End of Summer Clones

Picked up a Super Sprouter propagation kit last month and started a new batch of clones.

Pretty much the same technique I’ve been using - Start with a healthy tip.

Strip off all the leaves except the top two and snip most of those to reduce transpiration. Then make a clean 45 degree cut below the bottom node.

Dip the stem in rooting hormone. I prefer the gel type over the powdered ones, seems to stick better.

And then carefully push the stem into the growing medium. I used peat plugs that were soaked in water that was pH’ed to around 5.5 and had a little SuperThrive added.

This year I kept them inside where the temperature stayed right around 80 degrees under the dome, and kept the light that came with the propagation kit on 24x7. Also made sure that the plugs stayed moist, but not sitting in water. Humidity mostly stayed in the 90’s.

They started sprouting roots right at three weeks.

Over the next few weeks I’d move the ones with roots into small pots filled with perlite and Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil.

We've had torrential rain in South Florida and I lost a few to rot. Next time I’ll keep them covered until they get bigger. Probably end up with about half of what I started with.