Has anyone used a clone machine?

I e-mailed my brother and no response so I called and got my Sister-In-Law on the phone and told her to remind him I need the dates of the overstock sale. He's normally really good about getting back to me so I suspect he hasn't received his sales flyer yet. Truly, I am clueless as to what they may or may not be offering for sale but I am going to try to wait it out until the last minute. One year when we mentioned to him that we needed a good quality stereoscope with an illuminated stage for the kids, he found it for us for around $300. That was half the price and it was new in the box complete with a warranty. The only issue was that it was last year's model. We were thrilled to death as we had been finding that same stereoscope on sale in the upper 500s.

Yes, I sterilize some soil in the microwave but I also use the oven if I am already baking ;) I'm not so anal if cuttings are coming from my property or the local vicinity but if other people are giving them to me I do exercise a tad more caution.

Well I will try to wait and hopefully you via your brother can give me some direction. So does the baked food taste like soil? I can imagine your children in their older years, sharing memories w/ their grandchildren..."Ah the smell of baking soil...it brings back such fond memories of Christmas at home with my mom!" LOL

Come to think of it, it does smell kind of earthy in here every time I do that. The sand doesn't have an aroma when I bake it but the soil does. I really like to get it up to about 200F if possible so I stick a meat thermometer in the middle. I have gotten some strange looks... pull out the meatloaf and pull out the soil loaf.

Baking and nuking soil is common place around here so nobody much comments about it. My family is cracking jokes about the rain water ice cubes though. My husband would swear he could tell the difference in his Coke when he got into the rain water ice cubes I used specifically to cool down the roots of Darlingtonia californica. Then he got a fly of some sort in one of his ice cubes and he was totally unimpressed. I don't understand why it was so difficult for them to sort out ice cubes. The regular ice cubes were in white plastic trays that you twist and the rain water ice cubes were in old fashioned metal trays with the lever in the middle to separate them. I think the big deal is that nobody (other than me) seems to be able to refill an ice cube tray around here so they were using my rain water ice cubes. Pretty lazy if you ask me. I gave all the Darlingtonia away so no need to have different types of ice cubes.

Laurie - when you bought your groClone machine did you buy the extra foam refills? Do you need them? Do the roots ever grow into the foam? You've convinced me to buy the groClone. You're a bad, bad influence! :-}

J.

Joolz, it came with all that I needed and I think two or three extra. Never had roots grow into the foam. It's cells are too tiny I think.

I'm bad bad bad. This is the machine I was referring to about the Fiji Island leaves. I have it turned off now as I just reorganized my studio and I wanted to clean it and bleach the whole thing for a new batch of cuttings.

OK, I won't buy any extra foam things. Thanks!

You're bad in a very good way!

The overstock only had smaller Daisy cloners and by the time brother dearest got back, they were sold out. I don't particularly feel those would have met my needs after poking around on the Internet for information on them. I'm going to be rooting hardwood and softwood cuttings for the most part. I ordered the new modular RainForest 318 with the optional plexiglass humidity dome and a supplemental lid kit with different sized lid plates (6 site and 36 site kits available) to accommodate 6" as well as 2" ports. The 318 comes with 6 lid plates and each provide space for three 3" ports. Lemme see here, I also purchased additional 2", 3" and 6" plastic pots and then I decided against the coco liners and instead chose a product called Hydroton which is Kiln-fired clay pebbles. I also purchased a little bit of Rockwool (loose not in the cube form) to experiment with and last but not least a gallon of Olivia's. That should do me.

The best price I found on line for the RF318 was here-
http://www.gchydro.com/RainForest%AE+318+-+(18)+3%22+Site+Aeroponics+System.html

Best place for the optional lid kits was here-
http://www.wormsway.com/detail.asp?sku=RFV215

The plastic mesh pots, the Hydroton, and the Olivia's all seemed to be competitively priced so I just went back and ordered from suppliers I've dealt with in the past.

I should have all of my "toys" by the end of next week. That means I get to sit and wait for the "maiden voyage" until the early part of June. Bummer. Hmmm, wonder what I have around here that I could play with? I don't know if I'll be able to wait for new growth on my woodies to use this RainForest.

Oh man, I am so jealous! Can't wait to hear all of the details when you get it up and running. Still haven't fully made my decision. I have to pay the company taxes and once that's done and I see what's left over I will make my final decision- if the company has enough money left over I will probably buy something near to what you got, otherwise, I will be selecting a smaller, more compact, petite...ok, cheaper priced model! Should have a better idea by the end of the week- your purchase is rather motivating so maybe I will stop procrastinating, although that is my middle name. LOL. Congrats on your purchase, I bet you are so excited!

