HydroponicsFrie... By following these instructions you can build your own Bubble Cloner for next to nothing using parts that most people throw away. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Hi there, just want to say that your video is extremely informative and i have to agree with "jusdafide" you really do have a natural gift to teach others. Please keep up the good work!!
I’m using that long, rectangular plastic cake for little seedlings 🌱 cheap Propagation dome. Using Juffy Pucks with a pinch of Mycorrhizae in the middle. Def going to try this out though, great idea! ✌️🇨🇦
@rastderb I'm not a fan of rockwool simply because you have to treat it with low PH water before you can even use the stuff. To answer your question, no the rockwool should not touch the water. With the air pump bubbling the water there should be enough humidity to keep the rockwool wet enough. Be sure to keep the cuttings sprayed for the first few days or even better put a cover over the whole thing to keep the humidity in. Don't use tap water.
I used a similar system to start sweet potato slips. I just used an empty bucket (that originally was for kitty litter) with an air pump feeding several small aquarium air stones. I put skewers into the side of the sweet potato to suspend it at the top of the bucket, with the tip down in the water. It put out lots more slips than any other method I've tried, and quicker too. Significantly better than using just water without air, or half-burying the potato into potting soil and cutting the slips off as they develop. When the slips are at least six inches long, I cut them from the potato and suspend them into the same bucket until they root, then transplant them into the garden. Last year I got slips from one potato for almost three months. It was insane.
Aspirin is a good substitute for the rooting hormone. 1 tablet per gallon. Can purchase it at the dollar store. Same goes for the cake holder, foam pool noodle and foil.
@DarkOrchardFilms Since you are just trying to get the cuttings to root, a minimal amount of light is all you need. A widow will probable be ok. I have used "daylight" spectrum florescent and CFL bulbs effectively. These cuttings are fragile so a powerful grow light could damage them. The sky is the limit for holding the cuttings. I have seen foam pool noodles split and cut into sections as great clone holders. Pillow stuffing or batting, sponge, Styrofoam, just use your imagination.
I have a question about using this kind of system. Is it important to keep the water in the container at a certain temperature range? If the water gets to cold due to it being winter do the clones die off? What if it gets too hot?
Great T-Shirt!!!! Rah, Rah Carolina!! Go Heels!!! Nice vid and tutorial, I saw the bucket kit in a local store, and had no idea what I would do with it.....now I know! Keep up the good work
Thanks, it is a very informative video and will try it, there is just one thing that you did not explain to a novice like myself, "what is the air pump needed for?" I assume that the water has to be aired?
@Thecbh13 I had this outside on my porch in the summer with no ill effects. In winter, by a window would be fine. Maybe put a florescent light over it if they start to stretch. A good rule of thumb is as long as the temp is tolerable for you the cutting should be fine too. The important thing is to not let the leaves get too dry the first few days. Use good rain or bottled water, no tap water unless it's filtered.
@jusdafide Good question! You need to have the tip sticking down in the water. With this one I had the part sticking out of the plug, somewhere between a 1/4" and 1/2", completely in the water with the plug just barely touching the surface. The STG plugs don't wick water so they stayed dry. I've had 100% success with this system, your results may vary. :) Thanks for the question.
@MrMyrdok 1. In my case the the plugs were partially submerged but doesn't have to be. 2. Yes but only partially. Most of the roots were down in the water. Neoprene would be ok and so would rapid rooters. I've even seen swimming pool noodles cut into sections used for something like this. That's the great thing about building your own. Use what you have and be creative. This is a small system, the smallest cheapest pump is all you need. Have fun! :)
@FenderGibsonWashburn Thanks a lot for all your help and your videos. You have a natural gift to teach others and it's very nice to learn from you. -PEACE-
@ThePaving4u It makes sort of a DWC system. If you do not supply air to the roots the plants will drown. You can look here on You Tube for DWC and bubbleponics systems to get a better idea how they work.
You may just want to start pine trees and oaks from their seeds. I'm not even sure what their required mineral uptake would be, but I would assume very little growth boosters/enhancers.
Great video! As a complete newbie to this type of cloning I have a couple questions. 1) do the plugs themselves get partway submerged into the water or just the plant stem? and 2) Does the plug itself host the root system? I'm looking into making myself one and I was thinking of using a neoprene-type of material to hold the plants in place, would that work? Also, how small of a pump could you use in order to achieve root growth?
Hi stateofdenver, For whatever reason You Tube won't let me post a reply directly to you so I hope you see this. Do I think bubble method is better than aero? My personal experience is I've never tried aero. The bubble method is so cheap and easy to do and it works so well I never felt the need to try any other method. Even though I'm sure I could build and aero system, I can't justify the expense.
interesting video, thanks do you cover the tops of the plants with plastic or something to keep the humidity up around the foliage? kinda like a little green house on top ?
@FenderGibsonWashburn thanks for your reply, i started gathering parts for my bubble cloner and then i thought, maybe i want an air-o-cloner, same basic setup but a water pump sprays the water up to the roots i read that its better than bubble? and then throw an air stone in as well for disolved oxygen in the water
The media you're using to hold them in place what is it called? I heard sugar grow pucks. I'm looking for the cheapest way to hold my clones in place. I really don't want to buy the neoprene plugs. I was even thinking of using some cardboard with some slits.
@PlebScrubber This is made to be inexpensive, easy to build, and grow roots on clones. If you have the money and the knowledge to build a more expensive and complex system I say go for it. It sounds like a fun project. Is one better than another? As cheap as this is to build why not build both and compare the two for yourself. If you do, please report back and let others know too.
Pls help, I was trying to clone about 10 plants with no success so far. I bought the root hormone and followed brief instructions. I would like to clone pine trees and oaks. How long do I wait for roots so I can replant into the ground?
@PlebScrubber I usually just spray the tops as I described in the video but I have also used another clear cake container as a humidity dome. This video is just ideas to get you started. Don't be afraid to experiment and have fun with this. :)
