clone plants have a faster reproduction rate than seed plants. So if you are looking for a way to speed up your harvests, cloned plants are the best way.
- Cloned plants have the same characteristics as their mother plant. So if the mother plant proved to be resistant against pests and diseases, so will your clones.
Because of all these benefits, most gardeners and harvesters prefer plant cloning, because it gives desirable results and is more time-saving as compared to growing seedlings.
Guide To Plant Cloning
If you are interested in plant cloning but do not know what you need and how to do it, then don’t worry, we will explain to you everything step by step in this guide. This guide will give you brief descriptions of all the products that you need, along with their features, pros, and cons, in order to clone plants.
What you’ll need:
- A cloning machine
- Micronutrients
- Grow Light(s)
- Rooting Gels
- Rooting Enhancers
- A Grow Tent (Optional)
Cloning Machine
A cloning machine is a type of gardening equipment used for plant cloning. Often, a cloning machine is a circle or square-shaped plastic box that consists of a mixture of nutrients for the successful growth of your plants and allows for them to grow faster and productively. We have gathered two cloning machines for you in this guide. Here are brief descriptions of both of the cloning machines. You can ultimately decide on the one that you like best.
Viagrow VCLN24 Clone Machine:
If you are not a fan of cloning plants the traditional way, then you should buy this Viagrow Clone 24 Machine. This machine is designed to clone plants quickly and efficiently. The Viagrow Clone 24 machine uses a unique misting system that sprays the cuttings encouraging and promoting fast root development. All the manifolds and misters in this machine have been pretested to assure no-clog operation. If you wish to grow different plant species or varieties in the same machine, then don’t worry. The Viagrow Clone 24 machine comes with neoprene collars of different colors so that you can keep track of your different plants. This machine has an ambient air temperature so that the water temperature stays consistent. The Viagrow 24 clone machine is easy to use, with easy assembly.
Instructions: Simply dip your cuttings into the cloning gel and insert the cuttings into the neoprene collars. Add 15 mil of any cloning solution to the reservoir with 2 Gallons of water, plug in the machine and look out for the first signs of roots to appear. Once your clones have rooted, you can move them into any desirable grow substrate.
Hortipots Cloning Machine and Aeroponic Cloner System:
If you are planning to grow a large amount of cloned plants, then the cloning machine mentioned above may not be enough to store and grow all your cloned plants. But don’t worry, the Hortipots Cloning Machine and Aeroponic Cloner System is another option you can try. This is a fully engineered machine that you can rely on it for growing your cloned plants. The Aeroponic Propagator Cloning System makes your cuttings root in just 4-10 days. The system offers you a consistent 100% success rate for all your clones. The machine comes with an easy to follow assembly guide and expert tips that make cloning easy. Other than that, this machine also includes a special-made foldable clear humidity dome that prevents the loss of water from your leaves, so is very helpful for dry growing environments. Most clone machines require an air pump to insert extra oxygen while removing hot air. But this cloning machine has multiple cords outlets and an air circulating design, so you won’t need an air pump while your plants receive fresh oxygen.
(Note: Instructions for this cloning machine are the same as the previous one)
Plant Starter Micronutrients
Plants require various nutrients and micronutrients for their proper growth and to strengthen their roots. The only way plants can get these nutrients naturally is through the soil, but sometimes, your plants’ soil does not feed them with all the essential nutrients required for their proper growth. That’s why, most people rely on different products for providing their plants with essential micronutrients. Here’s a product you might want to consider for your cloned plants:
General Hydroponics Rapid Rooter Plant Starters:
The General Hydroponics Rapid Rooter plugs are fortified with general hydroponic micronutrients for massive root growth. If you want robust early rooting that supports explosive plant growth, then you should definitely use this rapid rooter. This product has a breakthrough technology that produces a unique matrix of Peat moss and binders. With the General Hydroponics Rapid Rooter, you have the finest air-to-water proportion within the plug matrix, which results in quick root growth.
Instructions: Soak the plugs in water or in a mild nutrient solution and allow them to rehydrate. Place your cutting in the center hole of this plug while keeping a quarter-inch of water at the bottom of the tray to maintain plug moisture. When the roots of your cuttings start to appear, you can transplant the plugs.
