When it comes to cloning plants, there are several options on the market to help make the job easier and to get better results. Two of the more common items that help many growers achieve their growing goals are cloning racks and cloning trays. Both of these products are designed to make the cloning process more efficient, more sanitary, and easier all the way around.
Whether cloning in an actual dedicated cloning room, or just whatever grow space may be available, growing robust, healthy clones and seedlings, free from disease is always the goal. Achieving this requires a sterile environment, conducive for growth. The proper use of both cloning racks and cloning trays can help any grower to achieve these results. With many options of each available, it can be difficult to know where to start or what product to get. Let’s take a look at the benefits of using each of these, and then consider what some of the options are for both.
About Cloning Racks
Cloning racks represent one of the most versatile solutions for the propagation of plant cuttings. There are numerous options available and configurations possible, as well as add-ons to customize and to further create efficiencies in the cloning process. It is important to note that cloning racks are not just mobile (or fixed) industrial shelves, but systems designed with the grower in mind. The setup of your space, the volume of cloning you intend to do, and your budget will help you decide which cloning rack is right for you.
Cloning racks are specifically engineered and manufactured to allow for easy cleaning and sterilization. The ability to properly sanitize is not just good practice, in some regions, the licensing to grow cannabis plants requires it, as well as the ability to prevent contamination from outside substances. Professional cloning racks create the perfect vertical system for compliant production.
Because of the vertical aspect to racks, valuable growing space is saved. Growers can grow many more plants per square foot of floor space with cloning racks versus tables or benches alone. Saving such valuable grow space allows for the better use of area for your flowering plants and can aid in increased crop turnover, and an increased success rate. These racks are not just growing space savers, they create cost efficiency as well.
Quality cloning racks are made of quality materials. Look for racks made of stainless steel, or galvanized and coated steel. Having to replace poorly designed or cheaply made cloning racks because they were initially a less expensive investment will not save money in the long run. Investing in a first-rate cloning cart or rack, made of rust-resistant materials will pay off over time, contributing to the cost efficiencies of using cloning racks in general.
Controlling and creating a consistent environment for clones is easily attained with the use of cloning racks. Humidity, temperature, and lighting can be controlled uniformly across each level of a rack system. Controlling these factors on a larger number of plants at once creates energy efficiency. Most importantly though, cloning racks are very important in the nurturing of healthy plants.
Racks allow for rapid root growth and development. This means plants can reach maturity faster and be poised to stand up to various stressors sooner in their development. Cloning racks provide the grower with the opportunity for a clean and sterile environment, further improving the health of the clones by helping to reduce or eliminate the spread of diseases and pest pressures. Protecting young plants from cross-contamination from other equipment is vital.
Add-ons and Customizations for Cloning Racks
One of the great benefits to using cloning racks, is the wide array of accessories and add-ons that are available. These provide an easier growing experience for the producer and provide a growing environment with all of the needs of each clone met in abundance.
One of the more obvious and common options available with cloning rack models are with the shelving. Most commonly found are fixed shelving options, but there are also many cloning racks that allow for the moving of shelves to accommodate plant growth. This means the same rack can be used for multiple phases of your plants’ development. As the crops grow upwards, distances between each level of shelves can be adjusted. Other cloning rack systems allow for vertical stacking of racks on top of one another for additional space saving. Numerous lighting options abound too, as well as ebb and flow systems and supports for plants growing on cloning carts or racks.
Because each level of a cloning rack needs its own lighting, close to the plant canopy, LEDs are the best option since they will not burn the foliage. They can be installed at each level of the rack system either stationary, or on a pull-chain mount. This latter option allows for placement directly over the plant canopy and can be raised as the crops grow. LEDs allow for the grower to control the spectrum of light exposed to their plants, as well as the intensity. More “traditional” grow lights such as high-pressure sodium (HSP) should be avoided since they give off too much heat for how close they would be to the crops. They would also contribute to a rise in temperature that could be too extreme for ideal plant growth. LEDs can be purchased separately and installed to a cloning rack, but there are also numerous models available that already have the LED lights installed in just the right locations and quantities.
Lesser known, but definitely an option for some, are multi-tiered ebb and flow racks. While typically only an option for growing benches, there are commercially available rack systems, as well as a wide range of accessories available to retrofit a cloning rack system to have this capability. With an ebb and flow system, the chances of developing mold or fungal diseases on the foliage are greatly reduced since the crops can be fully irrigated without getting any of the leaves or stems wet. In these systems, the tray fills with water from the bottom, and then drains out through a hole in the tray. This process is repeated, usually with a reservoir of recycled water providing the irrigation.
Still other options for cloning racks include different finishes, the addition of supports, and the use of cloning trays. Cloning racks can be made of several different types of materials. Racks for commercial use however, are most often either powder-coated and/or galvanized steel, or stainless steel to withstand damp growing conditions. Stay away from using any wood as it will invite fungal problems onto your crops. Plastic can work, but may not be strong enough to hold the necessary weight, especially as the clones begin to grow. Steel is generally considered the best option for cloning racks. Electropolished steel is even better.
