Hardening Process Gradually increase the amount of sunlight the plants receive over the two-week period. The last day or two, the plants can spend 24 hours outside. Reduce the amount of water plants receive, but do not allow them to wilt.
The best way to do this is by utilizing a greenhouse, physically moving them inside and outside your facility, or putting a shade cloth (30-40%) over them for this adjustment period. Hardening off should only take a week or two.
No pinching, poking, or tamping with your fingers. Place your cuttings in a shaded location, out of the heat but not in frigid air conditioning. You can certainly cover with plastic to reduce transpirational loss during the rooting period.
Cuttings can be stored for days or even weeks in good conditions and still be viable. As the others have mentioned, preventing dehydration is the key to maintain viability. Wrap in plastic bag is the easiest way. A few drops of water in the bag can help slow dehydration. Damp paper towel does the same.
Plant the cutting: Place the cutting in a rooting medium such as vermiculite, perlite, or water. Make sure that at least one node is covered by the rooting medium. Gently press the medium around the stem to hold it in place.
Then you put it in water and could introduce all kinds of bacteria that could cause rot. There is a lot of different ways to seal the cut to help prevent this from happening. The 3 that I talked about is wax, super glue, and hot glue. The bonus way to seal the cut is by letting the cutting callus.
Plants are always losing water from their leaves, so cuttings (which don't have roots to draw in water), are especially prone to drying out. When taking cuttings, ensure you have a plastic sandwich bag containing a little water with you, to place your cuttings into.
If you do not have a cold garage with a heating system, place the pot in a plastic bag as you would for herbaceous cuttings, and place in a warm room. In two or three weeks the buds will open, but the plastic bag should keep humidity around the leaves high and prevent excess water loss.
Remove the bottom leaves and buds of the shoot so the plant devotes its energy to forming roots rather than growing leaves or flowers. Sprinkle rooting hormone powder on a saucer. Dip the cutting in the powder, which will encourage root growth once it's planted.
Typically, cannabis plants flower once a year, but some want to promote longevity in mother plants earmarked for cloning or breeding. If you're in that situation, Epsom salts are a valuable ally. They work to remove any nutrient build-up, and reduce the environmental stress incurred as well.
Spray your cuttings with Clonex Mist every other day to ensure they don't dry out. Beyond that, leave the cuttings alone. Most plants will root in 7 – 10 days, but some could take up to 2 weeks or longer.
A) Humidity dome with vent: Open vent for 2 days then remove dome on 3rd day. B) Humidity dome with no vent: Remove dome for a couple hours per day, then remove dome on 3rd Day.
Bottom heating of the pot also helps to stimulate root formation. Portable heat mat can be purchased through avenues such as gardening magazines. A hot water heater can also be a source of bottom heating ie put your pots on top of a water heater.
Cuttings are very delicate and vulnerable so pests, disease, the wrong growing conditions, too much water or too little water can all cause them to fail.
Put several cuttings to one pot to give yourself more chances of success. Firm your cuttings in. Put a plastic bag tent over the top, held in place with an elastic band around the pot. Use some sticks to create a frame that the bag can sit over so that the plastic doesn't rest against the cuttings.
Each cutting should have at least two nodes. The bottom cut should be made just below a node and the top cut one-half to one inch above a node. (A node is the point on the stem where a leaf bud is attached to the stem.) Learn more from this article: Propagation of Trees, Shrubs, and Vines from Hardwood Cuttings.
Every couple of weeks remove the cover to air the cuttings and harden the plant. Position cuttings in a well-lit shaded area away from rain, wind and excessive sunlight and kept moist until roots have started to form. Roots begin to form after 8 to 12 weeks.
Plants that are seeded directly outdoors are naturally acclimated from the beginning of their lives, but plants that are started from seed or vegetative cutting in a protected environment like a greenhouse, a kitchen windowsill, or even a wind-protected porch or deck require hardening off before being planted into ...
Add fresh, tepid water when needed. You can replace the water every few days, or simply top off the vessel with fresh water when it's looking low—as long as there is no murkiness or fungi growing. If the water is murky, we recommend replacing it for the health of the growing root system.
To maintain humidity and moisture, place the entire pot inside a plastic bag. Inflate the bag to keep the sides of the bag away from the cuttings as much as possible. Leaves touching the bag are more prone to develop mold between the leaf and the bag. Use a twist tie to seal the bag.
Plant the Cutting in the Soil
Carefully plant the cutting in the hole you made in the potting mix, and gently tamp the soil around it. You can fit several cuttings into one container, but space them so the leaves do not touch one another.
Inadequate Moisture: Cuttings need to be kept moist, but not waterlogged. Overwatering can lead to rot, while under-watering can cause the cutting to dry out and die. Use a spray bottle to mist the cuttings regularly with fresh clean and ensure the soil is consistently moist but well-drained.
Success factors for rooting your cuttings
They'll root faster with plenty of sunlight, but avoid setting them in direct sun. Temperature is also important, the warmer the better to speed things up. For cuttings that are more valuable or difficult, adding a little aquarium pump to oxygenate the water will help a lot.