Must pay the piper first! You could... er uh... file an extension and put of the inevitable. There you go, that's the solution to the problem! File an extension!

Ugh, they called me and said the lid plate kits were back ordered. I want my toy and all of its parts!

Oh man, by now I thought you would have cloned a new rain forest! Ok I will keep waiting for news from you!

I don't have the darn machine yet. They said maybe sometime next week. This is killing me. I feel all dressed up with no where to go!

Lauren any soft tissue cuttings from here you might want?
Sidney

I understand that patience is a virtue...you must have some other virtue.

She has many as she fosters many children and stewards an anti invasives volunteer effort.
Sidney

Nope Sidney. Way out of range for me but if you send some cuttings to me, I'd be happy to play with them for you and send back anything that roots.

Fostered (past tense now)... last year we threw in the towel because of health concerns with my husand and also because we kept the last older child who was mentally handicapped and I'm sort of on circuitry overload with him. He can be like having two or three rolled into one from time to time but he always has a smile on his face. We are keeping what we have and will unconditionally accept back any children who were ever in our home. I am relatively confident we will be getting back at least one permanently if not two in the years to come. They may lose their parents to cancer and we signed to provide respite for them when their moms can't care for them because of therapies and additionally signed to keep them permanently should their moms lose the battle. Needless to say the number of kids in this house constantly fluctuates.

Yes, I do still participate in workshops for control, management, and eradication of invasive species. I am the Steward of my property but on County and State lands I work under a land Steward. Me low man totem pole! Feels so good to butcher Buckthorn with my chainsaw as well as to rip Garlic Mustard out of the ground with my bare hands! I will also still go out and speak to groups of kids. I'm certainly no saint and patience isn't one of my virtues but we do like kids and we do care about the environment.

Now where is my clone machine! I want my toy! I need my toy! I deserve this toy!

I do think you deserve your toy! You are a better person than I.

Did you order one yet?

Come on April, you neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed one!

It's no fun playing alone!

Not yet, but I am working on it...I really want to play too! Let me look at things this weekend. Also have 2 small jobs coming up, will light a fire under them and say, "Look, I need to buy a cloning machine and you dragging your feet is holding me up...make up your mind and hurry up about it!" LOL- nice business tactic don't you think?

Why yes April, I think that is a perfectly acceptable business tactic. You go girl!

My RainForest was delivered! It's in boxes! I can't wait for some of the shrubs around here to start putting out new growth!

Well did you put it together?

No (eyes looking down toward the ground in shame)

Hello!

Hi April, good to see you here. I am thinking of getting one. Feedback anyone???

Um, wanna come over and experiment with mine? I have been so busy it it still in the box it came in. I feel sorta guilty but I didn't need it until mid June so I am rationalizing the dragging of my heels on getting it out of the box and setting it up.

C'mon. Get your butt off that sofa and do it!!!

Oh man you should be ashamed of yourself!

Spidie, Begonia also has a cloning machine- the difference is she has actually used hers- LOL. She bought one that was somewhat less expensive and seems to be a different design or set up. From talking to her she is very happy w/ it. I still haven't made up my mind on which to buy.

Oh my! You all think I'm a slacker, eh? For shame for shame. I cleaned out and scrubbed one 200+ gallon pond for herps and I dug holes and sunk about 15 trees in the ground just this past week alone. I also planted over 30 shrubs this past week and although the holes for them aren't nearly as large as for the root balls of trees, they're still holes to dig. I've also cleared out an entire iris bed by hand lifitng over a hundred iris out to get grass out of the crowns, and prepared two more planting beds and planted all of my ornamental urns and such and I think the sum total of perennials stuck in the ground was just over 200 and that doesn't count another 60 annuals. Annuals are easy, they plop right in the ground. For this weekend, I plan on spending quality time with my hose watering everything. Watering just the new plantings takes about 7 hours and then there are two more small ponds to clean out and more holes to dig for more trees coming in and right about now I am hoping this one order for over 200 plants doesn't come in today or tomorrow because I'm sort of tired. Now regarding that couch- I think I need to drag it out the front door so that I can plop my butt on it for breaks.

I will get to the cloning machine but not until the first week of June. I wanted it for softwood cuttings anyway so those won't be able to be taken until that time.

