Cloning Cannabis Plants For Beginners

Once you have invested in growing marijuana, wouldn’t it be nice to start cloning more plants for free? Creating new, healthy plants that are genetically identical? Cloning marijuana isn’t as difficult as you would think.

Growing from clones has several advantages for both novice and expert gardeners. You have complete control over the plant genetics you select and avoid dealing with the fragile seedling stage. Put another way, it’s simpler, faster, and more exact.

What is a weed clone?

A cannabis clone is a cutting, such as a branch, taken from a living marijuana plant and grown into its plant. A clone has the same genetic composition as the plant from which it was taken, known as the mother plant.

A normal clone is around 6 inches long, give or take, placed in a starter cube and given a hormone to stimulate development after being cut off the mother plant. After the roots form, they are put into a pot or the ground, where they grow like any other weed plant.

Purpose of cloning

Growing marijuana from seeds might be difficult, but beginning with clones is much easier. Clones will save you time since they take time to grow out, but you won’t have to germinate seeds, saving you around a month of growing time.

The plant’s genetics will be strong as they are directly linked to the parent.

What is a mother plant?

A mother plant is any cannabis plant from which a clone or cutting is taken. Mother plants should be strong and healthy, as their DNA will be passed down to the clones—if the parent plant is unwell, the clones will be sick. They are not male plants, although a male plant may grow from cannabis cloning.

What will you need for cloning weed?

• A thriving mother plant
• A sharp scalpel or scissors
• Starter Cubes (such as Rockwool cubes)
• Root hormone
• Lighting that is “mild” for your clones
• High-proof alcohol to disinfect your instruments and create a sterile environment.

How to clone a cannabis plant

Choose a high-yielding plant. Because your clones will have the same genetic makeup as the original plant, you should start with hardy stock. Choose healthy clones that you know will generate a lot of buds and develop to the size and height you require.

Take a clone from a healthy plant that is in the vegetative stage. Select straight branches with at least three nodes. Cut each branch at a 45° angle using a knife.

Put your cannabis cuttings in the water right away. As soon as possible, dip the cut ends in the rooting hormone. Spray your rooting media and insert your cannabis cuttings. For the first 48 hours, cover your plants with a plastic humidity dome to create a humid environment.

When to take clones from mother plant?

Take clones when the mother plant is at least two months old and has developed roots. Clones less than two months old from mother plants may develop irregularly and slowly. Cannabis clones obtained during the flowering stage grow fast, but returning to vegetative growth takes many weeks.

How & where to cut clones from a mother plant correctly?

Make a clean cut below the final node of your cutting to extract a clone from a cannabis plant. This increases the size of the rooting surface, allowing the branch to create more roots and grow faster.

How big should clones be?

The clone should be between 5-8 inches (12-20 cm). Preferably, all clones should be around the same length so that no clone needs to compete for light.

Setting up a rooting environment to propagate marijuana (soil, cloning gel, rooting hormones, etc.)

There are three varieties of root hormones to select from, in particular, liquid, gel, or powder. It’s advisable to stick to cannabis-only brands. Some amateur gardeners combine cloning powder with potting mix to increase the auxin content. This method works well with seedlings in tiny pots or containers. As the plants enter vegetative growth, they must be transplanted to a medium with fewer auxins. Otherwise, stem development would be hindered.

Transplanting weed clones

Check the bottom of the tray or auto-cloner regularly to ensure your clones have enough water. Spray water on the leaves using a spray bottle to promote humidity. If any clones die, remove them to avoid mold growth in the remaining clones and to give the surviving clones more space.

You can transplant cannabis plants’ clones into the soil in 3-14 days, although some may root out faster than others. They’re ready when the white roots reach an inch or two in length.

Proper clone rooting

• Properly cut the chosen plant to clone.
• Leaves and stems should be cut at an angle.
• Replant after adding the rooting hormone.
• Watch your clones develop.

Clone care

Maintain at least 18 hours of light every day for your clone. At this level, even a fluorescent light generates enough light for photosynthesis. You do not want to “switch” your clone to blossom (12 light/12 darkness) until it has reached complete maturity. Even young cannabis plants are susceptible to photoperiod fluctuations.

Growing from clones

Once the cloned plants have grown, they can be used for cloning more plants. As long as the new plants are healthy and female, the cones can be cut, and the process can be started again.

Choose the right strains for perfect cloning!

The Seed Fair is there to help you with all your growing needs. Choose the perfect cannabis seed and start growing healthy female plants with their large selection of feminized seeds. Produce buds that are ready to clone in as little as two months.

Choose the perfect strain, potency, and seeds to start cloning cannabis. A single plant can give you new clones every few months.

FAQs

How to clone weed with the rooting hormone?

A rooting hormone is a chemical that aids in developing new roots and is required for successful cloning. Auxin is the primary hormone that plants make naturally to build roots. Once you have cut the stem, place the end in the rooting medium and replant.

How to clone a weed plant without rooting gel?

• Cut a healthy lateral stem, not the main stem.
• Insert 1/3 of the cutting into a wet growth medium.
• Cover the pot and cutting with plastic or glass and keep it under warm, indirect light. Mist the soil as needed to promote root development.
• The clone’s roots should be 3 inches (7.6 cm) long after two weeks.

Can I have autoflower clones?

Cloning an auto-flowering plant is conceivable, but the results will certainly be poor. If cannabis growers do this to increase production rather than for research objectives, they will undoubtedly be disappointed through the cloning process.

Can you clone a clone plant?

New clones can serve as mother plants. To begin with, they are identical to the mother plant from which they evolved. They are genetically similar, making clones every few weeks. Clones as mother plants will ensure that your crops reproduce consistently.

How long will it take from clone to harvest?

Clones can take anywhere from 7 to 21 days to root, depending on the climate and genetics/cultivar. You want the plants to end at around 24 to 36 inches long, so you will induce blooming when they are about 12 to 18 inches tall.