cloning Cloning Moruga Keeper...any tips?

MulchyDreams

MulchyDreams

So I planted thousands of seeds and after going through a rat storm multiple times I was left with only a few extremely vigorous varieties that could recover from being completely stripped of leaves repeatedly.  I have so many rats I hear them fighting at night and even during the day.  All the specialty varieties I paid extra for online got eaten but a few of the ones from peppers I ate the year before made it through.
 
Basically the only types that made it were Fatalli--very vigorous and fills with yellow pods pretty easy.  Also some strangely shaped pepper I don't remember buying or eating that seems super vigorous.  A red pimply superhot looking pepper that just got another attack.  And the one I wanted the whole season was the chocolate moruga which I ate probably the most...kept ordering box after box and kept all the seeds.  Not like a few seeds...I had large piles of chocolate moruga seeds and germinated them ALL in large trays and didn't bother separating til later.  I thought I lost them all but have a survivor.  That's right only one.  It's been attacked by rats just like the others but seems to be growing healthy.  The pod on this one looks exactly like the pods I ate the year before which were devastatingly tasty and put a real impressive burn on ya.  Actually made the typical red scorpion seem kind of mild. 
 
I like the way this one grows.  Certainly no slouch and vigorous.  Looks like my helper rats did the selection for me.  So I was thinking of taking clones.  I've done it for other plants but just wanted to know if there was anything special to look out for in peppers specifically the chocolate moruga. 
 
Ph adjust 1.5" rockwool cubes. Angle cut within a 1/8 inch of a node and trim node. dip in root tone, put in cube. Put in dome with heating mat to keep humidity around %90. Feed with hydro bloom nutes less than 400 ppm or less than quarter strength. Do it the exact same way you would do canna. Anyone one here who says you cant do it the same has never done both.
 
It would seem that you mostly need a cat and some rat traps.  Otherwise what's the point in hoping on one plant that is doomed to suffer the same fate?
 
Nah, that plant got attacked just like the rest but shows superior vigor to bounce back after multiple stripping of it's leaves.  I had two Superhots survive that are both extremely vigorous.  No nursery cuts could hang with the punishment my rats dished out.  They looked great until the rats came out to play.  
 
The first keeper is a pimpley looking red superhot that is shaped like a wrinkled ghost pepper.  Probably an cross pollinated hybrid that came from one of the many Superhots I ate last year.  I bought a ton of peppers and always keep seeds but this pod looks different than anything I ate so must of got hybridized.  Shows hybrid vigor that's for sure!
 
The second keeper looks exactly like the chocolate morugas I ordered. Today I noticed it has sort of a dark maroon color to the pod but perhaps that settles into brown.  Could be a hybrid as well because of all the vigor but the pod shape looks spot on the chocolate morugas I ate.  Which very well could have gotten some stray pollen.  Who knows.. both amazing cuts and would like to cross them together.  
 
I get all the neighborhoods rats because I have dogs that keep the cats away.  I don't use pesticides and trap in cages once in a while...but regardless, that's my growing conditions so I have to select for my conditions.  All my plants can handle getting stripped down multiple times during a year.  I know once I move them to another location they are going to be straight up winners in the vigor department.  I have a feeling the two superhots are really good plants.  Thanks hogleg good info.  Shouldn't be too hard. 
 
hogleg said:
Ph adjust 1.5" rockwool cubes. Angle cut within a 1/8 inch of a node and trim node. dip in root tone, put in cube. Put in dome with heating mat to keep humidity around %90. Feed with hydro bloom nutes less than 400 ppm or less than quarter strength. Do it the exact same way you would do canna. Anyone one here who says you cant do it the same has never done both.
Click to expand...
Hogleg, if I follow your advice  on pH can I just dip the rockwool in water with lemon and cut a branch within 1/8 inch node?  thanks!
 
I should have been more specific. cubes should be soaked  for a half hour at a ph of 5.5 -5.8. yes you can use lemon juice but make sure you're in that ph range for the soak to adjust the fairly alkaline rockwool.
 
The best area to cut is jut below the tender green part of stem, where its just becoming firm and slightly woody.
 
Also remember as it says in the link nuclearDays provided cleanliness is a must, tools should be sterilized between each cutting via h2o2 or alcohol.
 
Have you considered putting a ring of glue traps around your growing area?
 
If you check them often, rats are big enough that it's not really an inhumane option.  Just oil them up and separate them from the glue pad.
 
Or building some sort of outer barrier high enough that rats can't get over?
 
As for cloning, I've never had any success worth speaking about.  Far less hassle to grow from seed in my case.
 
This season i've successfully cloned two different plants with... pure water. Just take a clone with a sharp cut, remove all the big leaves and stick it in a cup of water in a warm, not too dark room (kitchen for me). Replace the water often. It takes a lot of patience (1 month or so) but you'll see healthy roots developing.
Dumb proof method.

Cya

Datil
 
I haven't tried it too often, but every time I did the plants would survive as long as I kept them in the cup of water, until they started dying of starvation.  They'd just never develop enough of a root system to survive on their own.
 
I have a pH meter.  What are people using to raise pH for alkalized water?  Lemon, baking soda, dolomitic lime, citric acid, or pH drops.  I heard baking soda you have to be careful.  I did search but didn't see a thread.  Thanks!
 
datil, i have good luck with Genovese Basil but have not tried the peppers.  Sounds like more time, for sure.
 
hogleg, thanks for the specificity.  I appreciate the extra info. You sound iffy on the lemon water.  what is an alternative?  see above.
 
Jim
 
strictly low tech for me. I chose some stems on my jalapenos and reapers. Cut the stem off, stripped a few leaves. Rooted them in tap water. When roots show I pot them in ordinary potting soil. They grow. Bob's your uncle.
 
Eeeeeeee! said:
I have a pH meter.  What are people using to raise pH for alkalized water?  Lemon, baking soda, dolomitic lime, citric acid, or pH drops.  I heard baking soda you have to be careful.  I did search but didn't see a thread.  Thanks!
 
datil, i have good luck with Genovese Basil but have not tried the peppers.  Sounds like more time, for sure.
 
hogleg, thanks for the specificity.  I appreciate the extra info. You sound iffy on the lemon water.  what is an alternative?  see above.
 
Jim
Click to expand...
 
Nuthin wrong with lemon water at all. I've used it many times, though I usually use ph down from the hydro shop. they are virtually the same thing. One is just HIGHLY concentrated, enough to burn the holy shit out of your skin.
 
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