FEEDING AND WATERING

Always use room temperature water

Never fertilize a dry plant - water it well and feed an hour later

In hot weather conditions - feed only every third time you water (90 degrees F or higher) and reduce Nitrogen feed by a third in hydroponic systems

Let water stand overnight or stir it to drive off excess chlorine

For plants in soil or sunshine mix:
- feed every other time you water during normal growing conditions
- add dolomite lime (one Tablespoon per gallon of soil) as a top-dressing to soil and work it into soil after 2 months of growth

For plants in hydroponics:
- watch PH and food strength. It really helps!
- flush with straight water in hot weather

GROWING IN SUNSHINE MIX OR PRO-MIX:

(a) These soil-less mixes hold a lot of food.

(b) Feed every second time you water.

(c) When you use plain water you re-dissolve the food held by the potting mix and make it available to the roots.

General Tips

When setting up and maintaining your cloning box you must take care to provide your clones with the best propagating environment and care possible. To ensure fast rooting and high success rates, high humidity, 16 - 18 hours fluorescent light, proper air circulation, strict attention to cleanliness and correct bottom heat are absolutely necessary.

Humidity should be 80-85%. If air in cloning room is dry mist more often. Black leaf edges, black spots on leaves and mushy stems (damping off disease) are all indications of too much moisture and poor airflow. It is also essential that you provide adequate bottom heat. Do not try to skimp here. The cuttings and their cubes should be warm 24hrs per day. Often people fail to clone successfully because they do not provide bottom heat and clones will root poorly when nightime temperatures dip under twenty degrees centigrade.

Remember: Stress is bad. The faster your cuttings develop roots, the less stress they will undergoe. Any stress the cuttings are exposed to can result in a decrease of final yield by up to 50%. So treat your cuttings with a lot of T. L. C.

In emergencies: If you have to take cuttings from blooming plants, cut all the flowers off the cuttings. This will reduce stress. If planting clones outdoors treat with care and slowly acclimatise to the sunlight. Clean trays thoroughly between cycles. Use a weak bleach solution and water. Lots of bacteria and fungii spores can grow in dirty wet trays. This will lead to damping off disease. Remember cleanliness is very important. Do not resue growool cubes after they have been used throw them out and buy fresh ones they are inexpensive easy to store if kept dry. Do not clone from mother plants infested by spider mite. Keep your mother plant free of spider mites. Your cuttings will have little or no resistance to spider mites and will stress badly if attacked by the mites during cloning.

FLOWERING & CROP PRODUCTION PLANTS:

Plants that are producing flowers or fruit or that are large enough to begin crop production:
(1) Flush the root zone by gently running room temperature water through the roots. Large plants could require up to a gallon of water. This clears the soil of any leftover fertilizer from the "green growth" stage.

(2) Use "Flower Food" formula for flower and crop production. First time feed at half strength.

3/4 teaspoon Calcium Nitrate "B" (5 grams) (use only 1/2 teaspoon/gallon in hot growing conditions) 1-3/4 teaspoon Flower Food "C" (12 grams) and stir well. Feed as required. Remember to flush the roots with plan water regularly.

For soil-less gardening in gravel, lava rock, rockwool and clay pellets

BABIES:

New rooted cuttings or very young plants from seed.

Feed: 1/2 strength Flower formula
1/3 teaspoon Calcium nitrate "B" (2 grams)
Dissolve in one gallon warm water, then add:
1/2 teaspoon flower food "C" (3.5 grams) and stir well. Feed every second time you water your garden


YOUNG PLANTS:

Plants in rapid growth with established root systems.

Use a food especially designed to promote vigorous green growth. (First time - feed at 1/2 strength)

1 teaspoon Calcium Nitrate "B" (6.5 grams)
Dissolve in one gallon warm water, then add 1 teaspoon Hydroponic Food "A" (8 grams) and stir well.

Feed as required and flush the root zone with lukewarm water regularly, especially when garden temperatures reach 90 degrees F. (32 degrees Celsius)

Cloning - The Cloning Kit

To begin successful cloning you will need the following items in your kit:

> Fluorescent fixture with two full spectrum fluorescent tubes per fixture.

> 280mm x 340mm Drip Tray, Seedling Tray and Plastic Grow Top.

> Growool Propagation Blocks - up to 3 fit a standard nursery seedling tray.

