Devices to facilitate Cuttings/Cloning

[Tucson Grower]

I have, since, even before I was in 9th grade Horticulture class, at Bolsa Grande HS in Westminster, CA - where I learned to propagate fuchsia by stem cuttings and learning about peat/lite soilless mixes, been fascinated by cutting pieces of plants and then miraculously using those pieces to make even more, nearly identical, whole, intact plants.
  
So, here I'd like to share with you all, something I have recently tried, with great success. It's called -->aeroponics<--, where your stem cuttings get maximum exposure to air/oxygen, while still not being allowed to dry out. It is an excellent way to get many cuttings to root quickly and well.

I'm linking one YouTube video (see link at aeroponics, above), where a 5-gallon bucket is used with a small fountain pump to spray the cuttings until they've fully rooted and are ready to start life on their own. Another similar device uses an ultrasonic fog producing transducer to keep the cuttings damp yet highly oxygenated. I've used both and they work about the same for me.

I've used mine to clone, Black Mission fig, Beefsteak tomatoes, Mediterranean reed (Arundo donax), Basil, and various other desirable plants. They'd probably work well with rooting of sweet potato vine cuttings, too. I'm anxious to give that a try.

[Tucson Grower]

It just occurred to me that I should give cloning okra a try. What better way to increase germplasm (seed production) for those, most desirable selected mother plants. I should start checking that out, tomorrow.

I suppose the efficacy of this would depend on how soon you were able to identify the plants worthy of this distinction. Of course, you could process all or just selected candidates, then eliminate them/cull them, once the final determinations were made.

[macmex]

Thank you so much for posting this! I'm really psyched about trying this, especially for blueberries and mulberries. Now sweet potatoes probably don't merit that kind of attention. Just stick them in the damp ground, even without any roots, and the slips will root withing 3 or 4 days. I see this technology as having great for some plants which are harder to root. Many years ago I lived in a high cold rain forest, in Central Mexico. We received 11' of precipitation a year, mainly in the form of drizzle. There, at 7500' altitude, it was pretty cool. We were able to root apples and plums by simply cutting the twig and sticking it in the ground. One time, a friend cut down a pear tree for firewood, in November and left the twigs on the ground. By April many of them had ROOTED! This technology makes me think of such conditions. I'm going to try it!


In the Youtube comments that fellow posted this link for Clonex Cloning Solution, for rooting harder to root plants. I really appreciate his thoroughness.

[Tucson Grower]

macmex,
I hope it works for you as well as it has for me. It's really fun, for me, making more plants, especially if a unique tool can help make it easier and more successful.

[heavyhitterokra]

Cool video, thanks for posting that! I'd have never thought of building one of those in a hundred years. That would be awesome if it worked on blueberry cuttings. I've got a blueberry that I'd sure like to clone. I've had as many as 3 gallons of berries off of that single plant in one season. The rest of my blueberry plants are basically duds in comparison. It would be awesome to be able to clone that plant to share it with friends.

[macmex]

I'm sure it would work for blueberries. I used to make blueberry cuttings, as a kid, just using plastic pots, sand for medium and a plastic bag over top to conserve moisture.

[macmex]

Well, here's my 2021 Christmas present from my wife and daughter. We got the components and put this together from the instructions up at the top of this thread. This evening, as the sun was setting, I clipped 5 blueberry twigs, 3 mulberry twigs and 1 twig of Arkansas Black (apple). 




I'm using a Clonex solution in the water on the inside Will keep you posted on how it goes.



We actually built two of these units. I hope to set the other up with plum cuttings.

[heavyhitterokra]

That's awesome, George!

Thanks, for posting that. A picture is worth a thousand words.

[macmex]

Yesterday I took six cuttings from our Santa Rosa plum tree and set them in water. Today I got our other aeroponic cloning bucket going and put them in it. There are two slots left. We'll see what I put in there.



Santa Rosa is my favorite plum. We had them in the back yard when we lived in Tlatlauqui, Puebla, Mexico. There, one could take a cutting of one by simply sticking a branch in the ground. Our Santa Rosa tree is dying, so I was very happy to find some live branches to make cuttings. If they take I'll be over the moon happy about it!

[chrysanthemum]

I do believe that I have posted my compliments on this thread twice now, and I think sometimes when I do a quick reply, I then hit reply and think I’ve posted, but I haven’t. I’m evidently a slow learner. Maybe the third time will be the charm.

Those buckets look great, macmex . I love that you might have a good way to propagate some trees, especially now your beloved plum, and it’s also exciting that with this method you can peek from time to time.

I’ve never used an aeroponic setup (and even this supposed simple build is really a bit intimidating to me), but I do have two little hydroponic setups. They are both Aerogarden brand indoor gardens. We acquired our first years ago when we stopped outdoor gardening for a period of time when we discovered that one son had allergies to all sorts of vegetables. My oldest was only five at the time, and she missed growing basil, so her aunt gave her an Aerogarden with an herb kit for Christmas one year. I discovered after that that it was a really good way for me to start leek seeds (one of the vegetables my allergic child could eat and oh-so-expensive in the stores). I ended up finding a second used Aerogarden (new prices were way too high, even years ago, and these days I just can’t even believe them), and I use both of these to this day to start my seeds as they are the only lights I have down here in Texas.

Here’s a picture of some kale, lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower that I had already hardened off and intended to put in my garden last weekend.  Thankfully before I actually transplanted them I saw the forecast for this week.  Now it’s looking like they’ll be inside for a while, so I’ve pruned their roots.  I probably should pot them up, but I’m seeing how long I can go before I really have to do that.



My second Aerogarden has some sugar snap peas growing in cotton balls right now.  Once I move the cool season plants out, I’ll need to start tomatoes and peppers an the like.  Those I definitely will pot up before putting them out.  I just like to skip that step if I can.

These ideas about cloning in an aeroponic setup have got me wondering if I can use my hydroponic setup to try to propagate my citrus or olives this spring. @tucson Grower, have you ever used a hydroponic setup? How does that compare to aeroponics?