How to “Clean” Clones & Cuttings Organically

Gearing Up for The Grow-Off with Love For The Plant’s Clone Dip Tek.

Dear Friend & Subscriber-

Whether it’s a house plant, clone, or a teenage pot plant, introducing new plants into your grow increases your risk of potential pests.

As I gear up for The Grow-Off launch this weekend, I’ve been thinking about the best way to mitigate these risks without delaying my timeline.

If you read my piece with Zac Ricciardi about introducing new genetics and quarantining plants, you already know that a quarantine and clone regimen is a great way to minimize contamination but takes some time to accomplish. 

The best (least risky) ways to bring new genetics into the garden, in order:

1. Seeds. Zero risk of contamination. Starting from scratch.

2. Quarantine & Clone. Some risk, but mitigated by extreme precautions and quarantining of plant material away from active grows ad gardens.

3. Clone Treatment. Some risk, more so than quarantine, but mitigated by IPM methods such as dunks, dips, sprays, etc.

While seeds are the least risky, I’ll be picking up clones for this competition, so that won’t be an option. Similarly, while quarantine is ideal, doing so would cut around two weeks off of my already short timeline (6 Weeks ish for Veg).

Image Credit: @TheRubiiCompany - Genetics provider for The Grow-Off Colorado

Which leaves me with the option of treating my clones to ensure I stay on schedule and minimize my risk of contamination.

Having always abided by an abundance of caution with quarantine, I am not as experienced in clone treatment beyond my normal IPM regimen. While seshing with my good friend Love For The Plant yesterday, the topic of how best to approach my treatment came up.

Love For The Plant recommended a clone dipping technique using a combination of water agitation and pyrethrin dunking. 

According to his experience and research, the physical act of dunking a plant in water can remove up to 90% of hitchhiking pests that could cause issues. Combine this with the efficacy of a broad spectrum insecticide, and your risk of contamination drastically decreases, though, as he says, nothing is guaranteed; there’s always the slight chance of some anomalous, super bug that can live through anything.

It’s also worth noting that The Grow-Off tests competitor clones for common pathogens and pests before pickup.

In fact, they delayed the competition due to a variance in testing where one of two labs found a potential issue. As a first time competitor, this was reassuring. Between their tests and Love For The Plant’s treatment method, I’m hoping for a clean bill of health as I move forward with the competition. 

If you are competing or just picking up some new clones for your home grow, here’s the Clone Dipping Tek that I’ll be using, courtesy of Love For The Plant.

CLONE DIPPING TEK

Supplies:

• 3 Half Gallon Water Containers

  • You can get away with 2 if you are dumping and refilling each time.

• Pyganic (organic pyrethrin product) - $73.31/quart after tax at Way To Grow (Denver).

  • Alternatively, Sulfur is a more affordable option at $18.99 for a large bag and I’m told it works similarly.

Steps:

1. Set up 3 Containers (Can use 2 if dumping fresh water container after each step).

   1. First: Initial Dump, water only

   2. Second: Pyganic Mix

   3. Third: Fresh Water

2. Mix 1.2oz of Pyganic with 1 gallon of water for the second container.

3. Start with an initial dunk of the entire cutting/clone in fresh water. (10-20 dunks)

   1. If dunking a cutting (not rooted):

      • “The cutting I’m working with is a bit longer than the final cutting because I do a final trim and minor scoring at the end."

      • Save final cutting of stem for the very end. This allows you to submerge the entire cutting in insecticide because the end of the cutting that will try to absorb insecticide will be promptly cut off.

      • For final cutting, use traditional 45º angled cut.

   2. If dunking a clone (rooted):

      • Dunk everything above substrate.

      • One can even go an inch or two into the substrate if desired.

   3. Initial dunk helps physically remove bugs as well as provide plant water for absorption before harsh pyrethrin

   4. Physical water dunk can remove up to 90% of bugs from external of plant

   5. Key to preventing harmful absorption is keeping clones wet (with water) before dunk

   6. If you skip this step and only dip with pyganic, cuts/clones may develop “burns”

4. Dunk aggressively in Pyganic mixture 40x. Let sit 15 seconds after final dunk.

5. Rinse clone/cutting in sink under fresh water.

   1. Wash off heavy pyrethrin from cutting.

   2. Pyrethrin can be phytotoxic and you do not want it sticking around on the plant.

6. Finally, in a fresh bucket of water dunk 20x.

   • Final rinse gets any stragglers that weren’t removed by broad spectrum insecticide and physical agitation.

 “The magic to me is in the water…my insurance is the water before and the water after [the pyganic dunk].”

A Few Notes:

• When dunking, use an up/down motion.

  • “I’ve seen people move the plant in different directions (think sloppy stir) but that will definitely weaken the plant some. Up/down allows one to be aggressive without damaging the plant."

• Shelf Life Matters

  • Products aren’t usually dated for shelf life.

  • Pyrethrin and Microbials have short shelf lives.

  • When buying, ask about shelf life and how long the product has been in stock.

• Warning: Pyrethrin can be harmful if inhaled.

• Pyrethrin can poison plants; It is very strong broad spectrum insecticide that can be phytotoxic if used too heavily or left on the plant.

• Pyrethrin is safe to use because its half life is 11.8 hours in water, and 12.9 hours on soil surfaces. On potato and tomato leaves, less than 3% remained after 5 days. 

• Do dunks in sink if possible or contained space.

If you try this out, or find it useful, please click the heart at the top or bottom of this letter and let @LoveForThePlant and I know how it worked for you or what adjustments you made!

Until next week,

Ben “Clone Dippin’” Owens

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