Aprilbaby! Get the RainForest! Get the RainForest! Get the RainForest! Get the RainForest! Get the RainForest! If you order one in the next few weeks, we can sit on the phone together with our directions and assemble them together. Oh what fun!

Tiny garden you have there, equilibrium.....

Are you planting all of those plant/trees/etc on your own property or in a National Park!?! WOW that's a lot of stuff to do, do you wash windows?
Still in the thinking mode regarding the cloning machine but since you called me Aprilbaby that might sway me you sweet talker! It's been a while...

Yes, all the plants are for here. I have 5 acres and try my best to plant back when i removed invasive species. I wish i could afford to plant back one for one but i'd be penniless.

Yes, i wash windows. we have cats that sneeze on ours all the time and dogs that are tormented by squirrels on the patio that snot on the windows all the time. i am a darn good experienced window washer. before you ask... i do toilets too.

Oh noooooooo, i look back and I did call you aprilbaby. that honestly just slipped out because i have a girlfriend named april who i call aprilbaby. glad you weren't offended... aprilbaby2. Now i will have an aprilbaby1 and an aprilbaby2.

regarding the cloning machine, i just offered to loan it to somebody who has forgotten more than i've ever known about propagation. i've run into some limitations and figured i wouldn't be able to get to it so i didn't want it to go unused.

Yes I read about your limitations. Sorry to hear about them, hope that you are feeling better. 5 acres! You lucky dog!
My sneezing cat died 1 year and 1/2 ago- I miss all but the sneezing! LOL. You really work don't you? You must come from good stock! LOL.

Can I do something to help or make you feel better?

ahhh, you know all about sneezing cats and windows. i don't know what they put in those sneezes but there are times i feel like scraping them off the windows with a straight edge before i clean the windows.

Yup, 5 infested acres. life is good. i keep telling myself that every time i see a new buckthorn seedling. seems as if they come back as fast as i can remove them.

funny you should mention work ;) i'm off this week and will be taking off the next few months or maybe longer. let's see if i can drive my kids nuts with all this extra time.

Oh I have faith in you, I know that you can drive those kids nuts! I will be cheering you on from the sidelines! Don't just fritter this time away, really think about the best way to make 'em crazy!

yes, you are correct. they have been driving me nuts for years so now it's my turn. i'm a seasoned veteran at this, just ask my husband.
muahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Nice touch that evil laugh! It was not wasted on me.

well, you are married and you are a care providor so i figured you'd understand.

LOL... you make me laugh, it's nice to talk to you.
How are you feeling anyway? Better I hope. I know that hand injuries, especially fingers can be very painful. Talked to many orthopedic surgeons who will tell you that for adults anything involving finger fractures is one of the most painful recoveries that can be experienced.
Here is a little something to cheer you up, that's me with my boyfriend (don't tell my husband):

Ok that photo didn't show up as well as I'd hoped, so here's another photo to cheer you up

Hey, that's my husband!

Just kidding. That age bracket would be more like a son.

I feel like a million bucks comparatively speaking. I had a check up and the top of the finger they surgically reattached took. I get to keep that one. My hand has the crush fracture and it actually hurts more than the finger I cut off. I think it's because they went in digging around to remove the bone chips. I can wiggle the finger that was only broken. They said about 4-5 more weeks on the hand but my bet is I can start gardening again in about 2 weeks. By then I will have driven every one nuts. Care to visit? I'm becoming a seasoned veteran at driving people around me bonkers by pacing around like a caged animal.

One summer I had a trigger finger release and carpal tunnel release on my RT hand, since I am RT handed that was a bit of a bummer for me. It was work related so it was paid time off...so sad to have a month off. Well when I went back to have the stitches removed at about 2 weeks, I had already ripped then by doing my gardening. Recovery was great.
As long as you have good movement and you are not working beyond discomfort you should be ok.
As I am getting ready to drive to Calif w/ my oldest and her son to briefly visit and bring my mother out here to look at finding her a place to live so that she can be near family and maintain her independence and my relationship w/ my 2 youngest daughters is...how shall I say it? very tense, not to mention that my husband...not the one I sent in the photo, who by the way IS NOT YOUR HUSBAND!...are considering terminating our marriage after all of these years- I refrained from charecterizing the years...I think visiting you would be a blissful experience and I may have to take you up on it by the end of May!
On the other hand, I am glad that you are doing so well and glad the reattached tip took- it may seem like so little but it really makes all the difference, just ask Frankenstein what it's like to not have all your original parts! LOL kidding. but glad you are good.