Have you started taking an interest in planting techniques? Are you studying the latest sowing procedures for commercial purposes? Let us introduce you to one of the methods rapidly gaining popularity: the use of best cloning gel.
Even though most beginners think that seeding is the ideal practice, but there are several disadvantages that may make you lose interest. First, seeding can be time-consuming. The plant takes a lot of time to achieve maturity. Another problem is that the seedling fails to maintain the superior quality of its parent plant. Eventually, the seeds lose the ability to provide the benefits it once had.
That is why we recommend the cloning method to solve all the problems associated with the seeding procedure. The cloning method can be used to grow different types of plants,but it is usually used to grow cannabis. To promote root cell development, we suggest that you use cloning gel.
Through proper research, we have selected the best cloning gel from various products. Before we move on to our reviews, we will give you a short introduction to rooting hormone gel.
Let’s begin with our article now.
#5 Best Aeroponic Cloners
What is Cloning Gel for Plants?
To put it in simple words, a cloning gel is used to grow roots out of a trimmed plant. Usually, roots take a long time to grow. However, cloning gels help in speeding up the process.
Your plants will easily and quickly switch from green stem cells to root cells with the help of a rooting hormone gel. Also, using the best rooting hormones will guarantee better quality and increased quantity.
Especially if you are growing cannabis, cloning gels can make your life a lot easier. They will not only save your time and money but will also give your garden better stability. Cloning can help you in creating a replica of your best yield. This is because as a result of cloning, the genetics come out the same. Simply clone the plant whose bud you like the most, and you will have more like it.
Cloning gives you freedom of selecting the best plants from your garden with the desired features such as yield, bloom, grow time, cannabinoid profile, flavor, etc.
How to Use the Rooting Gel in Your Indoor Garden?
The indoor growers are getting major benefits from this technique, especially when they are growing cannabis. Using a cloning gel to get better yields of cannabis is a straightforward process with an easy step-by-step guide with only a few key points. If you are a cannabis’ grower, get ready for a complete guide on how you can get better and healthier yields.
Things You Need for Cloning
Let’s start with the things you need to have for cloning. Only four things are crucial to this process.
- Water
- Rooting Medium
- Rooting Hormone (Cloning Gel)
- Razor
It is better to use a razor to clip the plants since using scissors can result in crushed branches. This makes the roots harder and difficult to grow.
Pick the Healthiest Mother Plants
This is a very crucial step. Make sure to pick up the best plants present in your garden. The mother plants should be sturdy, healthy and two months into the vegetative cycle. If you are looking for quick results, give the plant at least three weeks before you do the first clipping. At this stage of the plant’s growth, the new clippings will root better and stronger.
Prep the Mother Plants
Once you are done picking the potential plants for cloning, it is time to prepare them for the process. It requires a few steps to make your plants ready.
Let the Nitrogen Leave
You must let the Nitrogen makes its way out of the leaves before the cutting. An excess amount of Nitrogen in the stem and the leaves can divert the plant’s energy into growing vegetation instead of growing roots. You can achieve this by withholding from fertilizing your plants within the days before the cutting.
Keep the Plants in a Sterile Environment
To avoid any kind of contamination, work in a clean and aseptic environment. Do everything in your power to keep your plants and their cuttings from over-agitation.
Pick the Healthy and Sturdy Lower Branches
Make sure to look for the best possible options. If you are using Rockwool for the transplant, compare the stem with the rooting hole of the cubes to make sure that they fit properly. However, if you are not using it, take clippings between eight to ten inches with several healthy nodes.
Cut the Stem at an Angle
Do not cut the stems randomly. First, make sure to cut the stems as close to the main stem as possible. Second, cut them at an angle of 45 degrees to the branch. This will give maximum surface area to your rooting space. More surface area promotes faster and better growth.
Place the Freshly-cut Clippings in Water
This is a very crucial step for healthy living of new plant cuttings. Dipping the cuttings in water prevents the formation of bubbles in newly-fresh clippings. If you don’t place them in water, bubbles will form and stop water absorption.