Rooting Compounds and Stuffing/Enhancers
A rooting compound or rooting gel is a tenacious gel which, after application, remains in contact around the stem, sealing the cut tissue and then supplying the hormones and micronutrients needed to promote root cell development. Whereas rooting enhancers are used to provide premium plant extracts, amino acids & nutrients to your clones, resulting in explosive root growth. These products are extremely helpful in plant cloning and give desirable results. Here are some rooting gels and enhancers for you to consider:
Clonex Rooting Gel:
The Clonex Rooting Gel is an efficient and useful rooting compound that remains in contact with the stem, seals the cut tissue, and supplies the hormones needed to promote root cell development for your cloned plants. In addition to thr hormones, it also provides vitamins to protect the delicate new root tissue. Clonex has a whole spectrum of mineral nutrients and trace elements to nourish the young roots of your cloned plants.
Instructions: Pour the Clonex Rooting Gel into a container, such as a shot glass, before using it. If you dip a plant directly into the Clonex bottle, the product will likely be contaminated, resulting in a watery solution over time. You should dip the entire cut area of the plant cutting into the rooting gel. Doing this seals the area and ensures that no air bubbles compromise the cutting. Place the dipped cutting directly into a grow plug, like the ones mentioned above, and watch your plant grow!
Technaflora Rootech Gel:
The Technaflora Rootech Gel is an excellent and unique mixture that contains a powerful hormone especially formed to support fast and healthy root development for your cloned plants. When you apply this gel to your plants, its unique formulation surrounds the stem of your plants with the nourishment it can immediately use. Rootech is a model item for the reproduction of the most hard-to-root plants. Plus, you can also mix this gel with water for use on cuttings that will form roots more quickly. The gel format of Rootech guarantees easy usage, while avoiding the risks of inhaling contaminants. Rootech is a powerful cloning gel, which consistently nurtures healthy clones with strong and fast-growing root systems.
Instructions: Place some Technaflora Rootech cloning gel in an empty container. Then, prepare your plant’s stem. Dip it gently in the rooting gel, and after that place your cutting in your grow medium (eg a clone machine or a grow plug as mentioned above)
General Hydroponics RapidStart Rooting Enhancer:
The General Hydroponics RapidStart Rooting Enhancer improves your plant’s growing experience by providing nutrients that produce explosive root growth. Using RapidStart improves root growth while intensifying plant vigor and yield. RapidStart can be used for all types of plants and so is quite useful for cloning plants. With the aid of a root Enhancer, you can stimulate prolific root branching of your plants. Rapid Start delivers a powerful combination of premium plant extracts, amino acids & nutrients generating unbelievable root growth. Using RapidStart stimulates the growth of fine root hairs that enhance nutrient uptake & grow more robust and whiter roots.
Instructions: Use the General Hydroponics RapidStart Rooting Enhancer in your cloning machine or plugs after the roots initially appear.
Grow Light
Clones require a specific light cycle for their proper growth. Clones need 18 hours of light to grow a robust stem and healthy leaves. Plants require two spectrums of light, but the best spectrum for clones is red and blue. The blue light contributes to the root system of your clones, whereas red light helps with plant growth.
If you are growing your clones indoor, or at a place where light is not so abundant, then you definitely need an alternative so that your clones can receive the light they require without going out. And for this, you have to buy a grow light. Grow lights are LED lights that either try to provide plants with a light spectrum similar to that of the sun or to provide a spectrum that best meets the needs of the plants being grown. If you are confused regarding which grow light to buy, don’t worry, we have gathered two of the best grow lights for use in your garden. We’ve provided a hand guide for you below so you can choose the one thats right for your garden:
Aglex 1200W COB LED Grow Light:
The Aglex 1200W COB LED Grow Light is equipped with a highly precise 90-degrees lens and reliable COB Tech. This guarantees that 98% of your light source is applied entirely to your clones, making them stronger and healthier. This LED light comes with a veg and bloom switch setting, which lets you switch on/off any time for a different plant growth stage for your clones. This setting helps save a lot in electricity costs which is one of the most important considerations for indoor gardening. If you are planning to grow a large number of clones in a garden, you may require multiple grow lights for the proper growth of all of the plants, but all the the difficulties that come with cord management for all of these lights can lead to a tangles mess. This COB LED light comes with a dasiy chain that can help you connect multiple lights easily, without any hassle of tangled wires. This light applies a high power COB and double chip LEDs that resemble natural sunlight very closely, so your clones are nearly receiving the natural sunlight. It delivers strong light to your plants, making them healthier and more productive, reducing the growing time and your overall expenditure.
