Clones run on both of our programs, on purpose. Soak the rooting plugs in 4.25 grams Bloom A and 2.17 grams Bloom B per US gallon; unrooted cuttings in an aeroponic cloner get the same Bloom mix. The overnight cutting solution and the rooting feeds use Veg A and Veg B. Once the clones are rooted and leave propagation, go straight to full Veg: 4.6 grams Veg A and 3.1 grams Veg B per gallon.
| Step | What we use |
|---|---|
| Plug soak | 4.25 g Bloom A + 2.17 g Bloom B per gallon |
| Aero cloner, unrooted cuttings | 4.25 g Bloom A + 2.17 g Bloom B per gallon |
| Overnight cutting solution | 3.83 g Veg A + 2.58 g Veg B per gallon, with 0.2 mL bleach per gallon |
| Dome day 7 | Water with 4.6 g Veg A + 3.1 g Veg B per gallon at pH 5.5, with 1 tbsp beneficial bacteria |
| Day 14 | Feed 4.6 g Veg A + 3.1 g Veg B per gallon at pH 6.0 |
| Propagation pH | 5.5–5.7 |
| Light | 24 hours, 50–80 PPFD (4–7 DLI) |
| Clone room (the room, not inside the dome) | 78–81 °F, 64–68% RH |
| Rooted clones | 4.6 g Veg A + 3.1 g Veg B per gallon |
The step-by-step amounts are in our clone setup guide and rooting and dome guide.
Why the numbers look different
None of these are typos. The plug soak is Bloom, the cutting solution and rooting feeds are Veg, and propagation pH runs lower than the 5.8–6.4 optimal range on our nutrient availability chart. All of that is intentional. Dissolve the A first, then the B, every time, and check the finished solution.
A four-gallon batch of the Bloom mix takes 17 grams Bloom A and 8.68 grams Bloom B. If an older guide shows different four-gallon numbers, use these.
The 64–68% RH and 78–81 °F targets are for the room around the domes. Don't try to hold those numbers inside the dome.
Running an aero cloner
- The 5–10 minute wait after dipping in gel is the gel's dwell time before the cuts go into the cloner. It isn't a pump timer.
- Run the pump on a timer at 1 minute on, 6 minutes off, so it doesn't heat the water.
- Replace the cloner solution about weekly, mixed for the actual volume. Topping up a sterilizer isn't a reason to add another full nutrient charge.
- Keep the cloner clean and make sure every sprayer is working.
- Roots tangled together? You can cut them apart. It isn't ideal, so keep as much root on each clone as you can.
Standing water and transplant
Avoid standing water in the tray while the clones are rooting. Once they're rooted, from day 14 on, leave standing water after feeds and change it daily.
When they're rooted and ready to leave propagation, go to full Veg at 4.6/3.1. Don't keep rooted clones on the propagation mixes, and don't put them on the seedling ramp. Going into coco, transplant, then feed full Veg with plenty of runoff and follow the establishment drybacks in drybacks explained. Raise the light gradually after rooting; that's a light change, not a reason to cut the feed.
The cloning mixes are for cuttings only. Seeds start at the lower Veg seedling ratio; see feeding seedlings. Rockwool blocks for transplant need their own conditioning; see preparing rockwool.
If one batch is slow to root
Compare the slow group with one that's rooting normally: source mother, cutting date, moisture, position and water temperature. Check the actual mix, pH and delivery before changing the recipe for every cutting. A blocked sprayer or a weak mother won't be fixed by adding a booster.
Check the mother too. Mothers get full Veg at 4.6/3.1, and we don't flush them before taking cuts. If one keeps producing weak cuttings, correct that plant before taking another batch; see healthy mother plants make better clones. To check the room, use our VPD calculator with measured air temperature, humidity and leaf temperature.
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