This can kill a new clone right away. Furthermore, many experienced growers believe that additional incisions in the stem speed up the process and increases the cutting’s rooting potential. You can do that too since there is no harm in it.
Clip the Leaves to Support Photosynthesis
Once you put all your selected clippings in the water, it is time to clip the leaves for thorough photosynthesis. You can use scissors to do this. Simply cut the leaves halfway down the stem. Make sure to get rid of all the unnecessary leaves so that none of them touches the growing medium.
For one thing, this will help your clones get all the major nutrients and water. Secondly, this will stop the clipped leaves from touching each other, providing a better and sanitary system for the process.
Dunk in the Cloning Gel
Now, it’s time to put your cuttings into the cloning gel. There is nothing fancy about this procedure. Simply dunk your clippings into a bowl full of gel. The cloning gel is a gooey material which will cover the cutting base and the lower part of the stem.
Make sure that the clone tip is nicely and fully coated. The process is quick and effective. After doing this, place your clones in the rooting medium.
Transfer the Clones to the Rooting Medium
If you are a pro-gardener, you probably are well-familiar with the rooting medium and its types. However, if you are a beginner, do not worry. In this section, we will introduce you with various rooting mediums you can use easily.
Rooting medium is the channel where you place your clones for rooting after applying the cloning gel. While everyone has a different choice, there are three major types of rooting mediums you can choose from.
- Rockwool Cubes or Non-soil Equivalent: Rockwool or Stonewool cubes are made using an intertwined mixture of chalk and basalt. These cubes have a consistency of cotton candy. This gives them the freedom to provide the clones with fresh air and controlled moisture.
- Soil: The most basic, common and old choice for a rooting medium is soil. You can use soil as a rooting medium but make sure to choose one with appropriate nutrients. An abundance of nutrients in not healthy for rooting. Also, do not over or under water the soil. This can also result in a catastrophe. Remember that excess of anything is not good.
- Water: Yes, you can use water as a rooting medium too. But this way does not require a rooting hormone. Hence, it does not guarantee a speeded up and better yield as cloning techniques do.
Transplant the Roots
Once you see the roots growing, it is time for transplanting your plants to larger containers. Make sure to keep the environment sterile and hygienic. You do not want to give your plants a transplant shock at this moment. Take all the time you need to stay sanitary and do not over-agitate your plants.
How to Make Clones Root Faster?
Best Cloning Gel Reviews | Best Rooting hormone
Here are some of the best options out there when it comes to cloning gels for cannabis.
Midas Products Rooting Gel Hormone for Cuttings
The IBA cloning gel from Midas Products is claimed to be one of the best rooting hormones present in the market. It can quickly turn your cuttings into a whole plant. Manufacturers boast that this product is better than cloning hormone powders in every possible way, and has a shelf life of two years after opening the bottle. This gel includes IBA hormones which is one of the most famous hormones in the horticultural industry.
Features
The Midas Products cloning gel has advanced features which will promote extensive root growth in your clippings.
- Ingredients: The lead ingredient of this cloning gel is IBA hormone. It helps in faster and better growth of roots.
- Easy to Use: You can simply put your clippings in a bowl full of this gel. It will form a uniform layer, covering the surface area completely. From there, it easily transfers the ingredients of the gel into the stem.
- Best for Beginners: The easy to use pattern and quick action make this gel the perfect choice for beginners. It completely coats the cuttings to prevent the formation of air bubbles. You can then put it in the medium of your choice.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Money-back guarantee
- Two-year shelf life
- Best for beginners
Cons
- Non-dilutable
- Cannot be used in a cloning machine
HydroDynamics Clonex Rooting Gel
Clonex’ Hydrodynamic rooting hormone gel is a water-based formula which helps you in growing plants from fresh cuttings. It is a glutinous and tenacious gel which will cover the stem and the surface area completely. This will help in sealing the cut tissue to avoid any contamination and supplying the hormones to ensure faster root cell development.
The Clonex cloning gel also provides essential vitamins to the delicate and fresh root tissue. This gel not only ensures the growth of healthy roots but will also provide baby roots with mineral nutrients and trace elements for their complete nourishment during crucial early stages.
