Propagation Nutrients & Cloning Products

Propagation nutrients and cloning products cover the first three weeks – taking a cutting, rooting it, and the first feed once roots appear. It is the cheapest stage to buy for and the most expensive one to get wrong.

The three things you need

1. A rooting gel or powder. Applied to the cut stem, it seals the wound and delivers the hormone that triggers root initiation. Clonex is the standard; powders work equally well and keep longer.
2. A first-feed solution. Very dilute, balanced, and pH stable – Formulex and Canna Start are the two most used. A cutting with no roots cannot handle full-strength feed.
3. Somewhere to put it. See propagation media for plugs and cubes, and propagators for the tray and dome.

What actually decides whether a cutting roots

Not the gel. The gel helps, but cuttings fail on environment far more often than on product choice:

• Bottom heat. Around 21-24°C at the root zone. This is the single biggest factor and the one most often missed.
• Humidity near saturation for the first few days, then gradually vented. A cutting has no roots and loses water through its leaves.
• Low light. A cutting cannot use a flowering fixture. See propagation grow lights.
• Clean tools. A sterile blade and a clean cut. Most rot starts at the stem.

Seeds are different

Seeds carry their own food supply and need no nutrient at all until the first true leaves appear. Plain water in a plug, warmth, and patience. Feeding a seedling is how you kill it.

What we stock

Clonex, Formulex, Canna Start, Rhizotonic, rooting powders, Growth Technology and Plant Magic propagation ranges. Follow on with root stimulators through early veg, then a nutrient starter kit for the rest of the cycle.

Propagation FAQs

Gel or powder?
Gel is easier to use and seals better. Powder lasts longer on the shelf and is cheaper per cutting. Both work.

How long should a cutting take to root?
Seven to fourteen days with bottom heat. Longer than three weeks usually means the root zone is too cold.

Can I reuse cloning gel from the bottle?
Never dip into the main bottle. Decant what you need and throw the rest – one contaminated dip infects the whole batch.

Why buy propagation kit from The Hydro Bros?

We are a hydroponics shop in Croydon and we take cuttings weekly. Tell us how many you are running and we will spec the tray, the medium and the feed. Discreet UK and European delivery, and excellent customer reviews on Trustpilot.