Specs:
MODEL | SIZE | WATTAGE | COVERAGE | OUTPUT |
Aglex COB LED 1200W | Weight: 6.72 lbs Dimensions: 13.78″x9.84″x2.2″ | Actual: 210 Watts HID Equiv: 300 Watts | 3’ x 3’ | 1261 umol/m²/s @ 18 inches |
Features:
- This light is equipped with a highly precise 90-degree lens and reliable COB together, which makes sure that your plants receive 98% of the light source
- This LED grow light comes with a veg and bloom switch setting, so you can provide your plants the light they need according to their growth period.
- The dasiy chain can help you to connect multiple lights, no worry about a tangled mess of wires
- This light applies a high power COB and double chip LEDs that resemble natural sunlight
Veg and Bloom Switch:
This 1200W COD LED Grow Light is equipped with a veg switch and a bloom switch. With the help of this switch, you can easily control the light that your clones are getting. The veg phase is basically for the initial growth process. If you turn the veg switch on, your clones will receive a lesser amount of light, preventing them to get damaged by excess light. Whereas when your clones grow bigger and enter the flowering phase, you are recommended to turn on the bloom setting as it provides your cloned plants with a higher amount of light. With the veg and bloom switch, you can save your electricity and money by turning on a single switch.
Light Spectrum:
This grow light has the perfect light spectrum for all the stages of your cloned plants’ growth. Whether it’s the initial stage, vegetative phase, or even flowering phase, people think that clones only need red and blue lights wavelength for their proper growth. But that’s not true. Plants definitely need blue and red color lights, but they also require some light in green and yellow wavelengths for an optimum growth experience. The Aglex COB 1200W grow light includes a combination of red and blue lights in a higher quantity whereas blue, green, and yellow lights in a smaller quantity. This way, your plants can grow faster, stronger, and more efficiently.
Phlizon CREE Cob Series 1000W LED Plant Grow Light:
The Philizon Cree Cob 100W LED Plant Grow Light is known for its high power and stability. This grow light has high brightness, small thermal resistance, less light attenuation, and a longer life than the competition. The light itself is a full spectrum design with an extremely high Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) value which can promote faster and better growth of your clones. The Philizon LED Grow Light is much brighter and more efficient than common LEDs. The light has a high PPFD value, along with a full spectrum design with a PPFD spectrum for each wavelength.
Specs:
MODEL | SIZE | WATTAGE | COVERAGE | OUTPUT |
Philizon 1000W | Weight: 8.3 lbs Dimensions: 16.5″ x 9.4″ x 3.1″ | Actual: 245Watts HID Equiv: 325 Watts | 2.5’ x 2.5’ | 941 umol/m²/s |
Features:
- This LED grow light has high power and stability and comes with high brightness, small thermal resistance, less light attenuation, and longer life.
- The light has a full spectrum design with high PPFD value which can promote faster and better plant growth.
- The CREE COB LED is a full spectrum lamp with a combined design bead. The light comes with additional light beads in various bands to ensure the scientific full spectrum.
- It is more scientifically and energy-efficient than other LED grow lights in the market. It serves both herb/veg/bloom and is convenient for use in a grow tent or an indoor garden.
