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Golden Grow ® Aeroponic Cloning System
Instructions
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www.goldengrow.com
Thank you, and Congratulation Congratulations! s! Thank you for purchasing a Golden Grow ® Cloning System! We are very excited to bring you a new way to get the most out of your growing experience. With the the Golden Grow ® Cloning Cloning System, you’ll be able to create up to 48 clones of your favorite plants more quickly with flawless results.
Come visit us at
www.goldengrow.com for more cloning cloning tips, information, parts, and accessories. accessories. See included pump manual(s) for additional safety and use instructions.
Table of Contents 3
What’s In The Box?
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Things to Check Before Initial Use
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Using the System to Create Clones
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Using the System for Vegetative Growth
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Pro Tips
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Troubleshooting Troubleshooting and Support
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Warranty Information
© 2013-2014 by b y Golden Grow, Inc. All rights reserved rese rved 2
What’s in the Box?
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10-Gallon Reservoir
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Submersible Pump
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Sprinkler Manifold with Sprinkler Heads
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48-Site Cloning Lid
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1” Neoprene Inserts (60)
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Green Grommets for the Cloning Lid (48 installed, 2 spare)
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Large Green Closed Grommet
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Small Green Open Grommets (2)
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Small Green Closed Grommets G rommets (2 installed) 12-Site Vegetation Lid ( Combo Kit Only ) 3.75 in. Net Pots ( Combo Kit Only ) Air Pump (Combo Kit Only ) Air Stones (2) with Vinyl Tubing ( Combo Kit Only ) 3
Things to Check Before Initial Use
The green grommets installed in the 48site cloning lid can get jostled out of place during the shipping process. Check to ensure all the grommets are firmly seated into the lid and form a good seal.
Check to make sure the pump cord and the grommet form a good seal with each other and and the reservoir. Check to make sure the cord is not pulling on the grommet at a tight angle, which may cause the grommet to deform and water to leak from the container during operation.
The green handles on the container are made in such a way that they will pop out of place at the joint if too much direct pressure is put on them. This prevents prevents the handles from from breaking. breaking. If a handle has slipped out of place during shipping, simply reseat the handle into the notches in the reservoir base.
Occasionally, the pump and manifold may become unseated during the shipping process. Simply secure the pump to its base and place it in the center of the reservoir. reservoir.
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Using the System to Create Clones 1. Always start with clean equipment and clean hands. All of the Golden Grow ® System System parts can be cleaned by hand with simple soap soap and warm water. Lids, grommets, grommets, and reservoirs reservoirs can be placed placed into a dishwasher. Cleaning should should be done before every use to reduce the chances of accidentally growing molds or fungi with your new clones. 2. Ensure that the pump and manifold are seated firmly in the center of the reservoir with the long edge of manifold parallel to the long edge of the reservoir. 3. Fill your reservoir with 12L (approx. 3 gal.) of clean water, preferably without chlorine or chloramine (a good filtered water will do). If you use RO or distilled distilled water, be be sure to add the appropriate calcium calcium and magnesium back into the water using a commercially commercially available available additive additive like CalMag. Additional nutrients and cloning mixtures are NOT required at this time, but you may use !-strength vitamin B-type mixtures such as Propagator, B52, or SuperThrive. However, these these are not required for great great results. Do not exceed the fill line (20L) or cover the sprinkler heads with water. 4. Attach the 48-site cloning lid to the top of the reservoir and seat it firmly. Clamp the handles up and over the edge of the lid. The fit should be snug. 5. Insert 48 of the neoprene discs discs into the cloning lid. lid. Keep one extra neoprene disc handy for the first cutting. cutting. When inserting the discs, don’t don’t press them them all the way down. Just seat the base base of the discs into the grommets leaving ! in. above the grommet. 6. Plug in the pump’s power cord and let the machine run for a minute. Check for water leaks around the grommets on the side of the cloner near the pump pum p cord and air lines (if air lines are being used). 7. Take an end cutting, with at least 4-5 nodes, from your host plant and place the stem in the neoprene disc (the discs open on the side to allow this placement). placement). Leave at least one, preferably two nodes, trimmed flush to the stem, below the bottom end of the the disc. Roots will typically grow grow between the 5
