In your mission to achieve the best possible results, producing strong and healthy cuttings or seedlings is absolutely essential. This is because the condition of your young plants will be reflected throughout the remainder of their life cycle. The stronger they are during the vegetative period. This maximizes the plant's potential through flowering.
Media
At Aquaculture we supply a variety of quality media for you to successfully begin propagating. Regardless of the media you choose to begin with, you will always be free to transfer and plant into another form of media should you choose to.
| Media | Recommended Rooting Compound | Benefits | Points to Consider |
| Rockwool Cubes |
Clonex |
Fast rooting times and popular for rooting when transplanting to larger rockwool blocks |
Be careful not to over or under water |
|
Jiffy - Coco |
Clonex/ROOT!T Rooting Gel |
Easy to use - won’t dry out as quickly as rockwool cubes and don’t need to soak as long to prepare. |
Slightly slower to root than rockwool /aeroponics. |
|
ROOT!T - Rockwool Blocks |
ROOT!T Rooting Gel |
Fast rooting times and popular for rooting when transplanting to larger rockwool blocks |
Be careful not to over/under water. |
|
ROOT!T - Coir & Peat Pellets |
ROOT!T Rooting Gel |
Easy to use - won’t dry out as quickly as rockwool cubes and don’t need to soak as long to prepare. |
They are slightly slower to root than rockwool /aeroponics. There is also no cloth at bottom of cube (resulting in messy preparation). |
|
Fleximix - ROOT!T Cubes |
ROOT!T Rooting Gel |
Easy to use – quick rooting times and come ready to use in handy propagation kits. |
Can dry out quickly and easily |
|
Aeroponics |
VitaLink Bioplus in water (or halfstrength VitaLink PlantStart) |
Very quick rooting times and no media is needed. |
Transferring to other media could induce higher transplant shock. |
Presoaking guidelines:
- Rockwool Cubes and ROOT!T Rockwool Cubes - soak for 4-5 hours in a solution of 2ml/L of VitaLink Bioplus, and 3ml/L of VitaLink PlantStart at a pH of roughly 5.5-6.0. Finally, gently squeeze or flick off any excess water.
- Jiffy Soil and ROOT!T Coir/Peat Pellets - soak for 10 mins in solution of 2ml/L of VitaLink Bioplus at a pH of roughly 6.0. Finally, gently squeeze or flick off any excess water.
- Jiffy Coco - soak for 10 mins in solution of 2ml/L of VitaLink Bioplus, and 3ml/L VitaLink PlantStart at a pH of 5.5-6.0. Finally, gently squeeze or flick off any excess water.
- Flexicubes and ROOT!T Cubes - Optional. If you do choose to soak, use a solution of 2ml/L of VitaLink BioPlus and 3ml/L of VitaLink PlantStart at a pH of roughly 5.5 - 6.0. Finally, gently squeeze or flick off any excess water.
Feeding guidelines: For all the above media, soak for 4-5 hours in a solution of 2ml/L of VitaLink Bioplus, and 3ml/L of VitaLink PlantStart at a pH of roughly 5.5-6.0. Finally, gently squeeze or flick off any excess water. However for aeroponics media, simply keep the tank topped up with a solution of 2ml/L of VitaLink Bioplus and 3ml/L of VitaLInk PlantStart. *Please note: Do not over water your cuttings. They like to be moist, not wet!
Propagators
Once you have determined the media you would like to root into, you then need to decide on the most appropriate propagator to match your requirements. The following table exhibits the range of propagators we offer which are all tailored to your budget; ensuring you get the most value for your money.
| Propagators | Overview |
|
ROOT!T Fleximix Propagator |
Comes with Fleximix blocks, scalpel and an instructions kit for almost everything you will need to take perfect cuttings. (Sizes – small) |
|
ROOT!T Budget Propagator |
Its large size enables it to hold a full tray of 77 Grodan 1.5” cubes. (Sizes – large) |
|
VitoPod Propagator |
A customisable propagation unit, allowing you to increase the height and size of your nursery area to suit your needs. Available in both heated and unheated varieties. (Size - customisable) |
|
Stewart Un-heated Propagators |
Very reliable and an ideal choice if you’re running on a tight budget. (Sizes – small and large) |
|
Stewart Heated Propagators (2 versions – Variable and Heat & Grow) |
Excellent for heating root zones to promote quicker rooting times. The Heat & Grow is a more affordable ‘plug and go’ propagator, whereas the Variable stands at a more premium price with its added ability to give greater control over the heat applied. (Sizes – small and large) |
|
X-stream Propagator |
Very large propagation units that can house up to 3 trays of 1.5” Grodan cubes, and achieve a high output of cuttings. Lids can be purchased separately for makeshift propagation areas. (Sizes – extra large) |
|
Aeroponic Propagator |
Regarded by many to be the ultimate way of taking cuttings quickly, easily and efficiently. There is no need for any media to root into, very little maintenance is required and the nature of the unit creates constant levels of adequate humidity for the cuttings. (Sizes – Small, medium, large and extra large) |
Hint – If you are propagating or ‘hardening off’/‘growing plants on’, it is more cost effective to heat the root zone with a BioGreen Heated Propagation Mat than it is to warm the whole growing area with a grow room heater.
Lighting
In order to root cuttings or raise seedlings effectively, you must provide them with the required lighting. This means using a specific propagation light that will provide constant gentle light and heat, as opposed to the HID lighting used for vegetative and flowering stages (which is generally too strong for fragile young plants). So whether you’re producing hundreds of plants or raising a few seeds or cuttings, our range of lighting will meet all of your propagation needs and budget!
| Light | Overview/Benefits |
|
Sunmate Grow (150W or 250W) Sunmate Grow Twin (150W or 250W) |
150W bulbs are ideal for cuttings and seedlings, whilst the 250Ws are also suitable for early vegetative growth. Available in a range of spectrums to suit your specific lighting requirements - Warm (red), Cool (blue) and Super Cool (blue/white). |
|
Cool (blue/white). T5 Budget Sunmate Grow Twin(150W or 250W) |
These high output propagation lights enable you to ‘daisy chain’ up to 8 of these from a single plug. (Available in 2” or 4” versions) |
|
T5 Lightwaves 2” and T5 Lightwaves 4” |
Utilize the same high output bulbs as the budget lights, and are fitted into a high quality reflector to provide the best spread of light possible. The 2” comes in either 2 tube (48W) or 4 tube (96W) and the 4” comes in 4 tube (216W) or 8 Tube (432W). The 4” version is perfect for larger propagators such as the X-stream. |
|
Propagate Sunmate |
A small, convenient and low power consumption bulb. These are good to use over smaller propagators. (Available in 2 bulbs - each being 55W) |
We hope the above information will give you a good idea on the propagation equipment required for your particular sized area. For further enquiries please call 0845 644 5544 to speak to a member of our experienced team, who are on hand to deal with any issues you have.
Loading...