Power Saving Switches:
The Philizon LED grow light has two switches: one labeled “veg & bloom on” and one labeled “stronger on”. The “veg/bloom” switch is for the germination and flowering stages of your clones and is used to toggle the 10w supplementary diodes. It meeds the light needs of both the veg and bloom phases of your cloned plants. Whereas the “stronger” switch is for strengthening the lighting in the later stages of your plants’ growth and toggles the COBs. The switch is mainly used to enhance the light intensity during the flowering stage. It is suggested to use the COBs as your base light since they give you full-spectrum white light that closely resembles natural sunlight. This is a very useful feature if you want to save electricity and money, by dialing back the power during vegging.
Light Spectrum:
The color spectrum is a plus point of the Philizon COB series of lights. Most grow light manufacturers convince people that plants only require blue and red lights, just to sell their own blue and red lights. New research has revealed that plants need more blue and red than any other colors, but they also need some green and yellow light for maximum germination and yields. And that is what this grow light actually provides. This COB LED Grow Light is supplemented by 10w diodes: 68 of them are red, 10 of them are blue, 6 of them are cool white, 4 are warm white, 4 are UV, and 4 are IR. Altogether they produce a color spectrum with a higher amount of red and blue wavelengths and a good amount of light of other colors in between (orange, yellow, and green). This is the perfect light for your clones and will take them through every stage of growth.
Grow Tent
A grow tent is a tent that helps gardeners create an optimum growing environment for their plants indoors. A grow tent is made of flexible material and includes a fan, grow light(s), and sometimes carbon filters. The reflective material on the interior of the tent helps prevent hot spots. With a grow tent, you can easily create a desirable environment for your clones. A grow tent lets you control the light, water, temperature, and humidity that your plants are receiving so that they can grow quicker and stronger. Some plants give off odors, which you may dislike and want to get rid of it. The grow tent will contain these odors so they remain inside the tent and don’t seep out to your house. Grow tents are perfect for rooms where the temperature varies, or in spaces not designed for indoor growing, like a garage or a closet. Whether you’re growing just a few plants or a complete garden, the bottom line is that there’s a grow tent that meets your needs.
But there are many grow tents available in the market, so you might be wondering which one is the best for your cloned plants. But don’t worry, we have got your back. Here’s a grow tent that we think is perfect for growing clones indoors:
TopoGrow 2-in-1 Indoor Grow Tent:
TopoGrow is a very popular brand that meets all your indoor gardening requirements. The TopoGrow 2-in-1 Indoor Grow Tent has a 36″X36″ X72″ structure specifically designed to deliver the optimal conditions for bloom and flowers. It also comes with a 12″x24″x72″ nursery area for propagation & seedlings. The interior of this tent is made of quality diamond Mylar to optimize 100 reflective effects. The exterior is made of high-quality 600D Oxford Cloth Material for superior durability. The installation process is quite simple due to the easy-to-use metal frames and safe zippers. This grow tent has multiple vents for the convenient use of filters and fans. The best advantage of this grow tent is that it allows gardeners to manage their plants in different growth stages while remaining compact for small spaces or areas with little height.
The multi-chamber feature of this tent is perfect for continuous harvest growth. This tent has two stations featuring three separate growing areas to manage your cloned plants in different stages of development. It is also compact for storing in small spaces while protecting your plants throughout their grow cycle.
Overall, this makes a great choice for cloning your plants as you can provide your plants with an optimum environment.
Specs:
MODEL | TopoGrow 2-in-1 Indoor Grow Tent |
DIMENSIONS | 37.9” x 13.6” x 6.4” |
WEIGHT | 13 kg (whole package) |
REQUIRES TOOLS FOR INSTALLATION? | No |
COMPACT? | Yes |
Features:
Easy installation, does not require any tools
Durable and large heavy-duty zippers
Double-stitching for increased durability
Highly reflective waterproof diamond Mylar so that the temperature is trapped inside the tent
Lightproof
Package Components:
1x Grow Tent
1x Removable Water-proof Floor Tray
2x Nylon Belts can be used for Filter Straps
1x Assembly Instruction
Our Recommendation- The complete grow kit that meets all your cloning needs
If you want all the stuff to get you going for growing your clones indoors, then don’t worry, here’s a complete indoor grow tent kit to meet all your indoor plant growing needs. With this kit, you won’t have to buy additional items for your grow tent such as a grow light, timer, hanger, etc.