last two nodes of the cutting. cutting. Leave 1-1.5 inches of stem stem below the disc. 8. Remove a blank neoprene disc from the lid and swap it with your newly filled neoprene disc containing the cutting. 9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for as many cuttings as you wish, up to 48 cuttings. 10. Keep the cloner under 18 hours of light per day (18h light / 6h dark). 11. Check the progress of your clones by first unplugging the pump, and then carefully slipping the handles off the sides of the lid. Carefully lift lift the lid and look for white root formation. formation. After your inspection, replace replace the lid, handles, and plug the pump back in. 12. Change the water in the reservoir every 7 days, and in no longer than 10 days to avoid bacterial growth, fungal growth, and root rot. This is extremely important. 13. Plants will form roots within 7-28 days, depending on the variety of the host plant plant and the health/selection health/selection of of the cutting. When the plants have formed fuzzy white w hite roots, select the most vigorous and healthiest plants and place them gently into your medium and into your 3.75-in net pots for further vegetative growth.
New cuttings have been trimmed and placed into their neoprene inserts, leaving ! inch above the grommet and an inch of stem below the bottom.
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Using the System For Vegetative Growth 1. Always start with clean equipment and clean hands. All of the Golden Grow ® System System parts can be cleaned by hand with simple soap soap and warm water. Lids, grommets, grommets, and reservoirs reservoirs can be placed placed into a dishwasher. Cleaning should should be done before every use to reduce the chances of accidentally growing molds or fungi with your plants. 2. Ensure that your air lines are passing through the reservoir base and grommets and attach a total of two air stones to the lines. These air stones are essential for keeping the roots oxygenated and healthy when the pump is not in operation (if you are using a timed watering system). 3. Ensure that the pump and manifold are seated firmly in the center of the reservoir with the long edge of manifold parallel to the long edge of the reservoir. 4. Fill your reservoir with 12L (approx. 3 gal.) of clean water, preferably without chlorine or chloramine (a good filtered water will do). If you use RO or distilled distilled water, be sure to add the the appropriate calcium calcium and magnesium back into the water using a commercially commercially available additive. Additional nutrients nutrients may be added at this time, following the nutrient manufacturer’s recommended PPM schedule for plants at this stage of growth. You may also use vitamin B-type mixtures such as Propagator, B52, or SuperThrive. SuperThrive. Do not exceed the fill line (20L) or or cover the sprinkler heads with water. 5. Adjust the pH of the water to 5.8 using commercially available pH adjusters and pH testers, available online or in your local hydroponics shop. 6. Attach the 12-site vegetation lid to the top of the reservoir and seat it firmly. firmly. Clamp the handles up and over the edge edge of the lid. The fit fit should should be snug. snug. 7. Place your clones/plants into the 3.75-in net pots with your medium of choice. choice. If you are using using coco coir coir or any loose media that may be dislodged from the net pots during operation, you may wish to use an additional bag filter for the water pump. This will help ensure the water pump and sprayer heads don’t become blocked by debris from the grow media. 7
Make sure to also carefully disassemble and clean your water pump between cloning cycles. Check the water pump’s instruction manual (included) for additional details. 8. Place the net pots pots into the 12 holes in in the vegetation vegetation lid. Be sure to cover each of the holes even if there is no plant available for for that location. location. This will prevent water from from splashing up through the lid when the pump is in operation. 9. Plug in the water pump’s power cord. Optionally, use a timer (not included) to irrigate the root zone at least 5-10 minutes per day. You may also also leave the pump on on full time. 10. Plug in the air pump. The air pump must be running full time. 11. Keep the plants under 18 hours of light per day (18h light / 6h dark) until they reach the desired size and are ready to be transplanted. 12. Change the water in the reservoir every 7 days, and in no longer than 10 days to avoid bacterial growth, fungal growth, and root rot. This is extremely important.