Cloning racks manufactured from electropolished steel are superior when it comes to keeping your growing space ultra-sterilized. When steel is electropolished, all sharp and abrasive micro-edges are removed. This process removes microscopic pits in the surface which could serve as a “home base” for bacteria. Electropolishing results in an ultra-smooth, sealed surface that is easy to keep sanitized since there is no place for microbial invaders to hide out. Also look for racks where all of the joints are sealed to prevent pathogens from entering and festering in those small crevices.
As clones begin to develop, plant supports can be added. These may be in the form of trellises, or netting to keep the clones growing upright and not hanging down over the shelving. This is usually only needed on older clones and for growers who finish their entire grow on cloning racks and do not transfer plants onto growing benches to finish them out. Cloning racks with moveable shelving also allow for the use of humidity domes where and when needed. Another option still is rolling cloning racks. As the name implies, these are cloning racks with castors that are designed to be easily moved about in the growing space. This is especially useful for growers with limited space who use the same area for more than just the production of clones. These racks can be easily wheeled out of the way when not in use.
The addition of cloning trays, and the wide ranges of options available on the market offer the ability for growers using cloning racks to further customize their setups. More details and descriptions on cloning trays follow in the paragraphs ahead. Read on for more info.
Tips For Using Cloning Racks
In order to get the most out of your cloning racks, and to better realize the full benefits they allow, it is important to create the best environment possible. Sanitation should be at the top of the priority list to achieve the best results from your cloning racks. The placement of a cloning rack should be done with this in mind.
Ensure that the growing space where the cloning racks are has ample air circulation. Young clones are fragile, and more susceptible to the effects of many diseases than more mature plants. Given their close proximity to one another, diseases can spread rapidly and devastate a crop in no time if proper precautions are not taken, and if a close eye is not kept on it.
Selecting cloning racks with adjustable shelves will help to achieve this, but without good air movement, just having this space between shelves is not enough. Make sure that there is sufficient volume of fresh, clean air to prevent mold and disease from forming on your clones. With either natural or mechanical ventilation, there should be enough air exchange to remove unclean air and replace it with a high frequency.
The cloning rack should also be set up to have enough clearance to accommodate any plant cloning machines or propagation lids or domes. This is important, especially when frequent adjustments are required to maintain optimal health for your clones throughout their transitional phases.
Trays
While cloning trays are an accessory to cloning racks, they can be used on their own as an aid to growing clones. They are an easy way to start down the path of growing clones, before you fully commit to investing in a rack system. Because they are relatively inexpensive and cost effective, they are ideal for beginner growers, small-scale growers who may grow at home, and for growers who may be on a budget.
Trays can help growers to save space. Their streamlined design allows for the growers to raise several clones on one surface, allowing for consistent results. It is easy to ensure that every clone can be exposed to the same ideal environment when grown on a cloning tray. This consistency lets each clone develop roots quickly and fully.
Cloning trays are not all the same. Like cloning rack options, there is a wide range of sizes, configurations and materials, each with their respective pros, cons, and features. The size and number of clones you intend to grow, the type of media selected, and your budget will dictate what type of cloning tray you select. Many growers experiment with different types of trays before settling on a style that works best for them.
Trays may be flat bottomed, have wide and high sides to hold water and prevent residual liquids from spilling out over the sides onto the plants below, or be channeled with a drain to direct run-through water to exit the tray. Standard cloning trays, usually made from plastic, are flat-bottomed with drainage holes. Some of these are available as a kit that comes with a humidity dome, though most are sold separately. Aeroponic cloning trays are designed for use in applications without traditional media, where only nutrient-rich water is applied onto the cuttings, and allows for quick root development.
Other types of cloning trays include deep water culture (DWC) trays, Cultiwool trays, and ebb and flow trays. DWC trays are designed to keep cannabis clones suspended in a nutrient solution. Cultiwool trays are made of rockwool and typically are seated into a plastic grid tray. Rockwool has excellent moisture retention. Ebb and flow cloning trays provide nutrient-rich water which is pumped into the tray, allowed to sit for a while and then drained out. This process is repeated often to prevent cuttings and their newly developing roots from drying out.
For every grower and every setup, there is a cloning tray that is perfect for every situation.
Tips for Using Cloning Trays
Just as with cloning racks, you can’t get away from starting with a clean and sterile tray. This helps to set the stage for the nurturing of healthy clones. This goes for the selected media as well that goes into the cloning trays. Make sure that the rooting medium selected is clean and sterile when first applied. A good cloning media should allow for adequate moisture retention, and drainage so as not to promote the development of diseases.
Once you have taken cuttings from a healthy plant with a sterile blade, make a 45-degree cut on the bottom of the cutting and stick it into the media in the cloning tray about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) deep. Keep your cuttings misted, and the media constantly moist, but not over-saturated. A humidity dome placed over top of the cloning trays will help to keep things moist.
It is important to keep a close eye on your clones throughout their development on the cloning trays. Once they have developed a strong root system, they are ready to be transplanted into their next container. Then, thoroughly wash and sanitize your trays, so that they will be ready for you when you are ready to start on your next batch of clones.
