An experiment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of starting a stem cutting directly in an Octopot Grow System. Cannabis clones are typically started in a specialized container then transplanted into larger containers until the plant goes into the flowering stage. Cloning can be a complicated, labor intensive process and the risk of failure can be high, especially for beginners. The Objective To grow a plant to harvest from an unrooted cutting using an Octopot Grow System To eliminate the act of transplanting, and prevent the risk of plant damage and/or plant loss from transplant shock To shorten the plant s crop cycle
The Problem with traditional cloning methods: Hydroponic cloners can fail Cloner or room not sterile Poor water quality or spikes in ph Pump failure clogged nozzle or hose, or power outage Cloning in soil has pitfalls Overwatering can cause root rot Stress or plant failure from under watering Over or under feeding can prevent root growth
Goals: Simplify the cloning process and eliminate transplanting Eliminate the need for hydroponic cloning equipment Remove the guess work of watering clones over the top or misting the cutting s leaves when cloning in soil Allow the Octopot Grow System to hydrate and aerate clones automatically with optimum quantities as it does for established plants with root systems Use the Octopot Grow System to eliminate transplant shock from the very beginning because removing barriers to growth, like transplant shock, speeds and strengthens the plant
What inspired this experiment? The root systems of full grown plants grown in Octopot Grow Systems were observed after harvest. These root crowns were carefully examined and it was noted that several roots were noticeably thicker than the majority of the other roots. This observation led to speculation that hydrotropism, the directional growth of a plant root toward a water source, could be the prompt that led some of the roots to grow much thicker than others. So, how would an unrooted clone respond in the Octopot Grow System?
Hypothesis It was hypothesized that the plant s response to hydrotropism in the Octopot Grow System could cause it to send its first primordial roots to reach the water source below in the Hydro Reservoir. Thus, instead of many root tips being formed all around the cut end of the root to capture moisture in the soil, the first root tips of the clone in the Octopot Grow System may get the majority of energy to grow. This leads to the question: Could there be a tap root response from plants in the Octopot Grow System because of its underground water source in the Hydro Reservoir?
Plant roots in traditional cloners One of the consequences of current cloning production techniques is that plant cuttings fail to develop tap roots. Tap roots form naturally on seedlings, part of the reason seedling plants grow stronger than typical cutting plants. Tap roots anchor and grow more aggressively than normal cutting roots. During traditional cloning in both hydroponic and soil systems many root primordia form on a cutting and compete for food and water. These roots typically stay the same size, are fibrous and massed, and spread around the container equally to fill the space.
Considerations The unique design of the Octopot Grow System with two distinct growing environments led to this experiment. An Octopot Grow System has both a soil environment and a hydroponic environment where roots grow. The two growing environments are connected together by a Hydro Wick Platform. This design allows plants growing in soil to be constantly and consistently hydrated. Would there be enough hydration in Octopot s Gro Sleeve to establish an Octo-Clone? The soil environment inside Octopot s Gro Sleeve is similar to a 16 oz. plastic cup which is often used for cloning in soil. Octopot s Gro Sleeve is obviously much larger as it holds 6 gallons of soil. In general it is thought that the larger the container is, the harder it is to establish plant roots. Is the larger size of the Octopot s Gro Sleeve detrimental to building plant roots from a simple cutting?
SET UP: Growing Environment A 6 gallon Gro Sleeve was filled with Black Gold potting soil by Sun Gro. The Gro Sleeve with soil was placed in a 3 gallon Octopot Hydro Reservoir and installed into a 4 x4 x7 grow tent with several other plants. The larger plants shaded it to begin with. The tent was lit with a 1000 watt Hortilux MH bulb in a vented and enclosed hood. Temperatures ranged in the 70 s and 80 s. Most traditional cloning containers require humidity domes to control moisture levels so one was mounted on the Octopot Grow System after the cutting was planted. The dome consisted of two strands of steel wire which formed a Gothic arch frame over which a clear poly bag was placed. Slots were cut into the top of the bag for air circulation.