VIVOSUN 24″x24″x48″ Indoor Grow Tent Complete Kit:
If you are looking for a shortcut to buy all your indoor plant cloning equipment at once without any hassle, then you should buy the Vivosun Indoor Grow Tent Complete Kit. This kit includes all the necessary items that you need in order to clone your plants indoors. The complete kit includes the following things:
A 32″x32″x64″ grow tent
Air Filtration Kit: 4 Inch 203 CFM Inline Fan with Speed Controller
4” Carbon Filter and 8 Feet of Ducting Combo
A 300W LED grow light
Rope hanger
Hand Pruner
Trellis netting
Grow room glasses
7-day timer
Hygrometer Thermometer
All this comes at a very reasonable price and gives desirable results.
So here is a brief description and review of each product included in this kit:
- Vivosun 32”x32”x64” Grow Tent:
A tent is a great tool for growing your plants indoors to give them a completely controlled growing environment. This grow tent comes with an observation window, because every gardener wants to check on their plants’ growth progress, but opening the door lets moisture and heat escape, this way you can simply peek through this observation window for checking out your plants’ progress. The grow tent also features an extra reflective surface, which ensures that the light and energy you are providing your plants remains trapped inside the tent, and does not escape. This way, your plants will get an adequate amount of nutrition they need and you save money on your electricity bill. The grow tent also comes with a removable floor tray, with strong beams and efficient mounded reflective panels. If you are an indoor grower and are looking for a compact grow tent for your plants, then this is the best choice for you. The set up is easy and does not require any additional tools. Here are some useful features of this grow tent:
- Keeps all light in:
This Grow Tent blocks all the light from escaping. Also, it is lined with 98% reflexive mylar that boosts the output efficiency of your grow tent setup.
- Extra Thick Canvas:
The exterior of this Grow Tent is not only good looking but is durable as well. The tent is made of a top-quality 600D canvas that is tear-proof. Also, it is double stitched for blocking outdoor light perfectly. The canvas is very thick and durable, and so will not let your plants to be interrupted by any unwanted light from the outside.
- Easy view window:
You can grow a lot of cloned plants in this tent comfortably at a time. With the reflective screen, you can concentrate on your cloned plants’ growth. The observation window allows you to track their progress.
- Durable Metal Frame:
The 600D canvas cover is a solid metal interlocking frame. Your tent will stand sturdy and will never collapse. The light green metal poles lock in place without using any hardware. It is a great tent for growing your cloned plants indoors.
- No Light Leaks:
This tent is light-proof and blocks light from escaping from your tent. Also, since it is lined with reflexive mylar, your lighting setups get an efficiency boost. The door of the tent comes with double flaps so that light does not leak from the tent and keeps moisture inside the tent. You can also roll up the flaps to check your cloned plants’ progress.
- Easy installation:
This grow tent is quite easy to install. The installation process is easy and hassle-free. Even though it’s your first time setting up a grow tent, you’ll find it quite easy. You don’t even need any additional tools for setting up the grow tent. The only thing you need to do before setting up the tent is to read the instructions carefully. It may be difficult for a single person to set up a tent, so it’s advisable to take help from a friend or family member.
- Easy to use:
The Vivosun Grow Tent is among the best grow tents that you can buy on the market. The exterior of the tent is attractive and ergonomic, whereas the interior is very reflective plus easy to clean. You don’t even have to unzip the tent in order to check the progress of your plants. Just peek through the window and check out your plants. The tent is convenient, easy to maintain, and very helpful in providing your plants with the optimum growth environment.
- Air Filtration Kit: 4 Inch 203 CFM Inline Fan with Speed Controller:
Since cloned plants require a certain amount of air to remain inside the tent or to be exhausted from the tent, you definitely need an inline fan. An inline fan intakes and exhausts air. It brings air in and sends the old air out so that your plants can breathe happily. Inline fans also manage the temperature and humidity level of growing space. The inline fan creates better air circulation inside the tent which allows airflow and avoids bad odor. This set includes a heavy-hitting blower with a fan speed of 2500 RPM for an airflow of 203 CFM.