— OPTIONAL OPTIO NAL — 13. Once the roots have passed through the mesh basket and are reaching the sprinkler manifold, you may elect to remove the water pump and manifold. Simply pop out the grommet holding the pump’s cord, and replace it with the included large closed grommet to seal the container. 14. Fill the reservoir with 25L (approx. 6.5 gal) of water and nutrients (PPMs set to the manufacturer’s recommended level for your plant’s stage of growth) and and balance the pH to 5.8. The water should be no closer than 1 inch from the bottom of the mesh baskets. 15. Keep in mind that 25L of water weighs a little over 50 pounds (25kg… the metric system is easy and fun!) so plan ahead before you fill your bucket. 16. If you grow your plants for too long in this way, the roots will become inseparably inseparably entwined. entwined. Transplant them before before this happens or your plants will suffer shock when transplanted. 8
Pro Tips •
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Be careful not not to overgrow overgrow your cuttings cuttings in the cloner! cloner! When roots have formed, they will grow incredibly quickly in the cloner, often often 2-3 in. per day. Roots really really love this this environment! Leave them in a few of days too long and your clones will come out with a foot foot or more (30+ (30+ cm) of root formation. formation. If this happens, pull apart your medium (if you’re using rock wool) and gently place the top part of the roots into the middle of the medium and close it up again, letting the bottom parts of the roots coil up at the bottom of the net pots and fall through the holes. When cloning, do not unplug your water pump for more than about 10 min. Roots dry out out quickly, and and a dried root root is a dead and useless root. Leave your water pump running running 24/7 except when you are changing the water or checking growth. Take more cuttings cuttings than you need! Even though most ifif not all cuttings will grow roots given enough time and proper care, you’ll want to select the best clones for transplanting. Unlike some cloning methods, you don’t need to keep the cuttings in a super-humid environment nor do you need a humidity dome. You also don’t need to to trim the leaves. You do not need special heaters heaters for the cuttings. cuttings. The heat generated by the water pump and the lights are more than enough to keep the cuttings happy if your ambient room temperature is the recommended 70 ° F (21° C). Use lower levels of lighting (T5 fluorescents, 125w CFLs, etc.) for new clones to avoid avoid burning or or shocking them. them. Do not place fresh clones in direct sunlight. That capped tee tee on the manifold? That’s there in case you want to install install a pump-out hose hose and or valve. valve. The manifold’s tee is the same size and spec as " in. PVC. With a hose barb barb and a slip adapter, the water pump will pump out the water in the bucket in a few minutes. The sprayers will will also flow, flow, so leave leave the lid on the reservoir while the water pump is on. You can use a clean nylon “footie” over the intake end of the water pump as an additional filter when using loose media. 9
Troubleshooting Troubleshootin g and Support Cloning The top of my cloning lid leaks droplets through the neoprene discs. d iscs.
In cloning mode, you may see a few droplets of water bubble up from a disc when you first turn on your water pump. This is normal normal and will stop stop quickly. This means that the the cloner is balancing the pressure inside inside the container. container. If the droplets droplets don’t stop stop within a few few moments, remove and replace a neoprene disc to resolve the air pressure and check check again. Also make sure the grommet is installed properly in the lid. My clones clo nes have hav e been in the clone clo ne machine mac hine for x days, and they the y aren’t growing roots yet.
Different plants plants clone at different rates. rates. Some plants do not propagate easily with any cloning method, hydroponic, aeroponic, or otherwise. otherwise. Some grow grow roots roots within within a few days. If you you don’t have much experience cloning a specific plant and you don’t know its cloning potential, potential, be patient patient and let it it go a bit bit longer. Change the water every 7 days and let it go for up to 4 weeks. If you don’t see see roots within 4 weeks, your plant may not be a good candidate for cloning. Vegetation Not all of my grow gro w media in the 3.75 in. net pots are getting adequately soaked during the watering cycle.