Features
Since 1988, Hydrodynamics Clonex cloning gel is providing growers with all the features they look for in the best cloning gel.
- Ingredients: The Hydrodynamics cloning gel has the right ingredients for increasing root growth and keeping them healthy and alive. It has a full spectrum of minerals and vitamins for vigorous and better growth for your new clippings.
- Easy to Use: It is advised not to put your new cuttings directly into the gel bottle. Instead, take the gel into a small cup or bottle and dip the cuttings in it. If you put it in a refrigerator, it will last longer.
- Best to Use in Different Medium: While you can use this cloning gel with different rooting mediums including rooting plug, peat, Rockwool, and coco coir pellets, they also have a cloning solution for cloning machines.
Pros
- Lasts a long time
- Dilutable
- Easy to use
- Suitable for different mediums
- Suitable for cloning machine
- Value for money
Con
- Mixed reviews
Quick Clone Gel
As the name suggests, Quick clone gel can help you in a ‘quick’ and sturdy root growth in your fresh plant succulents. If you are looking for a reliable cloning gel, this is your pick. With a thick formula, this cloning gel makes sure that your clones get the right amount of minerals, vitamins and rotting hormones to root fast and flourish better. It helps in cloning your best-yielding and healthy plants to get better and more harvests.
Features
Quick cloning gel has amazing features that can turn a simple clipping into a full-fledged plant.
- Ingredients: The Quick cloning gel has a base of brewed tea and other natural ingredients, including amino acids to promote healthy and quick root development.
- Easy to Use: Simply take out some gel in a bowl and dunk the cuttings in. The formula is thick enough to easily cover the cutting surface and surrounding stem.
- Best to Use in Multi-mediums: This gel can be easily used in different rooting mediums such as coco or peat pellets, stone wool or any other rooting plug of your choice.
- Suitable for Cloning Machine: The most interesting feature of this gel is thatyou can directly use this gel in a cloning machine.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Suitable for use in different mediums
- Suitable for cloning machine
- Dilutable
- Suitable for different types of plants
Cons
- Mixed reviews
- Non-consistent texture
Technaflora Rootech Gel for Plants
Technaflora’s Rootech cloning gel is for growers who are looking for a unique and exceptional cloning formula which contains fast and powerful hormones to ensure rapid and healthy root production. It comes in an easy-to-use bottle. You can apply the cloning gel directly onto the most hard-to-root plants. It is thick so you can also dilute it to clone the clippings.
Features
With the powerful features and ingredients, Rootech cloning gel is a sure-short method to foster sturdy clones with rapid and healthy root growth.
- Ingredients: Rootech cloning gel contains quick and robust hormones to ensure healthy root development during the vegetative stage. It consists of 0.55% IBA. Think of it as a proprietary blend with propylene glycol and 1H-indole-3-butanoic acid.
- Easy to Use: You can clone the small cuttings directly from this gel’s bottle. The gel forms a uniform contact around the stem with sustenance. It is made ready to use. For large clippings, you can dilute it with water.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Dilutable
- Ready to use
Cons
- Tiny bottle
- Expensive
How to Clone Cannabis?
Clonex Rooting Gel
Since 1989, Clonex rooting gel has been helping growers in achieving better and healthier yields. It is a full spectrum of mineral nutrients, vitamins and root-growing hormones. It makes sure to nourish the young roots during the vegetative stages. Once applied, it seals the cut tissue, supplying the cutting with all the essentials for better roots’ growth.
Features
The features of Clonex cloning gel are unmatched in the hydroponic industry to date.
- Ingredients: It has a full spectrum of minerals and vitamins to protect the delicate, baby root tissue. The Clonex gel has a sturdy and powerful hormone for rapid root cell growth. It is completely alcohol-free.
- Easy to Use: The Clonex cloning gel comes in a 15 ml packet. You can easily open the sachet and put the gel in a small container.
- Best to Use in Different Mediums: This cloning gel can be easily used in different growing mediums, including Rockwool, peat, and coco coir pellets.
