Has anyone used a clone machine?

A few years ago I bought one and it is still out in the shed waiting for me to try it out..I am curious if anyone has ever used one to start plants and any pros/cons you care to share..

Thanks, Kris

I have a GroClone brand cloning machine. I've had great luck with it. Mine is a bit different from the type that sprays or mists from below. Here's a link to see the one I have.

http://www.growclone.com/ps-12-1-groclone.aspx

And while this one says just water is fine to put in the resevoir, I add hydrogen peroxide and Eleanors VF11
so far so good.

Here are some plectranthus australis (Creeping Charlie) in the cloner

And after 12 days, roots are pretty nicely established. At this point I potted them up.

Do you think this would work with roses?

wow begoniacrazii! that thing is amazing - how long from the time you start the cuttings to the time you plant? Also, do you reuse the support disks? They look like they would just slip off... (?) I looked at the site - $160 for everything but do you have to buy extras?

Sorry - I saw the "12 days to pot up" - I meant to say - how long before they go into the ground?

Well since I'm in zone 9, I dont' put a whole lot of tender perennials in the ground. These are houseplants and I also do begonias but I dont put begonias in the ground here.

I have no idea bout roses, but I'd be happy to stick a cutting in there and see.

no the neoprene discs are reusable and the fit snug around a cutting.

begoniacrazii, I'd be most grateful to hear if the rose cutting succeeds.

This is what mine looks like, it has not been out of the box yet, but I finally brought it in the house to motivate me. I am going to try dwarf burford holly and roses to see how they will do.

Earthling that is one that I have seen offered for sale by various suppliers. I think you should put it to good use and report back to us how well it did. Roses shouldn't be that hard to prop. and should do very well in your cloning machine.

Earthling I second that!! Let us know how it worked - with pix if possible.

Earthling ,

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/498781/

OK! Wow! Glad to find people over here who have clone machines. Please tell me what you all think of this model-
http://www.gtghydroponics.com/store/0-0-240.htm

There is an optional clear-view lid for this model.

I am not an expert, but in reviewing many on the market that seems pricey to me- but again I am only in the researching stage myself.

FYI found the same item at another merchant for $100.00 less. I don't know anything about either vendor but $100.00 is rather a large difference.

http://www.hydroponics.net/c/91

Hope this helps.

what is a cloning machine? Do you put little bits of the plant in a machine and the little bits turn into plants? Do you use plant DNA?

Excuse my ignorance.

Not exactly- although there are folks who can; these machines provide optimal oxygen & fetlizer in solution to cuttings so that they root faster, have stronger root systems etc. People who do large numbers of cuttings or who root hard to root cuttings like these machines. They are a little expensive- priced from 80.00 to more than 500.00; someone much smarter than I made his own and shared all the info w/ folks here on Dave's Garden- do a search for cloning machine and I am sure that you will find it, or someone may direct you to the post.
Hope this helps.

Found it again for a lower price
http://homeharvest.com/hydrosysghpropagation.htm

The last link was to a RainForest 36. That's their entry level model. I play around a lot and figured since I enjoy gardening, I might as well just come out the gate and buy the RainForest 318. I am going to need the humidity dome which is an additional $75 and there was something else that was an add on that I wanted but I forgot. Ugh, I hate it when that happens. So far, your first link has the best prices on the model I want but they don't have the humidity dome and the other vender won't sell the humidity dome unless he sells the unit. I still have time. I may go without the humidity dome to save the money or I may contact the manufacturer and ask if they have any venders that might sell the humidity dome alone. Hey! Thanks for the first link to the best pricing on line!

I found the member who made their own. I am not that creative unfortunately.

I thought about trying to make one but since the one I got was just over $100, I figured the time and materials it would take to make one would probable get me to that figure anyway..this way it was all in a box ready to plug in..(not that I've done that yet..sigh)

I'm with you. The few times I decided to "create" my own to save money, I ended up losing a lot of time and came out close or higher in price.