- Carbon Filter and 8 Feet of Ducting Combo:
Carbon filters are used to reduce or remove the bad odor released by plants from your indoor garden. A carbon filter is attached to a grow tent to ensure that the air entering the tent is particulate-free. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) evaporate into the atmosphere at room temperature. The VOCs make hydroponic gardens smelly, and plants can easily absorb VOCs, which affects their taste and smell negatively. In order to prevent this from happening, you must install a carbon filter in your grow tent. A carbon filter absorbs VOCs from the air, preventing them from entering the grow tent. The 4 Inch Air carbon filter delivers 100% filtered airflow is made of imported Virgin Australian activated charcoal. This carbon filter moves air through your target location efficiently for optimal ventilation. The interior and exterior mesh construction provides 53% open area for free airflow.
- 300W LED grow light:
VIVOSUN’s full-spectrum 300W LED delivers an optimal light-spectrum coverage to your plants, providing more power for bloom and maximum PAR output at various distances. These lights are super bright and so resemble the natural sunlight. This way, your plants will love these lights and grow quickly. Also, it is quite cool, quiet, and efficient. With a built-in large 5″ cooling fan, this light’s professionally designed composite-metal grow light runs at the proper temperature and consumes only 135 Watts to produce your best, most energy-efficient harvest ever. This not only gives your plants the optimum amount of light they require for their proper growth, but it also saves your money by saving electricity. This grow light dissipates more heat than ordinary LED grow lights, through the top and all 4 sides of the unit, with an unbelievably high lifespan of around 100,000 working hours.
Veg and Bloom Switch:
Like all the other grow lights available in the market, this grow light also comes with a veg and bloom switch. The veg switch is for germination in the earlier period of your plants’ growth. It provides your plants with 210W of energy and so promotes plants’ growth. Whereas the bloom switch is for plant flowering and fruiting in the middle and later periods of plant growth. It provides your plants with 170W of energy and so promotes plants’ flowering and fruiting. For the flowering and fruiting stage of plant growth, it is recommended to turn on both of the switches so that your plants can receive 380W of energy.
Light Spectrum:
Although this LED grow light has a higher amount of red and blue light wavelengths it also contains a lesser amount of orange, yellow, and green light wavelengths, so that your plants can receive all kinds of light that they require for their proper growth. This way, your plants can grow faster, stronger, and more efficiently.
- Rope hanger
If your tent does not have enough space to accommodate many cloned plants, then don’t worry, this kit also includes a rope hanger so that you can hang your plants in the hanger, making the most out of your tent’s space. You can either hand a grow light with the rope hanger, or hang plants on the hanger, it’s totally up to you. This way, you can make the most out of your tent’s space and you won’t face any difficulty while setting up the lights or your plants.
- Hand Pruner:
This kit also comes with a hand pruner. Hand pruners are a type of scissors for use on plants. They are strong enough to prune hard branches of trees and shrubs, sometimes up to two centimeters thick. If you have to cut excessive unnecessary leaves and plants in your grow tent, then this hand pruner will come very handy. And since this kit already includes a hand pruner, you won’t have to go elsewhere to buy it.
- Trellis Netting:
Trellis Netting is a very useful way to increase your plants’ yields. The wide openings allow for easy access during harvesting. Trellis Netting increases yield by allowing for more light and air exposure while decreasing ground rot and pest damage. The Vivosun Trellis Netting is soft yet heavy-duty and helps plants cling to a smooth surface and will for years. This trellis netting is strong, durable, and long-lasting, and can hold the weight of your plants quite easily. The installation process is quite easy: simply wrap and tie the netting around any stable structure or support–it can be used for A-frame, horizontal, and vertical growth. The trellis is wear-resistant, elastic, and tearproof, so it won’t break so fast. Plus it is good, reusable, and adaptable, so you can use it for multiple successful harvests, without purchasing new trellis netting every time.
