I think one of the hardest aspects of propagation is waiting for the right time to root. We all come to the end of fig season and want more fig time. Winter sets in and the yearning to start cuttings runs strong. We must remember that once these cuttings take root we have to deal with them. Unless you have a greenhouse or a lot of space and lighting to baby your cuttings for the next 4 months resist the urge.
I root so that after about a month of artificial lighting they are ready to go outside. If you don't, the hassle of keeping them properly going can take its toll.
Patience is truly a virtue.
I'm chomping at the bit!
 
   

Very nice setup you have there Coop. I can hardly wait to get mine and get it set up.

Ahhh Frank, you talked me into buying a Clone King 64, thanks. They preach that no dome should be used, their practice with no dome has resulted in a much higher success rate than with a dome method. Are you using a dome?

Thanks Frank, it takes one to know one.
I am also going domeless. Good luck to you too Wayne and all you other cloners.
Great thread Dennis

Time to pot these babies up but I'm still on vacation! Maybe next weekend.

Ok I'm convinced.
So much better than rooting in soil or peat.
One question, what gph rated pumps are you guys using?
Some 400 gph units are rated at 20 watts....cheap electric bill.
I will be building mine soon.
Thanks for the great post.

Doug

My pump is 317 gallons per hour...

Does this meathod have more success than other methods ? I am so temped to make one . I really don't want to mess up my cuttings this year.

Thanks Frank.

Doug

Vinny, for me yes. If your method works and you don't have gnats to fight, then keep the one you brought to the dance. But for me, year after year, I kept loosing cuttings to gnats. I've got prize cuttings with mega roots inside my cloner. Now, that I have the cloner under T5 lights, all I have to do is replace the cloner with newly potted plants. Now, I will have gnats to fight once they root but at least I know I have mega roots under a cutting. The new leaves will fall off after I repot them but the cutting becomes a tree in 3 months of winter!

To fight the gnats, I set out 3 watering cans with 2.5 gallons of water each with 1 tablespoon of mosquitos bits and one mosquitos dunk. Plus I spray the cutting with physan 20 daily. I water the newly potted cutting every 3 days with liquid fertilizer and the critter water..

Coop:

What is the logic in creating more spaces to grow cuttings in the smaller container and less in the larger?  Are you planning on leaving the cuttings in the larger container longer?  Perhaps growing full plants?  Can't wait to see both in action.  For me, purchasing the switch was the most expensive component at $65.  1 min on, 4 min off.

Thanks Matt, I'm thinking of getting the 400 gph pump.
I use Gnatrol every other week, never have had fungus gnats since.

Doug

Aporto,

Can you post a link to your timer switch?  HD/Lowes had nothing appropriate.


Pumps - I'm using this pump from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UXBGTI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

It was $20 last month when I received it.  Now priced at $24.61.


Andrew

Well I just got back from lowes. Bought the 300 gph that is adjustable 175-300 gph.
Should work....
Time to start building.
Black 27 gallon container with the yellow squares in the top on sale for $8 at lowes, yee haw.

Have fun
Doug

Porto
The larger cloner is home made and the smaller one is not. No intent or logic to the sizes, most of us build the home made ones with readily available components The Turbo Klone is custom made. Logically smaller would be better. I won't keep the cuttings in longer in the big guy. It's just the way I built it and I already had that tub.

Here is the one I use.

This has been so much fun.
First trip to lowes the same named container had diagonal diamonds.....
Turned around went back to lowes. A simple top exchange for the ones with squares and on
my way home again.
Couldn't stop there so I made up my sprayer assembly.
No pump mounted yest, need 3/4 x 1/2 adapter and I can test.
I mounted my legs to support the sprayer assembly and will act as a baffle while the pump is
starting up.
The pump I got was 300gph max but adjustable down to 175gph.
Too much? Not enough? We'll see.
The 180 degree pattern of the spray heads are back to back for a full circle pattern.
I can not wait to try it!

Here is today's progress:

 

Doug

Doug,

I was going to use that same tote (yellow lid?), but read that it leaked like a sieve once the pump was installed.  I purchased a 54 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck tote after reading that they didn't leak - it did too, but less.

What I ended up doing was fashioning a 'shower curtain' out of black plastic 4 mm  sheeting to hang off the lid of the tote so that it falls between the lid and the sprayer/manifold.

It seems to be working well.  Unfortunately, I really filled the first one with water and ended up somehow cracking/breaking the tote - water, water, everywhere.  Probably just too much weight/stress.

I filled the second tote (didn't replace the lid) to above the pump level plus an extra level for evaporation/spillage to protect the pump.

I used Gorilla tape to hold the curtain in place.  I also needed to tape the tote handles since they had cutouts.

I have the tote resting on a seedling heat mat.  Most of my cuttings have roots/initials.


Andrew

Hi Andy.
I just bought self sticking door weatherstripping.
I'm going to install it in the lid groove.
I also bought 10 wing nuts and washers with 1/4-20 bolts.
They will be used to put equal pressure on weatherstripping.
that should seal up my box.
I'll test it today with no holes cut in the squares.
Thanks for the advice.

Doug