2 Liter DWC - WHAT to do after root formation?

[apexifly]

I have a few cuttings in my 2 L DWC chamber.  What are the specific steps and equipment I need to plant my cuttings in soil?

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

That's a damn good question! I should probably add these steps with pictures to my guide. But here are the basic steps:

1. Make sure your roots are long enough (3/4" to 2" is OK). If the roots are too short it may not take to soil and end up dead.

2. Put some clean rocks in the bottom of your new soil pot to cover the drain holes.

3. Mix up your soil of choice (I use a soil less mix called Jiffy from Home Depot and add some perlite)

4. Get the soil mix more than damp but not sopping wet. You will add more water in a few steps

5. Fill the pot (which already has rocks in the bottom) up with your wet soil to where the bottom of the roots would sit

6. Hold your clone in place and crumble dirt all around the roots slowly filling up the pot. Don't press the soil and don't press the roots into the soil. Just let it all naturally settle in however it wants to.

7. Once your pot is filled with soil, water thoroughly all around the stem first. The soil should settle in and you may have to add some more. Just crumble it on and don't press it down. Once it is good and watered all around the stem continue to water the rest of the pot too.

8. This process I find lets the roots settle in as easy as possible with minimal damage.

9. Keep using a humidity dome for at least a week then slowly adjust your plant to it's ambient humidity.

10. After it is acclimated to it's new ambient humidity you may choose to cut off the bottom leaves as they probably will have deformed a little bit. it's not necessary, but optional.

11. Don't over water it in the next few weeks. Clones use very little water and you may go two weeks without watering at first.

Hope that helps and I will certainly ad pictures to my guide to finish up the process.

JARG

[darkshadow]

wow jarg im missing number 2 already

[U_Wrang]

Some gardeners put stryrofoam packing peanuts in the bottom of the pot instead of large gravel, however, don't use the pink anti-static stuff; it's covered with a chemical to control static.

[apexifly]

What is the significance of adding rocks to the bottom of the pot?  Is it for added drainage?  I would imagine the rocks would prevent the soil from clogging the drainage holes, allowing for better drainage.  Is this why?

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

the rocks would prevent the soil from clogging the drainage holes

Exactly. A lot of the roots form in those bottom rocks and they like to dry out. If it was all soil there would be more water pooling at the bottom of the pot especially if the holes get plugged. That would cause root rot.

JARG

[apexifly]

Hey JARG,

My cuttings have been going for 2 weeks now and I see root formation.  But the cutting in plain water, without the 2L DWC, has more and longer roots than the cuttings in the chambers.   

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

That could be from a few different things. I have noticed even with my cuttings that the same strains taken at the same time and put into the 2L DWC at the same time grow roots at different rates. If you take a look at my 2nd grow log with my 6 clones, you will notice that the 2 H&W clones (#3 and #4) had significantly different root growth even though they were right next to each other on the same mother and taken at the same time.

It is worth investigating though. Do you have enough plants that you can do more experiments with and see if this was a coincidance or if it truly works better for you in plain water? Also do you have a picture of the setup you have for rooting. I would like to see it and try to duplicate it for myself too. After all, I see this site as a collaborative effort and we all learn from each other. My 2L DWC is probably not the best in the world and never to be beaten by other methods, it's just what I have found to work 100% of the time so far. Get me pictures, I want to see what you did.

JARG

[apexifly]

I will get pictures for you.  I am very curious to know if any botanist or scientist has published a professional grow guide for this species.  I tried looking online but I could not find anything. 

[apexifly]

Here are pictures of the setup:

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

What about the cuttings without the 2 Liters? That's the setup I am more interested in. I want to see what exactly you have done...

JARG

[apexifly]

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

So it looks like they both get Natural Sunshine then. That is one difference between your setups and mine. All my cuttings get artificial light only. Maybe the light makes a difference? I have a couple clones to take and I want to try this myself. How often do you change the water for either setup? What kind of water do you use (Tap, Distilled)?

JARG

[Hero4Evz]

The most interesting thing I see about this is is that even with the roots exposed to light they still show no stunted growth or adverse affects were as its normally stated in the forums to make sure roots are hidden when growning.

[apexifly]

I use filtered tap water.  The kind my family drinks.  However, I did start with distilled water from the market.  I changed the water every 3 to 4 days.