Got Roots?

Mike, a friend of mine, invented a wonderful device for root propagation - he calls it the "OxyClone".

What it does is provide a very favorable atmosphere to grow roots from plant cuttings or stems - actually does leaves as well. Here he is with a OxyClone 16 and cuttings that have been there for a couple of weeks. "Works pretty well, eh ?" he said with that devilish look in his eyes.

"Jesus!" I stated as he opened the lid containing the cuttings (actually new plants at this stage) with incredible root mass. "Ya think?"

Click on these photos below to see amazing root growth:

It operates on a principle known as Deep Water Culture (DWC) which enjoys increasing popularity in the Hydroponic Gardening community. The principle works extremely well in all sizes of hydro systems but is unique in the OxyCloner.

But before I tell you how it's principle is unique - let me explain a bit about DWC to help you get a grasp on the subject:

Plants in a DWC system are grown with the roots remaining in water throughout the plant's life. The addition of nutrients (fertilizer) and a constant supply of air into the water allows the plant to grow in an unrestricted manner. Here's a video of a simple DWC bucket system to demonstrate the principle:



Basically, the plant's root's are suspended in water and supplied oxygen (usually via an air pump and air-stone) and nutrition 24/7. To grow properly, plants need a decent outside environment; clean, warmish, with plenty of sunshine and CO2. As mentioned, in addition, the plant's root's require a constant supply of moisture, nutrition and oxygen. If done properly, with the proper ratios, the plants in a DWC system will grow at least 2 times faster than the same type plants in soil!

So, what makes the OxyClone unique? Well, as you saw in the Bucket System video, air is supplied via an air-stone by an external, aquarium-type air pump. In the OxyCloner - a submersible pump is installed directly in the rooting area solution and air is pulled in from the outside and distributed, and well circulated in the solution by the submersible pump. It is the combination of the air and constant circulation that makes this system work so well and, essentially, maintenance free.

Check out the video at this u-tube address to see the full operation of the OxyClone.

http://www.youtube.com/user/rwkleinman#p/a/u/2/aZfrWeLXag0

Here's a couple of larger cloning machines Mike Manufactures:




Click on these photo's for a closer view.


So, there you have it. For those of you who are not familiar with Hydroponic Gardening; not only will plants produce faster, the harvests are better and there are also organic nutrients available.




Oh - I mentioned the OxyClone will grow "roots on a leaf"?

Love my Sweet, Sweet Basil...

That seemingly crazed, redneck-looking man hugging the large sweet basil plant is me. The Ronald Reagan cap makes me look nuttier and even more rednecky...sorta makes me want to go rogue...

The basil plant was grown in a Deep Water Culture (DWC) Hydroponic gardening system I developed using a standard 5 gallon bucket and a 10" net-basket. Here's a couple of them operating together; one with basil and one with a Gynura plant (the one you saw in the last post when it was smaller).
The green bucket on the left is a kosher pickle bucket I bummed off a local deli. The Orange bucket I purchased at Home Depot. I wanted to see the if there would be any different effects caused by using different colors - otherwise, I would have bummed the 2nd one as well and they both would have been free! Turns out there was a difference: The orange color allowed more light to pass through to the roots and caused some algae growth - so, the dark green or a black bucket is a tad more efficient because there is no algae to feed.

Here is how the system is built: One hole (13/16") is drilled in the lower part of the bucket close to the bottom. This hole will accommodate a 1/2" rubber grommet which will hold a 1/2" plastic elbow. A 1/2" ID flexible, vinyl tube is attached to the elbow; this multipurpose tube serves as a sight glass, nutrient replenishment tube, air delivery tube and a drain hose. An adapter is constructed using a couple of different sized bits of tubing to adapt the multipurpose tube to a standard air pump hose.
Here is what makes it work: The plant is put in the 10" net basket using a non-soil medium - I use either clay pellets (Hydroton) or recycled glass rocks (Growstones) - they both work great. The bucket is filled with nutrient solution and the net basket is placed on top, extending into the bucket. The next step is the key to it's operation and success; the air pump is adapted to the multipurpose tube and pumps air into the nutrient solution 24/7. The constant supply of air provides the roots with more than enough oxygen and causes the plants to grow like wildfire!

Everyone who has seen this system wants one! To make things easier, I put a video on YouTube to explain the construction and use of the system. You can check it out here as well:




I do not heat my little greenhouse and the basil and Gynura will perish in the cold, so I have started two systems inside the house:

Here's a table I made from a gutted-out light fixture with a metal light stand I also manufactured using a very solid, steel metal rod holder and aluminum square tubing from Home Depot - this was the most expensive thing I actually manufactured - the stand at around $100.

Other things you see are the light above on adjustable cords, the double output air pump, and the small ventilation fan. Oh, and also a few insect sticky-traps just in case.

This set-up should provide us with plenty of basil and my wonderful Gynura plant through the Winter months. Oh, also I have a cloning station and a small herb garden in the garage. I will probably show that one in a later post.

By the way; did you know that Webster's definition of rogue is: "A dishonest or worthless person"? So ...... is "Going Rogue" really a good thing?

My Newest Hydroponics experiment

I posted this on my facebook page but thought I'd pass it around here as well. This basil is growing like gangbusters - and it's organic!

Cutting root propagation

This is the easiest, fastest and most convenient way to clone plants from cuttings.




More to come....