Couldn't agree more, I looked and looked at the directions to make your own and figured for time and trouble it would be best for me to buy one!

Every once in a while my husband tells me that I am penny wise and dollar foolish. Me trying to make anything would probably fall into that category. Probably best for me to just unpack and plug in ;)

No what you mean. I believe that my husband would say the same thing. Now just trying to figure out which one to buy. Anybody have any suggestions?

Here's a neat cloning machine for people, tee he- http://www.funsilly.com/clone1.shtml

I found the humidity dome for the RainForest 318 that I'm interested in and it's only $50 at this site- http://www.discount-hydro.com/cloning.asp

This site has a decent overview of cloning machines-
http://www.sgs-hydroponic.com/workbook/systems.html

These were some of the clone machines that I looked at-

American Agrotech has many clone machines-
http://www.americanagritech.com/
then click on products and then type the word clone into the search engine and everything they have comes up. Looks as if they have a corner on the market.

EZ-Clone has really nice cloners-
http://www.ezclone.com/
go into their site and it's quite interesting.

General Hydroponics- http://www.genhydro.com/
Manufacturers of the RaiForest Systems
Here are specs on the 318- http://www.4hydroponics.com/hydroponics/Mnl/rainforest.pdf

Deep Water Innovations-
http://www.deepwaterinnovations.com/
Manufacturers of a 42 and 84 site cloner- http://www.hhydro.com/cgi-bin/hhydro/XHH0411.html

Hydrodynamics Intl.- http://www.hydrodynamicsintl.com/
Manufacturers of both the IGS and the Europonic Rockwool System-
http://www.tcs-hydroponics.com/doc/europonic.htm

Feeling like you want to make a business of this?
Commercial Hydroponic Garden - Bonzai Systems!
http://www.medicalclosets.com/
For as low as $2,995.00, you too can have a revolutionary rotating clone machine. Now! Don't everyone run out and buy one of these and drive the stock prices up!

Yeah I think that 2995.00 is just a bit beyond my budget- just a tad.

Oh take two! Just kidding. I saw that machine and the price and my eyeballs boinged out of my head like they were on slinkies.

I am laughing just picturing that! Way too funny.
The real problem is that the price range of those we can afford seems to be pretty wide- is the major difference just that one will handle more cuttings at a time or is there a real difference? Anybody....?

I am still gravitating toward the RainForest more so because it does have an optional humidity dome but barring that, this is what has me still leaning strongly toward this design-

Okay....don't laugh.....trying to be creative by making your own system.

Why not make your own? I'm not sure how this is set up, but using the air bubbles that uses for home aquarium fishes would probably be appropriate. Poke a small hole where the tube of this goes into the container have a long air tube the middle of the plastic box with several tiny like holes for oxygen / bubbles to come out at several places in the box. You might be able to hold it down with water proof electrical tape. (I think having the water filter might be ideal with charcoal to keep the water clean. )

Place another hole for a PVC pipe to refill the water level in the container or adding the plant food, etc, etc.

Get a rubbermaid / plastic container 6-8" high. preferrably dark color like green, blue or black.

On the lid: Make hole at top, similar to the clone machine.

Maybe use sponge or floral brick, to make a circular plant holder: 1/4" -3/4" drill hole in the center, cut the circle in half. Place the cutting between the two halves of the circle together and fit into the hole of your container. (Might need to use rubberband to keep the two halves together)

Does this make sense?

Linda

He he he, not laughing at you but with you. I'm still gonna buy. I know making anything is out of my league. I had trouble helping my boys with their Cub Scout projects. I can not decorate a cake to save my life and hammers are nothing more than something to flatten out my fingertips.

Linda
Ordinarily I'd agree that making my own would be the best plan, but my past failures, though few, have included the simple outdoor fountain that nearly everbody has created...step by step directions in magazine, followed to the letter and still couldn't get the pot to hold water. It wasn't the cost, because it wasn't much, but it was frustrating to have wasted the time.