Pros
- Lasts a long time
- Dilutable
- Easy to use
- Suitable for different mediums
- Suitable for cloning machine
- Value for money
Con
- Mixed reviews
CYCO Cyclone Rooting Gel
If you are after a cloning gel that ensures rapid roots’ growth like never before, the CYCO Cyclone rooting gel is manufactured just for you. It works on all clones and cuttings sturdily. The CYCO Cyclone gel contains an exclusive formula that can help your clippings to grow roots in a comparatively faster rate than other gels.
Features
With a brilliant rooting mechanism, the CYCO Cyclone rooting gel has the best features to go for.
- Ingredients: The CYCO Cyclone rooting hormone gel has 0.17% – Indole -3-Butyric Acid and 99.83% other ingredients which help in better and healthy rooting.
- Easy to Use: This cloning gel is extremely easy and straightforward to use. It works great for softwood and semi-hardwood clippings.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Unique Formula
- Value for money
Con
- Probably not for beginners due to fast results
Conclusion & Recommendations
Since cloning is a popular roots growing technique, there are several types of rooting products available in the market. This definitely makes it harder to decide on the best one. Many of these cloning gels are made of natural ingredients, while others use rooting hormones to accelerate root development.
All the above-recommended gels are the best ones available in the market right now. However, Clonex and Rootech are the best cloning gels among these based on the reviews. Clonex is tried and tested for over 30 years. It is also affordable and has the best growth rate.
FAQ
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the cloning gels.
What is the best cloning gel?
While there are many options available in the market, the best rooting gels are:
- Hydrodynamics Clonex Cloning Gel
- Clonex Rooting Hormone Gel
- Quick Cloning Gel
- Technaflora Rootech Gel
- Midas Products Rooting Gel
- CYCO Cyclone Rooting Gel
What are the pros and cons of cloning gel?
While using a rooting hormone gel has more benefits, there are still a few points that can be considered as drawbacks.
Pros
- A Cloning gel helps in quick and rapid root development.
- It keeps the root from contamination, increasing its chances of success
- Use of cloning gel saves the clones from transplant shock
- It is easy to use
Cons
- If the gel falls off, it can kill the clone. However, it only happens with inferior quality gels.
- In the case of hydroponic systems, the roots can be prone to root.
Why use cloning gel?
If you can’t or don’t want to wait for a quick and healthy yield of your favorite plants, you can use cloning gels for an ensure quick and sturdy root development. A cloning gel forms a uniform layer around the stem and the cutting surface, providing essential nutrients and best rooting hormone for better root growth.
What are the different cloning mediums and which is the best?
There are different cloning mediums available in the market. You can pick the one which is best for you.
- Rockwool Cubes: Rockwool cubes contain an intertwined mixture of chalk and basalt. They look like cotton candy and has a similar consistency. It provides the cuttings with better airflow and controlled-moisture.
- Soil: Soil is the oldest rooting medium that works best with an appropriate amount of nutrients and water. Do not over or under water the soil. Also, avoid the soil with an abundance of nutrients.
- Water: You can also use water as a rooting medium. However, it does not require a rooting hormone.
In our opinion, the Rockwool cubes work best for the clones. It is also the latest technique which is developed following the rooting requirements. Hence, it provides all the necessary features of a rooting medium.
What are the best nutrients for clones?
Vitamin B1 and best rooting hormones such as IBA hormones are the best nutrients for clones.
How to ensure that your cloning gel works effectively?
There are a few steps to make sure that your cloning gel works effectively.
- Use a quality product
- Cut the clippings using a razor
- Clip closer to the main stem
- Cut the cutting in a 45 degrees angle from the main branch
- Cover the cutting properly in the gel
Where to buy cloning gel?
You can buy the cloning gels online from Amazon or any reliable hydroponic store near you.
Cloning gel or powder? Which is better?
The popular opinion is that cloning gel is far better than a powdered rooting hormone due to its ease of use. It sticks to the stem easily, keeping it safe from all kinds of decays. This also helps in transferring the rooting hormone easily and quickly to the cuttings.
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