1. Make sure your your sprayers are centered centered in the box. Off-center placement can mean some baskets will not get enough water. 2. Make sure your spray nozzles are functioning normally, and are clear of any obstacles or debris. 3. Make sure the cap is on the water pump-out tee. 4. Make sure the water pump chamber is clear of any debris, such as loose grow media and root matter. Clean the water pump’s chambers after every cycle. 5. Make sure there is enough water w ater in the reservoir to cover the water pump, at least 12L (approx. 3 gal.). 10
1 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
This product has been manufactured and tested to the highest quality standards by Golden Grow, Inc. This Limited Warranty offered by Golden Grow, Inc. covers defects in material or workmanship in new Golden Grow, Inc. products. This warranty extends to the original purchaser only and is nontransferable. Only consumers purchasing Golden Grow, Inc. products from authorized Golden Grow, Inc. retailers or resellers or through the Golden Grow, Inc. website may obtain coverage under our limited warranties. What is covered? Golden Grow, Inc. warrants this product against defects in material or workmanship as follows:
Golden Grow, Inc. will replace at no charge for parts only or, at its option, replace any product or part of the product that proves defective because of improper workmanship and/or material, under normal installation, use, service and maintenance. If Golden Grow, Inc. is unable to provide a replacement and repair is not practical or cannot be made in a timely fashion, Golden Grow, Inc. may elect to refund the purchase price in exchange for the return of the product. How Long Does The Coverage Last? Our warranty periods are one (1) year from the documented date of purchase. What Our Warranty Does Not Cover? Our warranties do not cover any problem that is caused by:
A. Conditions, malfunctions or damage not resulting from defects in material or workmanship. B. Conditions, malfunctions or damage resulting from (1) normal wear and tear, improper installation, improper maintenance, misuse, abuse, negligence, accident or alteration. C. Accessories, connected materials and products, or related products not manufactured by Golden Grow, Inc. Our limited warranties are void if a product is returned with damaged or custom modified components or any alterations (including removal of any standard components). How to File a Claim? Golden Grow, Inc. will not provide any warranty coverage unless claims are made in compliance with all terms of the controlling warranty statement included with your product and you follow proper return procedure. To request warranty service, you will need to:
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Provide the sales receipt or other evidence of the date and place of purchase.
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Provide a detailed description of the problem, emailed to
[email protected]
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Obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) Number to use when returning the product. This number must be clearly marked on the
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exterior shipping packaging of the product. Products returned without an RMA number will be rejected, returned, or discarded. 4.
Deliver the product or the defective part, postage prepaid and carefully packed and insured, to: ATTN: WARRANTY REPLACEMENT RMA# [INSERT YOUR RMA# HERE] GOLDEN GROW, INC. 543 COUNTRY CLUB DR STE B # 115 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93065 UNITED STATES
When warranty service is completed, any repaired or replacement product or part will be returned to you postage prepaid. REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT (OR, IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES, REFUND OF THE PURCHASE PRICE) AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS WARRANTY IS THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY OF THE PURCHASER. GOLDEN GROW, INC. NEITHER ASSUMES NOR AUTHORIZES ANY PERSON TO CREATE FOR IT ANY OTHER OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH THIS PRODUCT. GOLDEN GROW, INC. SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO PURCHASER OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY). How Does State Law Apply? The laws of the State of California, USA, govern our warranties. It gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights that vary from state to state. Our warranties do not affect any additional rights consumers have under laws in their jurisdictions governing the sale of consumer goods. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the limitations or exclusions in our warranty statements may not apply. You may be required by law to give us a reasonable opportunity to correct or cure any failure to comply before you can bring any action in court against us under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
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