How to Do Cannabis Clone: Step by Step Guide
If you are reading this article, then you probably might know a thing or two about cannabis.
Also, if you are curious about knowing what a cannabis clone is and how to make one, then you will enjoy this post altogether.
How would you like to play a little game with nature?
Do you know that you can create your very own cannabis plant without having to know a thing about science?
If your answer is ‘Yes,’ then let’s dive in.
What is a Cannabis Clone?
Cannabis cloning is simply the art of making smaller copies of a cannabis plant.
In general terms, a clone is a small part of a parent plant, allowed to bear roots for itself.
You can also see that these cannabis clones are little pieces from cannabis plants which in turn make their roots; they eventually grow to become as identical as their “parent.”
The fascinating thing about these clones is how they become the carbon copy of their parents. They become identical in every way, from taking the genes of their parents, to taking the exact sex of their parents.
So, if you have a parent marijuana plant as a female plant, the clone would also be female.
If you had a cannabis plant with certain valuable qualities that you wish to retain, e.g., taste, smell, potency, etc., then making a cannabis clone would be the best option.
With the cannabis cloning process, you can make lots of clones from a single parent, and the unique characteristics of the parents will be replicated.
Why You Should Consider Cannabis Cloning
- This will be the best option for you if you hate germinating seeds.
Even if cloning marijuana plants come with time demands, you will be spared at least a month from the time you may have needed to plant one from the seed.
2. Cloning your cannabis plant will also save you from injudicious use of garden space.
For instance, if you wanted to grow a cannabis plant by germinating its seeds, you will need to plant lots of seeds, then separate the males when they all grow eventually.
This process would waste time, and you may also discover some of the seeds don’t get to germinate.
When you take a cannabis clone from a mother plant, you don’t need to spend a dime. However, there might be a need to buy one or two supplies, or you may choose to purchase clones from a marijuana plant dispensary.
3. Another reason you should consider cloning is if you wish to retain certain qualities from the parent plant.
The cannabis clone is a replica of the parent plant, and you can continue to make clones for as long as you wish.
It is worthy of note that some people believe that these clones may not withstand harsh environmental conditions; however, this is not the consensus.
Advantages of Cannabis Cloning
We’ve seen a few reasons why you should consider cloning cannabis plants. Now, let’s talk about some of the advantages that come with this process.
· Clones grow faster than regular seeds.
· It is possible to create lots of clones from one marijuana plant that will retain the exact qualities of the parent plant.
· Cloning is possible at every stage of the lifetime of cannabis plants.
· This process is cost-effective and will save you the cost of purchasing seeds.
· Caring for the clone is much easier since the same methods used to preserve the unique quality in the parent plant can also be adopted in its maintenance.
· You will surely get a female plant after the process of cloning.
Now that we have discussed the benefits, let us consider the demerits that come with adopting this method for growing cannabis plants.
Disadvantages of Cloning
· Since cannabis clones are the replicas of the parent plants, then it is certain that the same disease that plagues the parents will also affect the clones.
· Clones are notorious for dying early when they are unhealthy.
· Clones require that all the parameters for growth, such as sunlight and humidity be just right. These plants are sensitive, therefore depriving them of these resources could send them into shock. It takes time for them to recover.
· Making a clone just from the cannabis mother plant alone comes with its disadvantage.
One major disadvantage of doing this is that there would be genetic drift, and those qualities you desired may not be fully expressed in the clone. So, it’s advisable to carry out the cloning process with the involvement of a cannabis father plant.
Alright! Since we have looked at some of the pros and cons, let’s take a step-by-step look at how to clone marijuana plants.
Wait!
Let’s pause for a while to discuss an essential term we would be referring to subsequently in this article.
What does a cannabis mother plant mean?
It is a cannabis plant from where you obtain a cannabis clone.
There are many ways to qualify the best mother plant for the cloning process, and one criterion that stands out is health; she must be healthy.
Like we earlier discussed, you don’t want to have a sickly clone since it is easy to have an unhealthy marijuana plant from an unhealthy mother.
When you want to obtain a clone from a parent plant, it is crucial to know two things:
· Cannabis mother plants remain in vegetive states when clones are obtained.
· Never try to take a clone from a flowering cannabis plant, as you might end up creating a hermaphrodite; you ultimately destroy the plant.
There are two methods used by growers to get cannabis clones from their parent plants:
- They may choose to maintain the mother plants just for clones.
This process in itself demands lots of energy, time, space, and resources; it comes with a high tendency that you won’t get buds from the mother plant.
2. Some others prefer to obtain clones from mothers before they produce flowers, then send the mother plants into the flower-producing stage.
The process is repeated when the clones grow into maturity; they obtain clones from them and get flipped to produce flowers. This method guarantees the replication and transfer of genetic material from one generation to the next.
There are a few things to consider before selecting a cannabis mother plant for the perfect cannabis clone.
First, they must be capable of producing good yields, have dense trichomes, and be resistant to mold and pests.
Also, they must have vibrant growth and must be sturdy; they should also have desired qualities like sweet aromas and flavor.
How to Clone a Cannabis Plant?
