Botanicare's Hydroguard is Back

Botanicare's Hydroguard is now back, replacing its previous replacement AquaShield.   Now being formulated with a different species of bacteria, Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens (as opposed to the previous and more commonly used Bacillus Subtilis), it is even more concentrated and effective at improving root health and root mass.  Plus the shelf-life has increased to 2 years, instead of the 1 year shelf life of AquaShield.  A great weapon against root rot.

Video: Cleaning Your Cloning Machine

As an update to our previous post on the importance of properly cleaning your cloning machine, EZ-Clone has posted this video to walk you through it, step by step.  The same rules apply to all aeroponic and deep water hydroponic systems to avoid fungal/bacterial growth that can severely impact your plants.  Suggestion: Watch it on mute (sorry EZ-Clone)! 

With Cloning, Cleanliness = Success

(photo courtesy of EZ-Clone's blog)

When cloning hydroponically, cleaning your cloning machine is probably the most important key to success.  We always recommend a THOROUGH cleaning immediately after transplanting your clones out of your EZ-Clone machine.  Don't put it off and let it sit around for a few days (or longer).  The longer it sits with stagnant water and decomposing plant matter in it, the more bacteria/fungi/pathogens have a chance to grow and the harder it will be to disinfect later.  EZ-Clone wrote an entry about this on their blog, giving their advice on how to clean and maintain a productive cloning machine.  Check it out here.

New Product: EZ-CLONE Classic Cloning Systems

EZ-CLONE, the most effective and popular cloning machine, has been redesigned.  The new EZ-CLONE Classic cutting system has 75+ improvements over the original model, most notably:

-the change in material from ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) to HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) which is UV Resistant, doesn't conduct as much heat (meaning your water will stay cooler), is more environmentally friendly and is FDA, NSF and USDA approved for contact with food.

- shallower and slightly smaller holes for cloning collars and 2 finger recesses for easier removal and less chance of damage to your cuttings

- smoother finish for easier cleaning (cleanliness is key when cloning, the tiniest bit of bad bacteria/fungus and you won't get roots)

- more sites in each unit (32, 64, 128) and the addition of a smaller, 16 site unit

- lower price

To see a complete list of all of the updates and changes made, click here.

If cloning from multiple plants at the same time, print out EZ-CLONE's cloning diagrams to document and keep track:

EZ-CLONE 16 - EZ-CLONE 32 - EZ-CLONE 64 - EZ-CLONE 128

We now have all sizes, in stock.

New Product: Clonex Cloning Kit

Cloning plants, rather than starting from seed each time, not only cuts weeks off of your growing cycle, but guarantees consistent results.  Every seed has a different genetic makeup, regardless of if they are from the same strain of plant (or even the exact same plant).  Some grow taller, some grow wider, some are resistant to disease and fungus while some aren't, some provide large yields while others provide smaller yields, they're all different.  Growers go through endless trials and errors to find the best, heaviest yielding, strongest, hardiest plants...and once they do, cloning is the easiest way to ensure that those genetics will not be lost forever.  All cloning should be done while the plants are still in the vegetative stage, so when starting new seeds we always recommend planning ahead.  Let the seedlings grow up to about a foot, take a clone or two, grow the clones to about a foot and flower them instead, while keeping the original plant that started from seed in the vegetative (grow) stage.  That way you always have a strong stock-plant (aka: a "Mom" or "Mother") just in case it turns out to be a plant you'd like to keep and work with again.  If starting multiple seeds at the same time, make sure to label everything so there is no confusion as to which plants are which and what cuttings came from what plant.

For first time cloners (or experienced cloners who are looking for better results), Hydrodynamics has come out with an all-in-one kit with everything you need to make your cloning successful.  For $29.95 you get:

- a packet of Clonex Gel that will be enough to dip about 50 cuttings in (dip them immediately after taking the cutting)

- an 8 oz. bottle of Clonex Cloning Solution (mix with water to pre-soak your medium/starter cubes in or use in the water of your cloning machine)

- a 100mL spray bottle of their brand new product Clonex Mist (spray on your mother plant about a week or 2 before you start taking cuttings, and then mist your cuttings with it during the rooting process) which has been shown to produce roots 30% faster, with 156% more roots than if you mist with water alone

- a small glass to portion your cloning gel out into (you never want to dip directly into the container to avoid contamination)

- a small tray to prepare your cuttings on

- a postcard with instructions on how to clone

New/Old Product: EZ-Clone Hard Neoprene Collars

Awhile ago, EZ-Clone changed their replacement neoprene collars from their original firm neoprene to a softer, more flexible neoprene.  The change was made because the softer collars were found to be more gentle on the stems of cuttings, so that they didn't squeeze them during the cloning process.  We received very mixed reviews of the new product.  Some people were happy with the change because they noticed damage to their cuttings with the original collars.  Others were unhappy with the durability of the new collars, saying that the slits quickly became stretched and couldn't hold a plant up, and they needed to replace them much more often than before.  EZ-Clone listened to the mixed feedback and responded by reintroducing the firmer neoprene replacement collars.  All new EZ-Clone machines will continue to come with the soft neoprenes but the hard ones are available for purchase separately.  We currently have the soft collars in packs of 35 and the hard collars in packs of 65 (a more round number for those using the 60 and 120-site machines).