Grower Tips

Cleaning Between Uses

Cleaning between uses Your system requires proper care between uses for it to function at its peak performance. Once you have a successful cloning cycle simply empty the water from the reservoir. You can use bleach and water to simply clean out your system. Make sure to remove all the cuttings, pumps, misters, cloning collars, and water. You will then be able to fill up your reservoir with fresh water and add bleach with the specified ratio. Make sure you have all the debris cleaned out of your misters. Once you have all the debris cleaned you can now put your misters in a cup of bleach water taken from your reservoir as well. You can allow all of this to soak for 20 minutes. Place your cloning collars in a five-gallon bucket filled with fresh water and add one cup of bleach. To help keep your cloning collars submerged place a bucket with holes inside the previously filled bucket. This is only necessary if you are reusing your cloning collars. You can place your pump without the misters back to the center of the reservoir. Cycle the pump for at least 20 minutes with the bleach water solution to insure everything is getting properly cleaned. Once it has been going for 20 minutes you need to do the same thing with fresh water to make sure there is no bleach in the system. Make sure to rinse the mister thoroughly with fresh water. Once you have cleaned your system you are ready to start your next cycle. Specified Bleach Ratio For general cleaning with bleach, use a ratio of 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water, or one tablespoon for a quart. That is a 1 to 68 ratio - not very much. Mix bleach with water and then dip a clean cleaning cloth in it, wring out the excess, and wipe down hard surfaces.

Transplanting

Transplanting When you see the emergence of more secondary roots and root hairs is a sure sign that your cuttings are developed enough to handle life outside of the cloning machine. If you're not quite ready though, don't worry; the cuttings will be quite happy to bathe in their nutrient mist for days, even weeks if required! Just be sure to change out the nutrients once a week and keep an eye on pH levels. If roots become very long you can always trim them -they won't mind! A net pot is an ideal next stage for an aeroponic cutting. This gives you a chance to establish your cutting in the growth media of your choice. One common question about aeroponic clones is how to handle transplanting them into a pot of loose-fill media or hydroponic system. For instance, there is a common myth that aeroponic clones don't do well in soil or coco coir. This is simply not the case; you just need to take care. Ensure your chosen media is at room temperature and fairly moist. Also, remember roots hate light, so be kind to your cuttings and transplant them away from bright lights. Partially fill the pot with media, make a hole just big enough to insert the rooted cutting, and gently back fill around it so all the roots are covered and your cutting is well supported. They will need a few days to adjust, so try to keep them under the same lighting for a bit. Ease them in gently under a 6500K T5 fluorescent or a 250W grow light.

Daily Maintenance

Daily Maintenance For the most part your system does all the work, but there is still some daily maintenance that should be done. For starters make sure that your system is performing properly. Make sure its not flooding the plants or not getting enough water. This can happen if the tubing is clogged. Make sure that your water is below from when the cycle first began. You can add water if you notice it has evaporated some. Make sure to not add more nutrient solution as this could over power the growing process and kill what has already grown. Make sure to keep the temperature the same and that its not fluctuating. It might help if you keep a log and look for changes, they might not be noticeable every day, but a log can tell you otherwise.

Water Care

Water Care Water quality is very important, the water must be able to deliver dissolved nutrients to plants. If the levels of mineral salt are too high, then it is unable to dissolve the nutrients your plant needs. If the pH level is not between 5.8 and 6.2 then it can do the same thing, not allow the nutrients to dissolve. You can use chemicals to adjust the pH into the ideal range. Normal water temperature should be in the range between 65 degrees and 80 degrees to keep the plants thriving.

