Top 8 Tips for Raising Cuttings and Seedlings
Raising cuttings and seedlings? It doesn't have to be hard.
Here are our top 8 tips to make propagation easy.
1. Start more seeds and take more cuttings than you need
Failures are inevitable – when they happen you’ll need a backup supply. If there aren’t any failures, well done! Just use the best cuttings or seedlings of the bunch. We recommend raising at least double the amount you need. Here are a couple of kits that'll give you everything you need.
2. Always choose cuttings over seeds when possible
What you need to remember about seeds is that you never know what their genetic make up is - all plants grown from seeds will have slightly different characteristics.
Cuttings, on the other hand, are genetic clones of their parent plant. Always use cuttings from your best performing plants when you can.
It's fine to start off with seeds - we all have to get our genetic stock from somewhere!
When starting with seeds, always take cuttings from each plant before switching to the flowering cycle. Once your plants have fully flowered, you'll know which one is your top performing plant. Use the cuttings from this plant when you next propagate.
3. Transplant plants when they’ve established a good root system
Transplant them too soon and you could stress them out. This can result in poor root development.
As long as you've used Clonex or another rooting gel, after around 10-28 days, most cuttings and seedlings will have plenty of roots and look sturdy for their size. You should transplant them at this point.
4. Keep your humidity between 75 and 85% RH
To raise the humidity in your propagator, simply close the vents.
At a high humidity, less water is lost through leaves. Energy that is normally spent replacing this water will be used for rooting instead!
At 22oC - 25oC, aim for between 75 & 85% RH (relative humidity).
5. Keep your temperature between 21oC and 26oC
The ideal temperature is 24oC, but anywhere between 21oC and 26oC is good.
To stay inside this range, try a heated propagator.
Vitopods are a good bet - they function like little greenhouses! Heat is evenly distributed across the propagator base so there are never any cold or hot patches. It's amazing!
6. Use propagation lights
A T5 light or blue 125W CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) should do the trick!
They’re low intensity, low energy and as a result hardly produce any heat. They work wonders when raising cuttings or seedlings.
HID (High Intensity Discharge) lights are far too intense. You can use them, but only if you raise them up to 3 times higher than normal.
If all you have is a 600W grow light, hang it 1.5 - 1.8M above the propagator.
7. Use a Root Booster
Get your roots right and you'll have healthier plants, bigger yields and faster growth.
A good root booster will help speed up root initiation, stimulate branching and boost root mass. Your plants will develop a stronger, more complex root network with more secondary roots.
Our favourite root booster is Katana Roots.
8. Use a Propagation Grow Tent
They’re small and compact – just the right size to maximise your propagation lights.
Try our BAY6 propagation tents – they’re a firm favourite. You can stand them up or lay them flat – whichever suits your set up.
