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Aero Cloner Set Up Today

I reset up the aero cloner today, used it briefly over the winter with hardwood scion i did get a few to show the start of early stages of rooting but then they all started to show signs of rot soon afterwards and were discarded.
This time im useing according to instructions for the fresh cut green stems, i have 3 bubblers bars for aerating water with a powerful previously bought air pump and sending tiny bubbles upwards toward the bottom of cuttings inside bin along with a spray bar set just on top of the water line that has 9 mister heads it will keep bottoms of cuttings  constantly wet with the nutrient solution and has its own type of submerged pump connected to it inside bin Im useing the nutrients provided and i mixed in the water (6 gallons) per instructed. The cutting were fresh cut with a razor and used the razor to scratch the outer layers  bottom inch of cuttings lightly and then dipped in there rooting gel provided with the kit as instructed. Its said that although it will wash of into the water bath it will instantly react when applied to the cuttings. Water temp is set at 71 to 71 degree's with a submerged heater and a bin i had was set on top to keep things humid.
Thats about it now time will tell if this contraption works for fresh cut fig cuttings as i have seen other things in pictures grown in it.  ; )
Time will tell and in about 3 weeks i should know one way or another what happens and will post about it good or bad.
I took 2 pictures but not of the inside layout cause if i open the lid water goes everywhere and i did not want to stop the system from running to do so.

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I build one of these things last winter but never put it to use
I can't find those foam circles plugs that you have on yours
But I've heard that they don't work vary well for figs 
it will be interesting to see how its going to work for you 

Good Luck

Martin keep us updated, I still have not even turned my clone bubbler on to see if it works but also want to give this a try.

Well its 2 days later and all cuttings leaves wilted 1 or 2 stems are bending slightly,  i also added a few more to some unoccupied inserts and dated everything. I did cut off the wilted leaves and noticed 1 hardy chicago which only had 1 leaf and a bud looks just fine still.
Marjo those came with the system i did order at the time net cups and hydroton which are round fired type clay balls.
Anyways time will tell so far not so good with the wilting of the leaves hopeing the stems dont go next and maybe have a fighting chance.

Ciao Martin, Have fun!  interesting. send me note and let me know how it goes as I don't come here much anymore.  Ciao

Cioa Maggie,
yes i will let you know good or bad what happens i should know something in 2 to 3 weeks if they make it that long. If not i will try something else like makeing the solution even weaker than recommened as my trees grow this season and allow me more to cut off them.

Martin keep us posted I hope the green cuttings do better for you.

Sal

Little update, since i cut the wilting leaves off there is 1 or 2 leaves on most plants with a bud tip.I have since added a few more an dated them .
But i have notice the other day a black color on some of the plants leaf edges not a lot but there , on hardy chicago i noticed the black edge increased a little bit. I then did a ph test of the water and it was at the extreme of my test kit displaying 9.0 i changed out half the water retested it at 8.0 the following day PH level spiked right back at the extreme of testing kit at 9.0 i suspect the nutrients that i mixed into the water when first set up up is doing this. I do know from my past experience of having fresh water aquariums of 30 plus years that PH levels effect the health of fish and live plants in aquarium very much in that enviorment, Fred was a rare firetail eel from Thailand that i lived for 18 years maintaining the best enviroment possible in a 55g aquarium, he used to eat right out of my hand and let me rub his sides uncommon for this species as they tend to be shy and hide under the gravel or spook very easily.
Today i bought a PH buffer solution that should maintain it at 7.0

For those curious here is what is going on with this aero cloner setup.
After useing the buffer solution which is supposed to bring the ph down to 7.0 from its current 9.0 it did nothing to change it. I even gave a second dose of the buffer solution and still did not change it the slightest bit.
So yesterday i emptied the system and washed the bin and airstones, tubeing, heater everything inside squeaky clean. Refilled with regular water no chemicals and tested water right afterwards and PH was at 7.0 which is my house water PH that i also tested.
24 hours later PH is back to 9.0 again and the only thing i can think thats raising the Ph and keping it at 9.0 is the cuttings themselves.
Im going to leave it be as is for several weeks to see what happens and will post what happens good or bad.

Cuttings failed period.
I tried to find out why PH spiked to 9.0 level after trying to buffer water at 7.0 and i found out what is happening.

I got a clean gallon jug filled with house water and mixed fresh appropiate amount of the aero fertilizer in it and then tested ph afterwards it read 7.0.
Three days later tested again it read 7.0.

Same day I cut a VdB cutting and washed the cut with house water and put in a medium size glass of plain ole house water nothing else added. Tested water afterwards 7.0
Three days later tested again it spiked to 9.0
It must be the cuttings that are spikeing the PH in aero cloner.

The cuttings originally used were pretty small diameter and held there own for a while but then most started to get mushy at the very bottom .

Im going to tear down system and clean everything in a day or 2, and look at my older fig plants and try to cut 5-8 green cuttings that are a thicker in diameter and start system back up with a lower water level and no fertilizer , if i eventually see tiny roots (wishful thinking) i will add the fertilizer.
In 2-3 weeks i will give an update good or bad.




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