> Hormone rooting compound such as "Clonex", "Eziroot", or "Rootex-L".

> Heating pad or propagation mat.

> Superthrive - anti stress agent.

> Plant Root Zone Accelerant - hormone to enhance the development of roots.

> Reputable nutrient solution and a thermometer.

> Timer.

> New razor blade single edge and pruning shears or sharp scissors.

> Spray bottle for misting clones.

How To Take Cuttings

Before you begin to take cuttings, it is a good idea to have all the equipment ready and in good working order. All equipment should be thoroughly cleaned and the cloning area should be as sterile as possible.

Step 1. Rinse the propagation blocks with a half strength nutrient solution to which has been added 4 drops of pH lower per two litres. Let propagation blocks soak for up to 10 hours prior to cloning in this solution. Discard soaking solution and just prior to cloning rinse blocks again with 4 litres of half strength warmed nutrient solution to which has been added 4 drops of Rootzone Accelerant and 5 drops of Superthrive. Insert thermometer into cubes and allow temperature to reach the green zone before cloning commences. Temperature should be maintained day and night within the range of 20 to 30 Cent if cloning is to be successful.

Step 2. Select cuttings - cuttings can be taken from anywhere on the mother plant provided the stem is of the correct thickness. Stem thickness should be between 4mm to 6mm diameter. Take cuttings with about four sets of well developed leaves and approx 100mm to 150mm in length. The topmost growing shoots make excellent cuttings however make sure the wood is of the correct thickness and not too green or to woody. You may wish to take a number of cuttings at one time immerse them in an ice cream container, or similar, filled with tepid water to which you have added a few drops of superthrive anti-stress formula.

Step 3. Take the single edged razor blade and begin trimming your cuttings. Take cuttings one at a time from tepid water and now trim bottom two sets of leaves flush with stem. Trim approx 50% of leaves by cutting across the leaf surface. It is hard for the cutting to keep these large leaves alive and they usually wilt and fall off if not cut in half. Cut the stem at fourty five degrees across the bottom leaf nodes. Gently scrape the cut area around the bottom of the stem. This disrupts the cells on the stem surface and helps them change into root cells. Take whatever rooting hormone you have purchased and dip the bottom of stem into your rooting compound. Here is a tip: Do not dip directly into rooting hormone bottle instead pour some off into a small container such as a thimble and discard what is not used. This saves you introducing any bacteria or disease into main container. Store main bottle of rooting hormone if refrigerator after opening.

Step 4. Now you are ready to put the cuttings into the growool propagation blocks. Gently insert the stem into the cube making sure the stem does not protrude out of the bottom of the cube. After all the clones have been prepared and placed in the propagation blocks you may water the block again with half strength nutrient solution to which you have added Superthrive and Root Zone Accelerant. Water the blocks until nutrient freely runs from the blocks allow to drain for a few minutes then place blocks inside the cloning chamber and place the chamber over the heating pad. You should close the vents on the grow top for the first 3 days. Check moisture and temperature for the first couple of days and mist cuttings morning and night with water to which you have added a couple of drops of Superthrive. Be careful to ensure that you do not have water sitting in bottom of tray. Growool cubes should be able to freely drain at all times. Place cloning chamber under flourescent fixture for approx 16 - 18 hours per day.

Step 5. After three days open the vent on the Grow Top. Monitor progress of clones for another 4 to 5 days by this stage it should be time to take Grow Top off the unit and expose clones to normal air - still continue misting morning and evening. Again monitor nutrient and moisture levels in the propagation block. By the end of a further 5 to 8 days you should be able to see root hairs protruding from the propagation blocks. Healthy roots look thick, white and hairy. Sickly roots look thin, yellowish or brown and hairless. The clones with the healthiest roots will be the same ones you will be proud of at harvest time.

Step 6. When your cuttings are well rooted and have begun to shoot it is time to transplant them into you growing system. Slowly introduce them to full strength nutrient and place them under a H.I.D. light system. Remember the new clones are tender and exposing them rapidly to a full strength H.I.D. lamp after the fluros would be a shock. Care should be taken to acclimatise your new clones to the brighter light. Start by raising the H.I.D. lamp approx one metre above the clones for the first few days slowly lower the lamp over the next week till the lamp is at the correct height. This will ensure a smooth stress free transition to growing under H.I.D. lamps.