SET UP: Materials A cutting was taken from a lower branch of a cannabis hybrid Time Machine OG, a cross between Chernobyl and Chem Dawg. It was cut at a slight angle just below a leaf node and the leaf removed. The stem was then split down the middle of the node to increase exposed vascular tissue.
SET UP: Planting the clone The cutting was dipped into a powder rooting agent. A tool was used to make a hole in the soil for the cutting and it was inserted about 1 ½ -2 deep. Between 1 2 quarts of nutrient free water was poured over the top of the cutting in the soil as per the Octopot Planting Instructions. Approximately 1 ½ gallons of vegetative nutrient solution was placed into the Hydro Reservoir. The nutrient solution measured approximately 600 ppm with a ph of 6.7. A variety of nutrients were used throughout the grow cycles.
Initial plant response The cutting wilted slightly and stayed that way for about 7 days
Day 8 Day 11 Plant growth After 8 days the clone perked up. The clone showed slow growth until it became more established, then it began to grow quickly Day 23 Day 23
Day 30 Day 39 Day 53 Plant growth The unrooted clone developed roots that grew into the Hydro Reservoir. The Octopot Grow System automatically hydrated and oxygenated the plant. Leaves and stems appeared very healthy.
Flowering The plant was grown nine weeks from cutting before going into the flowering stage. By the look and size of the plant, it could have been placed into flowering much sooner. Putting the plant into flower meant moving the Gro Sleeve with plant from the 3 gallon Hydro Reservoir into the larger six gallon Hydro Reservoir. Transferring Gro Sleeve with plant into the larger Hydro Reservoir was simple to do. No transplanting was required with the Octopot Grow System. The lighting was switched onto a flowering light schedule.
Day 57 Day 63 Beginning Stage of Flowering
Lighting Flowering was done in an open portion of the room with other plants under Hortilux 1000 watt HPS bulbs in enclosed 6 ducted enclosures. The plant continued to grow well after being placed into flowering. Flowers began to appear after about a week. The plant expanded quickly and needed support when the buds became too heavy. The plant did very well until the last two weeks of flowering when excessive heat caused the buds to stretch. The light schedule for flowering was mixed. The alternative lighting schedule of 6 hours on and 18 hours off was tried for the first half of flowering. After observing the negative effect of reducing light on this and other plants in the growing space the schedule was changed. The second half of flowering went to traditional 12 on 12 off timing.
Day 77 Day 88
Day 98 Harvest The test plant was harvested 9 weeks after being placed into flower Day 112
Harvest After the roots dried, the soil and root mass was removed from the Gro Sleeve Day 115 Day 122
Root Architecture It was hypothesized that the plant roots would form a modified taproot system and they did. Three main roots clearly emerged from the unrooted cutting planted in the Octopot Grow System. It was observed that a few secondary roots and smaller fibrous roots also grew from the clone. The root system spread throughout the soil in the Gro Sleeve then sent roots down into the Hydro Reservoir. In comparison, root structures developed from clones started in cups of soil had a dense mass in the shape of the cup they were grown in. These plant roots are typically so dense that they cannot easily be pried apart to remove the soil. Conversely, it was observed after harvest that the majority of soil fell off the plant roots easily.
Roots The photo on the left shows the root mass from a plant started as a rooted cutting in an Octopot Grow System The photo to the right shows the root system from the test plant that was started from an unrooted clone. Further, a plant was grown from a cutting in the Octopot Grow System for 7-8 weeks then checked for root establishment. Both Tap and Fibrous Roots are present.
Results In conclusion: It is possible to grow a large cannabis plant from a an unrooted cutting to harvest in a single container. That container is the Octopot Grow System. It is not only possible, under similar conditions it may be superior to many other styles of growing. Three more trials were undertaken in both hotter and cooler temperatures. All the clones placed into the Octopot Grow Systems were successful in rooting however none of the plants grew as fast as in this original trial. This is an indication of the importance of temperature control during rooting, as noted by many who have observed the process.