FloraFlex How to Grow: Cloning Propagation | FloraFoam Plugs 40|40

FloraFlex How to Grow: Cloning Propagation | FloraFoam Plugs 40|40

Recommended Supplies needed

Incubator Kit (Includes Incubator Bottom Tray, Incubator inner cell tray, Incubator Dome) with FloraFoam Incubator Plugs 40|40
Bloom Nutrients ( B1 & B2 ) The extra phosphorous in Bloom Fertilizers helps to encourage early root development
Root Drip
Veg Foliar
pH up or pH down
Clone LED or T5 Light
Powder free Nitrile Gloves
Scissors
Scalpel
500ml Measuring Cup
pH Meter
EC Meter
1L or 1.5L Florasprayer
Plant Tags
Prep

Make Nutrient Rich Solution

Add Fresh Water Solution to your reservoir
Add 5g of B1 per gallon. Mix thoroughly until it is completely dissolved.
Add 5g of B2 per gallon. Mix thoroughly until it is completely dissolved.
Add 5 mL of Root Drip per Gallon.
Ph adjust to 5.5-5.8
Fill solo cup 1/2 way with nutrient rich solution.

Fill 1L Flora Sprayer with Fresh Water solution

Add 1.3g to the 1L Flora Sprayer. Mix thoroughly. Ph adjust to 5.5-6.0

Ensure that equipment and tools are cleaned and sterilized.

Mother Selection

Select a healthy plant that is pest and disease free. Healthy Mother plants are essential to the success of your cloning process.

Tips:

Allow 2-4 weeks in between pulling clones off a mom plant.
Use Bloom Fertilizers on mother plants

Process

Start with a clean & sterile environment.

Place the FloraFoam Incubator Plugs 40|40 in the Incubator 50 Cell Inner Tray.

Place the 50 Cell Inner Tray into the Incubator Bottom Tray

Pre-Soak the FloraFoam Incubator Plugs 40|40 by pouring your B1:B2:Root Drip Nutrient solution across the the tops of the FloraFoam Incubator Plugs allowing excess water to fill up the Incubator bottom tray. Allow them to soak for a 10 minutes.

Tip: Do not water the cubes again for the first 4-6 days. Allowing the plugs to dryback promotes root growth by encouraging the plant to search for water the bottom of the tray.

Drain the water from the Incubator tray, leaving just enough water to reach the top of the bottom grooves in the Incubator Bottom Tray.

When selecting a clone from a mother plant look for:

Healthy green new growth in the leaves and stem
Top growth, that has hardened
Has a minimum of 4 nodes.
Is 5-7” tall
Using sterile scissors cut 1-1.5” below the bottom node of the selected branch.

Removing all big fan leaves on the bottom portion of the branch.

Clip the tips of the big fan leaves to help slow transpiration

Tip:

Leave a minimum of 2 nodes and 2 fan leaves at the top of the clone.

Place the cutting in your solo cup containing the nutrient rich solution to prevent air from getting into the stem.

Repeat this process until all the clones have been pulled.

Once all clones have been pulled take a clone from the solo cup and make a 45 degree cut with your Scalpel, 1/2” to 1” from the bottom of the stem.
Dip the clone bottom of the clone stem into a rooting hormone.

Place the clone into the pre-drilled hole of the FloraFoam plugs 1/3 of the way down.

Tip:

If the clones do not fill the center hole poke them directly into the 40/40 plug next to the center hole for a snug fit.
Foliar spray the plants with Veg Foliar.

Place the Incubator Dome on the Incubator tray. Ensure that all vents are fully closed to allow moisture to build up inside the dome.

Place the Incubator Kit under your light.

Do not open or crack the vents on the humidity dome for the first 3 days.

On day 4, 1/4 turn the top vents to open. Slide the dome to the front or back.

On day 5, Turn the top vents to 1/2 open. Check to see how moist the 40/40 plugs feel.

On day 6, Turn the top vents to 3/4 open.

On day 7, Turn the top vents to completely open. Remove the dome and foliar spray Veg Foliar.

By days 8 to 12 you should have roots start popping on your cuttings and the dome should be slid up and top vents left completely open.

During days 8-12 start removing the dome for 20-120 minutes a day to begin acclimating the clones to a veg environment to prevent shock. Extending the time period daily to see if the clones begin to wilt. If they begin to wilt place them back under the humidity dome.

The dome should be completely removed by days 12-15 and ready for vegetative growth.

Tips:

Do not remove clones from the incubator until they have rooted.
Bigger clones will typically take longer to root.
Unhealthy or tiny stem clones have a lower chance of rooting.
Leave a minimum of 2 fan leaves and nodes on the clone.

Environment

Light Cycle - 18-24 Hours

Light Intensity - 80-160 umol

Inside Dome Temp - 75-80 Degrees

Inside Dome Humidity Germination - 75-80%

Inside Dome Humidity Sprouted - 65-70%

Tips:

Lights should typically be hung 8-16" above the clone dome
You can measure the temps and humidity inside the with a Hygrometer. One with an extendable probe is ideal.
If temps are low raise the temps in the room. If that is not an option, add a heating mat under the Incubator Tray.
If the temps are high try raising your lights or lowering the temperate in your room.
Once clones have rooted ensure that the humidity levels in the dome are lowered to prevent them from dampening off. If humidity is not lowering in the dome with the vents opened and dome slid to the side increase air movement in the room and/or take the dome off daily to wipe down condensation inside the dome and place it back on.
Too much light early on can cause the clones to droop and stress.

Watering

Replace the nutrient rich water at the bottom of the tray every 3-5 days during the rooting phase and daily once roots are established.

Tips:

Do not top feed the FloraFoam plugs until you can visually see that they have dried out and contain a low moisture content. Wet growing medium leads reduces oxygen levels in the medium and lead to rotting stems.
If the cubes are not drying out remove water from the bottom of the tray and take the dome off daily for 30-60 minutes.

Transplant

See step 3 (Early Veg) of the How to Grow series for the next step in growing your clone.

Tip:

Transplant into a 1 Gallon Pot/Cube or smaller.

Cleaning Incubator Kit

Add 38ml of Bleach to 1 gallon of water. Be sure to wear gloves and prevent this from solution from touching your skin during the cleaning process.

Pour 500ml of the solution into your FloraSprayer. 

Spray the Incubator Dome with the solution and wipe it down with a clean paper towel or rag.

Pour the rest of the solution into your Incubator Bottom Tray with the 50 Cell Insert Tray inside the bottom Tray. Let the solution soak in the tray for 20-30 Minutes.

Empty the solution out of the tray. Then rinse the tray's out and wipe them down with a clean paper towel or rag. 

Download the FloraFlex® How To Grow Guide! Or click here for additional How To Grow information.