Grow Room Glasses:
Grow rooms are very bright, due to the multiple LED Grow Lights everywhere. This light may be good for your plants, but not for your eyes. Therefore, it is very important to wear glasses while entering a grow room so that your eyes remain protected from the intense light, while you can examine your plants’ progress easily. This grow room glass blocks UVA & UVB rays, alleviates glare, and reduces eye strain while working under grow lights. It is of high quality and lightweight at the same time. The glasses provide you 180º of distortion-free, unobstructed vision that makes checking on your plants more convenient. The glasses have a functional design, with a nine-base, wrap-around lens design that provides close to the face coverage for superior protection.
- 7-day Timer:
While providing light to your plants is an essential factor, that does not mean that you should give light to your plants all the time. The light-receiving process for outdoor plants is natural-from sunrise to sunset. But for indoor plants, you have to keep in view the hours of light that your plants are receiving, so that it does not get exceeded. And for this, you need to keep a timer. By getting a timer for your grow lights, you can automate the process of providing your garden with the right amount of light. No more having to remember to switch them on and off yourself. Instead, the process is automatic. To put it plainly, timers for grow lights simplify your life. This grow tent kit also comes with a 7-day timer so that you can automate the process of providing light to your plants. This ultra-reliable timer is composed so the power light shines faintly enough that “sleeping” plants won’t be disturbed. Also, this timer is made from extra-fortified plastic and high-quality components, and so is quire durable and long-lasting. You can set up to 8 independent ON/OFF programs in any 7-day pattern you can imagine; ON/OFF intervals are customizable down to 1 minute. Last but not least, this timer is compatible with a wide variety of indoor systems and appliances.
Hygrometer Thermometer:
Newly cloned plants require a specific temperature and air humidity for their proper growth. But you can be uncertain sometimes regarding the actual air humidity or temperature of the indoor grow tent where your plants are growing. So as a solution to this, you would need a hygrometer thermometer. A hygrometer thermometer is an instrument that combines a hygrometer and a thermometer. The hygrometer portion of the instrument is used to estimate the moisture content of the air to determine its relative humidity. The warmer the air is the more humidity it can absorb until it is saturated. Wheres the thermometer portion of the instrument, as you all know, is used to determine the temperature of the air and the air humidity. With a hydrometer thermometer, you can easily find out the moisture and humidity of the air present in your grow tent, and you can apply some changes to make the values meet your desired values. The Vivosun Thermometer & Hygrometer gauge is able to report measurements every 10 seconds and has a broad measurement range of 14℉ to 122℉, with a temperature accuracy range of around ±0.1℉. The humidity sensor measures humidity from 10% to 99%. This gauge is designed with magnet attachment, table stand, and a wall hanging function. With these vital mounting features, you can put the gauge wherever you need, e.g., in your kitchen, indoor garden, office, etc. The Vivosun Hygrometer and Thermometer gauge is also a great tool for grow tent growers and the magnet attachment design can be used on any metal pole. It is the perfect way to control your plants’ growth environment.
How To Clone Plants?
This process of cloning plants is very simple and you should assume most of your clones to root successfully. Keep one thing in mind that you should take clones before putting the plants in flower or within a few days of them going in flower. If you take clones while the plants are still in their flowering phase, they will just form buds and not a new root structure. Therefore, you have to be very careful in this regard. Cloning may seem very complicated and difficult, but it’s the opposite, You won’t believe that cloning plants only require only 4 easy to follow steps, After that, you’re good to go! So here are the 4 simple steps to clone plants:
Cut The Right Plant In The Right Way:
The main thing that matters most in cloning is cutting from the right part of the plant. You can either cut the tip of the stem or the middle of the stem. If you’re not sure which part to cut, then it is recommended to cut the tip of the stem since most of the plant growth takes place there.
But at the same time, cutting the middle can also be equally helpful. If you cut directly above the baby leaves of your plant, it will produce two separate shoots in return when the plant begins to regrow as a clone. This is a very good thing if you want to grow a thicker plant.
Whatever option you choose, you have to work with a plant that has a strong and thick stem. You should start with a healthy part of the plant as starting with a hearty plant increases the probability of success.