Taking Cuttings

Taking Cuttings Stem cuttings are by far the most common type of cutting that growers take. It involves removing some stem from a plant that contains a healthy growth tip. For this example, we're going to use tomatoes but you could easily apply this method to virtually all softwood plants; however, we highly recommend that you research the particular plant your taking cuttings from. Step 1: Take a clean scalpel or a very sharp knife and remove a healthy looking branch from your mother plant. The branch must contain at least one growth tip (i.e. the point from which new leaves and shoot emerge.) The sharper the blade, the cleaner the cut and the less tissue damage around it-meaning less chance of disease. Step 2: Remove any excess stem. Many grow guides will tell you to take a cutting at a 45 degree angle, to increase the surface area of the exposed cutting to rooting stimulators; however, this really is not necessary! We prefer to take a 'square cut' then we like to quarter the tip, which will provide more uptake of the rooting hormone. Step 3: Remove any excessive foliage. The more foliage on your cuttings, the more 'life' it has to support. It makes sense, therefore, to remove any excessive foliage. Yes, some leaves need to remain but you're really after small, manageable cuttings that aren't going to crowd out your propagator or cloning machine. Trim the tips of larger leaves so that the cutting is no larger than the space it is going to be given. Also, make sure that small cuttings don't overlap each other so much, this significantly reduces the risk of mold. Most growers aim for cuttings between three and five inches from top to bottom. The next step is to dip your cutting into some rooting stimulator. Though not essential, rooting times will be shorter, decreasing the chance of mold or stem rot. Several compounds can be used to promote the formation of roots. They work by signaling the activity of plant hormone auxins. Among the commonly used chemicals is indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) used as a powder, liquid solution or gel. You should pour a small amount of the rooting into a shot glass and dip into that. You need to clean the shot glass and your blade regularly, particularly if taking cuttings from more than one mother plant. You don't want to be transferring viruses between plants! Step 4: It's time to fire up your cloning machine! A timely word of advice: it's important not to dawdle when taking cuttings! Remember, every second counts. After all, if you leave a cutting on your kitchen table, it will dehydrate and be well on the way to dying in a matter of minutes. So the sooner you can get your cutting into a propagator or cloning machine, the better. Preparation is key, especially if you are taking lots of cuttings.

Reservoir, Additives & pH

reservoir, additives & pH Once you have your kit properly assembled and the water pump is placed in the middle of the reservoir, you can start filling the reservoir up with water all the way to the bottom of the misters. You don’t want to fill the water up over the misters, it could result in hindering the operation of the manifold. Having the most amount of water without going over the misters results in cooler water which means having a more stable pH level. Note: Make sure when adding water to the reservoir you avoid using distilled water. Reverse Osmosis water is fine to use if your tap water is high in mineral or has excessive chlorine, but most tap water is sufficient to use. Once your reservoir is filled with water you will add your preference of solution to the water. You will need to follow the solution directions that is usually located on the back of the bottle or box that is provided with the purchasing of a solution. After you have added your solution it is necessary to check the pH level. You have two options tending to the pH level. Since the pH level tends to rise over the course of 24-48 hours, you can keep an eye on the water until the pH is consistent. Meaning getting the pH level to stay between 5.8 and 6.2. Or you can go ahead and get your pH level down to about 5.2 and it will slowly rise closely between 5.8 and 6.2 over the 24-48-hour period. Having a pH meter will really help with detecting what the pH levels are throughout all stages of growth.

Supplemental Grow Lights

Lighting When dealing with hydroponic systems, these systems need to be placed where there is not any access to direct sun light at any time of the day. Since the system does not require sunlight it does require supplemental grow lights. The preferred lighting when starting out from roots is 105-watt 6500 kelvin light bulbs and should be about 8-12 inches from the root. Moving on to the vegetative state the lighting needs to be a 400-600-watt 5000 kelvin light bulb and should be about 4-5 feet from the plants to allow them to grow. The next step is the bloom state, which requires your lighting system to be at a 1100-watt 4700 kelvin light bulb. Make sure to put your lighting system on a timer so that the lights come on and go off at the same time each day. This allows for consistency when starting the growing process.

When to use a Humidity Dome

Humidity Dome Humidity domes are used on clones to allow the humidity to be steady. They are there to make sure the cuttings do no dry out too quick. It requires you to keep a constant eye on them to make sure your cuttings do not wilt and die. When its time to transport your cuttings, you must make sure you give them enough time to adjust to the air. You don’t want to put your cuttings to go through shock, this leads to them possibly dying. When you have a humidity dome with a vent open the vent for 2 days and then remove the dome on the 3rd day to prevent shock. If you have a dome with no vent you want to remove the dome for a couple hours per day and them remove the dome on the 3rd day to avoid shock.

Preparation, Placement and Assembly

Preparation Once you have removed the materials from the packaging make sure you do a quick rinse down before you start assembling your product. The materials need to be cleaned before you start your process of growing. Once you have cleaned the materials you are ready to start the assembly process. Make sure you follow the instructions thoroughly for the best outcome. Placement System placement is very important. You need to make sure that you have a proper spot for all your kits. Each kit needs to be placed on a sturdy structure that is strong enough to hold when filled with water. If you are not sure of what to put your system on, the floor works just as good as a sturdy structure. Assembly Your kit will arrive collapsed, as you should store it. Separate the pieces and identify the large tray with no grow sites and place it into position. This is your base/reservoir and can be filled with water about ¾ full. Next, you will place the mister assembly into the water and connect the pump. Now, you will place the propagation lid onto the base making sure to route your hoses and/or cord to the notch. The cloning collars can be placed directly into the sites or can alternately go into the net pots, which will drop into a site.

