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Clean off all the unhealthy leaves and unwanted lower branches.
Photo: Freebie
Step 9. Two days later, take clones from plants in area 1 and 2. The plants in area 4 are topped (the tips taken off to prevent the plant from getting too tall) and only a few branches are left on them while the plants in flowering room 4 are allowed to finish flowering. Light schedules in areas 1 and 2 remain the same (i.e., area one at 12/12 light cycle and area two at 18/6).
Step 10. Twenty-one days later, turn flowering area 4 to a 12/12 light cycle.
Step 11. One day later, transfer rooted clones to area 2.
Step 12. Vegetative plants in area 2 should be grown to approximately 12 inches tall and completely stripped of all available clones—preferably as many as possible. However, leave plenty of viable material to finish flowering.
Step 13. Eleven days later, turn the lights in area 3 to 10 hours on / 14 hours off and significantly lower the ammonium and nitrate nitrogen (nutrient) levels (this process is fully explained later in this book). Eliminate all ammonium nitrate by the end of the growth cycle. (This is the N in the NPK ratio, or the vegetative component in nutrients.)
Be sure to stake your plants at an appropriate time so they are prepared for flowering.
The tool used here is the HT-B2 Tapener Max. It utilizes green gardener’s tape for tying up plants.
Photos: Freebie
Step 14. Six days later, clean up / strip area 2 (the vegetative room). Remove the lower leaves and vegetation, as well as any unhealthy leaves and material unsuitable for clones, as in Step 3 above.
Step 15. Eight days later, harvest all plants from flowering area 3 and immediately clean and decontaminate the room in preparation for reinstallation.
Step 16. One day later, transfer area 2 vegetative plants to the empty flowering area, changing the light schedule to 12/12. Transfer all area one clones to the area 2 vegetative area. All of this should be done only after a thorough cleaning and decontamination of all empty rooms and systems.
Step 17. Two days later, take the clones from flowering area 3 that have been on 12/12 cycle for 2 days and place them in area 1 for rooting.
Step 18. Fourteen days later, strip / clean up stage two vegetation room. Clean off any unwanted / unhealthy material, as in Step 3 above.
Step 19. Seven days later, harvest flowering room two, immediately clean and decontaminate the area in preparation for reinstallation, and transfer stage two vegetative plants from area 2 to flowering area 4.
Step 20. One day later, transfer area 1 clones to area 2 vegetative area and turn light to a 12/12 cycle.
Step 21. Two days later, take clones from flowering area 4.
Step 22. Eighteen days later, clean up / strip vegetative area 2.
Step 23. Four days later, harvest flowering area 1.
Step 24. Two days later, take clones from flowering area one.
Step 25. Sixteen days later, clean up / strip area 2 of any unwanted / unusable material.
Step 26. Six days later, harvest area 4, transfer area 2 vegetative to area 4 flowering, and turn lights to 12/12.
Step 27. One day later, transfer area 1 clones to area 2 vegetative area.
Step 28. One day later, take clones from flowering area 2.
Step 29. Twenty days later, clean up / strip area 2 vegetative of any unwanted / unusable material.
Step 30. Four days later, harvest flowering area 3 and transfer area 2 vegetative to flowering area 3, leaving the lights at 18/6.
Step 31. One day later, turn flowering area 3’s light cycle to 12/12.
Step 32. Two days later, clean up / strip area 2 vegetative of any unwanted / unusable material.
Step 33. Fourteen days later, clean up / strip area 2.
Step 34. Seven days later, harvest flowering area 4 and transfer area 2 vegetative to flowering area 4. Transfer area 1 clones to area 2 vegetative area.
Step 35. Two days later, take clones from area 2.
Repeat this scheduling process over and over again—it is cyclical.
Every step of this schedule was dictated by growing methodologies, environmental conditions, and genetics. We used four different cultivars, all indica / sativa hybrids yet each rooted at different times. Each had a different growth rate and pattern, and each finished / matured at slightly different rates also.
Compact fluorescent lights used in a cloning chamber.
Photo: Freebie
All of these factors must be considered when creating a working symbiotic rotation. The same symbiotic rotation cycle can be used for three room rotations or by using mother plants instead of constantly rotating clones and vegetative plants, but in my experience, the above schedule is much more efficient than any other method, period!
The Eleven Steps of Symbiotic Rotation
The detailed instructions above can be boiled down to the following eleven steps. You might not understand every step that follows yet, but by the end of this book, you will. In practice, a symbiotic rotation works as follows:
1. Take clones or start seeds for donor plants.
2. Grow donor plants to a height of 12 inches.
3. Strip off all available clones.
Make sure to have good lights in the flowering chamber.
Photo: Freebie
4. Transfer donor plants to flowering room. Clones will take 7 to 14 days to root.
5. After clones root, hold them in the clone room for approximately 21 more days.