Cut the leaves and stems at a specific angle:
After clipping the cutting from your mature plant, you have to cut all the fully-grown leaves and the stem at a specific angle.
Cutting the plant’s leaves at an angle will help the plant to transfer its energy to its roots instead of wasting energy on growing leaves (that can come anytime later as well). While performing this step, most people usually cut about half (50%) of the leaf off.
Meanwhile cutting the stem at an angle produces more surface area for your plant’s rooting hormone, which will ultimately lead to higher root growth.
Add the rooting hormone and re-plant:
Now as you prepare to add the rooting hormone powder, remember that there are more chances of success if you add the powder instantly after cutting the stem since a newly cut stem has more moisture and so will absorb more of the powdered rooting hormone.
When you’re finally ready to add the hormone rooting powder to the cut stem, gently tap some of it out into a shallow dish. Dip the recently cut end of the plant in the powder until there’s a thick and balanced layer sticking to the bottom of the stem.
Once you have set the hormone on the plant, simply stick the end of the plant into a new grow plug and place the grow plug into a cloning machine or any other growth medium of your choice.
Watch your clones grow!
Just like with other plant seedlings, the clones also have to be covered with a humidity dome for better growth. But unlike seedlings, you have to water the clones all the time, therefore, you will have to keep a special watering schedule. Another difference is that seedlings mostly stay in the nursery station for a period of three weeks, whereas the clones will have to stay there for a bit longer. After three weeks, your clones finish making their new root structure, so they require a few more weeks to grow their stems and leaves before proceeding to the cultivation area.
That’s it. After this, the only thing you have to do is regular checkups, watering, etc, and wait for your clones to grow into fully developed plants.
Final Verdict
So this was our “Ultimate Guide” to plant cloning. After reading this guide, even if you were totally unfamiliar with cloning, you must have received a deep understanding of plant cloning. Plant cloning requires a lot of research and you have to read multiple tutorials and look for different products everywhere to find the best. But to make your work easier, we have gathered each and every single thing you need in order to clone plants, along with their brief descriptions and features. So that you can get everything you need for plant cloning, in one place. Plant cloning may seem quite complicated at first, but after reading this guide, we’re sure it seems much easier to you now. Plus it is quite a fun activity as well. Many people prefer plant cloning nowadays because of the numerous benefits it has.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is plant cloning?
A: Plant cloning is a process of creating new plants through asexual production. This is a very popular and widely used horticultural technique with which plant growers and gardeners can reproduce exact copies of a source plant.
Q: What are the main things that you need for plant cloning?
A: For plant cloning, the main things that you’ll need are as follows:
- A cloning machine
- Micronutrients
- Grow Light(s)
- Rooting Gels
- Rooting Enhancers
- A Grow Tent (Optional)
Q: Can you put cuttings straight into soil?
A: You can try doing so. Insert your plant cuttings into pots filled with a soilless potting media just deep enough to support the stems and hold them upright. But remember that do NOT use garden soil as it will remain too wet, causing the cutting to rot before rooting.
Q: Do you need cloning gel to clone?
A: It is recommended to use cloning gel to clone plants because it proves quite helpful and is very beneficial for your plants as well, but it is not really necessary. You can even clone plants without a cloning gel.
Q: How many clones can you get from one plant?
A: You can start with eight clones from the same plant. But you can also increase the number of clones as your plant grows larger.
Q: How long does it take from clone to harvest?
A: Clones can take from 7 to 21 days to root depending on the type of plant, environmental conditions, and genetics/cultivar. You want the plants to finish at approximately 24 to 36 inches tall, so you will induce flowering when plants are approximately 12 to 18 inches tall.
Q: How do you keep clones healthy?
A: You can keep your clones healthy by avoiding to spray them clones with water, but if you feel more comfortable doing so, don’t overwater. Spray just once every three days to keep the humidity. Clones need a very specific amount of light and nutrients because they are so sensitive.
Q: Is cloning plants good?
A: There are various benefits of cloning plants: When you clone a plant, you are improving the odds that the plant will produce the same amount each harvest. A cloned plant will have identical traits to its source or mother plant. You can replicate any desirable traits via cloning.