Professional Marijuana Grower March-April 2018 Issue | Page 44

Preparing the Working Environment Using a sterile technique begins with the setup of a clean han- dling and plant growing room with smooth cleanable surfaces and HEPA air filtration, alco- hol sprays and dips for hands and instruments that will touch plants, and surface decontamination of plants going into culture. Start by setting up the clean area and hood where you will cut and handle plants. The hood protects the plants and tubes from mold spores that may be floating in the air. Set the storage container on its side in a clean, draft-free location. A clean kitchen, bathroom or grow tent are good locations. Light and grow the tubes in the same area as the clean hood to take advantage of the clean air. Set up the HEPA filter between the door and the work area and start running. Assemble the grow lights and wipe down the room, rack, and hood with sanitizer. Sanitize the plate and set in center of the hood, toward the back at arm’s reach. The filter will capture items released into the air when cleaning. How to Get Started ✔ ✔ Dissolve the sanitizer in the washing jar ✔ ✔ Add about ¾ inch to each of the tubes, cap, and swirl to disinfect ✔ ✔ Trim the cuttings and add to wash jar and clean ✔ ✔ Trim again and put them in the tubes ✔ ✔ After two weeks, remove and plant as cuttings or move into gel culture Preparing Plant Cuttings Trimming the plant cuttings eliminates extra foliage and removes parts exposed to mold spores at the same time they are made into small cleanable pieces. The washed pieces are then trimmed to remove the bleached ends and placed in the tubes to grow. Select clean, healthy vegetative branch tips. Use non-flowering lower growth from pruned veg plants to preserve flowering tops. The thin neglected branch tips thrive in the rich nutrient solution and triple in size or more. Trim into 3-inch pieces and remove leaves, leaving 1/2” of leaf stem above the node. Cut ends will be trimmed once more after sanitizing to remove THE MOST TRUSTED PLANT GROWTH SOLUTIONS USED BY AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS FOR OVER 50 YEARS Snip n’ Dip Professionally Proven To Be The Fastest & Most Effective Cloning Products • • • • • • 5 strengths for the fastest rooting and highest cloning success Excellent for soil, hydroponics and all other grow mediums Signiicantly improves owering of all plant varieties Helps to prevent root rot in cuttings naturally Alcohol, dye and preservative free for healthier clones Hormogenized TM  for consistently fast and uniform rooting Available in 4g, 3/4 oz, 1, 6, 12 and 50 lb sizes The Ultimate Tonic For Accelerated Plant Growth & Unrivaled Cloning Success • Accelerates rooting and overall growth of all plant varieties • Stops plant stress due to transplant shock and other environmental variables • Improves owering and increases overall yield • Promotes healthier roots and foliage when used regularly • Helps plants utilize nutrients more effciently • Excellent for house plants, outdoor gardens, hydroponics and aeroponic systems • May be used with fertilizer of your choice TRY AND SEE FOR YOURSELF WHY SO MANY PROFESSIONAL GROWERS USE HORMEX Available in 4, 8, 16, 32, 128 oz and 55 gallon sizes maia products, inc. • hormex.com • [email protected] 44 • Professional Marijuana Grower March/April 2018