And one thing that I don't do w/ any degree of comfort is work w/ electricity; especially electricity and water. Mixing the 2 just seems to be asking for an unwanted perm! I know I am a whimp...but I'd be happy to build you an ark, book shelf...hmm maybe the ark is not such a good idea. LOL.

You just summed up my sentiments about water and electricity perfectly. I don't know who you are but you crack me up. I've taken many craft classes and so far the only thing I feel relatively comfortable playing with is ceramics. Not pottery, ceramics. The deal where you clean the greenware and then you fire the piece and then you glaze it. I never could get the hang of crocheting. My whittling class was a nightmare. I ended up quitting after I had visions of my fingers flying across the room. I stabbed myself in a class on wood block prints. That was fun, I should have stuck to linoleum prints. Much safer in that there is less resistance when you gouge. Speaking of simple outdoor water fountains, I tried one of those too. Same step by step instructions. I kept cracking the pots when I was drilling and round about the third trip to Steins to buy replacement pots, I gave up. I love crafts and projects. They just don't love me back.

I don't want to make you think that I can't do anything because I consider myself to be pretty handy, but it's best to know one's limits. My mother has been quilting forever and made me exquisite clothing all my life- this has been a lifesaver for me because my quilting and sewing skills leave a lot to be desired...what can I say, I am not so good w/ exact measurements, straight lines, etc. I am not what you'd call detail oriented. I do know how to drill a hole in pot, you have to have a bit that is specific for pottery or ceramics; however, I did it to a lovely terra cotta pot that was begging for a weeping flowery type plant, and never mind my green thumb, everything I have ever planted in it has died! Sometimes do it yourself isn't the best way to go.
As for crocheting, I learned at a young age how to crochet granny squares- as I got older I figured I could graduate to something else, especially since I know many people who crochet, as the Wizard of Oz would say, "Why, anybody can have a brain--that's a very mediocre commodity. Back where I come from, we have universities--seats of great learning-- where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts--and with no more brains than you have." and as a result, I have millions of granny squares and now my mom tells me I have done them right and wrong side on the same side! Oh well, good thing I didn't teach my kids- LOL. But I must say, you are brave to attempt crafts and classes that utilize sharp implements!
So, back OT, have you bought or decided which clone machine to buy? I contacted one of the stores that says they will answer questions and basically the guy said all on them market are good and the choice boils down to what you need in regard to how many plants you want to clone at a time and your budget.

Well, just when I thought I was set on the RainForest, one of my older brothers told me to hold off and wait for the Scientific Overstock Sale to see if I could possibly pick anything up that might work for me. So now I am going to wait because they "allegedly" sold a bunch of some small clone machines for $25 a piece last year. I'd actually prefer to have several small clone machines to keep cuttings separate than one large cloner. Now mind you, I am not the most patient person in the world and if he doesn't get back to me with the dates of this overstock sale within a few weeks, I will go and order the RainForest 318 because I want a cloner here by the first week of June. There are specific plants I want to clone from softwood and that is the optimal time to take the cuttings.

Scientific Overstock Sale? Hmmm that sounds promising, but I too am not that patient, having more than one wouild be the hot ticket, wouldn't it? Thanks for the info.

I was actually thinking more along the lines of bacterium and fungi. If several cuttings have been exposed to pathogens, they would all be exposed to pathogens when in a cloner. Silly thought of mine but it was enough to make me sit and think that it might be prudent to considering waiting it out. Several small cloners might be better than one large one when attempting to root numerous species of cuttings at once.

Hmm you must be one of those cautious types who sterilizes soil in the microwave! I throw caution to the wind and figure everything I take cuttings of from the outside has been exposed to everything that Texas has to throw at it. I am a little more cautious w/ my inside crew, but not as much as most.

I have looked at all current prices on the web and cannot find much difference in price- maybe $10.00 here or there. So spill your guts and tell me more about this Scientific Overstock thing and how long will you be waiting?

Think Im goin to make one myself......