NUTRITION VS. FERTILIZATION

Published in Plant Nutrition
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Many people confuse plant nutrition with plant fertilization. Although it is common for many fertilizers to be called plant food, it is a misnomer. Fertilizers are not plant food. NUTRITION VS. FERTILIZATION Plant nutrition refers to the plant needs and uses of the basic chemical elements. Fertilization is the term used when these elements are supplied to the environment around the plant. Plants produce their own food using water, carbon dioxide and energy from the sun. This food (sugars and carbohydrates) is combined with the plant nutrients to produce protein, enzymes, vitamins and other elements essential to plant growth. Fertilizers are materials containing plant elements or nutrients. Generally, they are added to water or soil, but some can be added to water and sprayed on leaves. MACRONUTRIENTS There are at least 16 essential nutrients for plant growth. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are found in air and water. The major soil nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium with calcium, magnesium and sulfur being the secondary soil nutrients. Nitrogen - Nitrogen is a part of all living cells and a necessary part of all proteins, enzymes and metabolic processes involved in the synthesis and transfer of energy. Nitrogen is part of chlorophyll, the green pigment of the plant that is responsible for photosynthesis. Nitrogen often comes from a fertilizer or manure application and from the air (legumes get their nitrogen from the atmosphere). Phosphorus - Like nitrogen, phosphorus is an essential part of the process of photosynthesis. Phosphorus is involved in the formation of all oils, sugars and starches and helps with the transformation of solar energy into chemical energy, proper plant maturation and withstanding stress. It also encourages blooming and root growth. Phosphorus often comes from fertilizer, bone meal and superphosphate. Potassium - Potassium is absorbed by plants in larger amounts than any other mineral element except nitrogen and in some cases, calcium. It is essential for reducing plant stress caused by drought, temperature extremes, pest problems, etc. Calcium - Calcium, an essential part of plant cell wall structure, provides for normal transport and retention of other elements as well as strength in the plant. Although rarely deficient, sources of calcium are dolomitic lime, gypsum and superphosphate. Magnesium - Magnesium is part of the chlorophyll in all green plants and essential for photosynthesis. It also helps activate many plant enzymes needed for growth. Soil minerals, organic materials, fertilizers and dolomitic limestone, as well as Epsom salt are sources for plants. Sulfur - Sulfur is an essential plant nutrient for production of protein, and promotes activity and development of enzymes and vitamins. Sulfur also helps in chlorophyll formation, improves root growth and seed production, and helps with vigorous plant growth and resistance to cold. Sulfur may be supplied to the soil from rainwater. It is also added to some fertilizers as an impurity, especially the lower grade fertilizers. The use of gypsum also increases soil sulfur levels. MICRONUTRIENTS There are a number of micronutrients that also aid in plant growth. Boron - Boron helps in the use of nutrients and regulates other nutrients. It aids production of sugar and carbohydrates and is essential for seed and fruit development. Sources of boron are organic matter and borax. Copper - Copper is important for reproductive growth, aids in root metabolism and helps in the utilization of proteins. Chlorine - Chlorine aids plant metabolism, and is essential for photosynthesis Iron - Iron is essential for the formation of chlorophyll. Sources of iron are iron sulfate and iron chelate. Manganese - Manganese functions with enzyme systems involved in breakdown of carbohydrates and nitrogen metabolism. Molybdenum - Molybdenum helps in the use of nitrogen. Zinc - Zinc is essential for the transformation of carbohydrates and regulates consumption of sugars. Zinc is also part of the enzyme systems which regulate plant growth. Sources of zinc are zinc oxide, zinc sulfate and zinc chelate. Cobalt - Cobalt is needed by plants recently established and needed for nitrogen fixation. Most all the micronutrients are found in ample supply in the average soil and very rarely do they need to be applied as a fertilizer unless in extremely high management and production of a plant or in hand-mixed soil media or potting soils. SUMMARY A soil test will help determine the content and amount of fertilizer needed. Nutrient intake of plants is a fine-tuned system. Too little or too much of one nutrient can upset the system. If either organic or inorganic fertilizers are applied too heavily, they may cause the plant tissue to burn, be chlorotic or result in plant death. Read product labels carefully and follow directions to avoid toxicity problems. Without a soil test it is difficult to determine the exact amount of fertilizer a plant needs. To get a soil test bag and form, contact the Victoria County Extension office at 361-575-4581. The Gardeners' Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas AgriLife Extension - Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.

Cleaning Between Uses

Transplanting

Daily Maintenance

Water Care

Taking Cuttings

Reservoir, Additives & pH

Supplemental Grow Lights

When to use a Humidity Dome

Preparation, Placement and Assembly

NUTRITION VS. FERTILIZATION

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