Basics of climate and caring for successful cannabis clones
Three climatic factors that help cannabis plants to thrive are Temperature, Humidity, and Light.
Let’s see how each of these plays a role to make for a successful cannabis cloning process.
Humidity
Throughout the rooting process, clones need high relative humidity to thrive since they cannot get water from the parent plant like they used to.
Now, they don’t have mature root systems, and so the water they have is only the one they have before being separated from the cannabis mother plant.
Since the only water remaining in the clone is derived from the mother plant, it is best to create favorable conditions that guard against transpiration.
Here is where keeping a high relative humidity comes in, as the process prevents transpiration. It also retains water for other functions like photosynthesis.
To reduce transpiration, some growers prefer to trim the leaves of the fan; but this is not the general practice.
There is a twist to this practice as fan leaves are needed for proper development of the cannabis clone; trimming them off can have adverse effects.
However, maintaining high relative humidity will be profitable in all cases.
The appropriate relative humidity level needed is over 95%.
Temperature
Temperature is essential for plant growth and development, as it is needed for vital functions such as photosynthesis.
It is also needed by the cuttings to develop healthy roots.
Note that with clones, photosynthesis is minimal, but for these plants to thrive, you can control the temperature with cuttings to allow for healthy respiration.
Plants need respiration to carry out vital functions like rooting and plant development.
Remember that the water stores in the plant cuttings are low, therefore it is necessary to avoid high temperatures.
High temperatures will lead to depletion of water stores and slow the metabolic processes required for rooting.
The ideal temperature to keep is between 22–24°C as anything above this will lead to transpiration as a way to cool.
Since the media is cooler than ambient air, it is best to supply any additional heat as bottom heat.
Light
Cannabis clones that have entered the rooting phase require a steady supply of light as a long duration of light exposure will help them enter a vegetative state or not.
It is best to have steady light supply 24hours every day throughout the process of rooting.
The benefit of having regular lightning is that it encourages faster rooting and supplies the appropriate climate for development.
However, it is not advisable to expose the clones to excess light as this will make the cuttings exhausted since they don’t have a well-developed root system yet.
Excess or insufficient lightning will equally destroy the cuttings as excess light will cause excessive transpiration, and the latter will lead to under-development.
The aim for providing lightning is to give what is sufficient to support metabolic processes e.g., root development.
While you provide adequate lightning, ensure that this is done to meet the carbon dioxide compensation point. This point is defined as the needed amount of light for the rooting process to occur.
Technically, the amount of light considered adequate is between 60–75umols or 5000–6000 lux. However, in optimal conditions, 100umols can suffice.
What You Need for Cannabis Cloning (Supplies & Equipment)
For successful cloning of the marijuana plant, you need supplies for:
1. taking the cuttings, and
2. for the actual cloning process.
The first thing you need before proceeding to get other equipment is a healthy cannabis mother plant, as this determines the success of the process in the long run.
Here are a few pieces of equipment needed to have a healthy cannabis clone
To take the cuts, you need:
· A preferred media e.g., rapid rooters, jiffy pellets, and Rockwool.
· A pH Meter.
· A wide container filled with water to help soak your media.
· A little water container to help hold the cuttings.
· Sterile tools for cutting, such as pruning strips. Razors would also suffice and can be helpful if you choose to improvise.
· Cloning powder.
· Cloning gel.
· A cloning tray.
· Plastic containers and buckets.
For the actual cloning process, you need to have these:
· A Heat Mat Controller
· A cannabis cloning light and a 7-inch humidity dome. The humidity dome should preferably come with vents and have LED lights or CFL at low power.
· Spray bottles (these are optional).
· A heat mat for seedlings.
· Rooting hormone.
Methods for Cloning Marijuana Plants
Remember we said that the freshly cut cannabis plants require optimal temperature, light, and humidity.
One other important factor that facilitates their growth is the rooting medium you choose.
There are lots of rooting media used to support the cannabis clone, here are a few examples:
The Water Method
This procedure entails placing the cutting in water till the roots become visible. This method does not require the use of any rooting hormones or enhancers.
The Soil Method
The soil method is probably the commonest method available; it is also as simple as the water method.
The soil to be used in this case should not have lots of nutrients within it. All you have to do is place the cutting into the soil, like you would a usual plant, then water regularly to maintaining the humidity.
The Rockwool method
The Rockwool method is a great choice; they are easy to use for the cannabis cloning process since they allow for easy airflow and retain moisture.
They are easily accessible and affordable, and you can get them on e-commerce stores too.
What determines the best method to choose is the environment in which you find yourself. It’s interesting to experiment and find out which one suits your environment best.
An extra tip you can try out is the use of rooting solutions, which can be of great benefit if used before transferring the clones to the chosen medium.
To seal the airways after fixing the cuttings into the medium, it is best to apply gel and powder for the stem to thrive.
Cannabis Cloning Step by Step Guide
Now, here is how to clone your marijuana plant like a pro:
Step 1: Pre-soaking
Since the cuttings would depend solely on the water stores from the mother plant, it is best to water the mother plant days before starting the process.
Asides from making the cannabis mother plant well-hydrated, you also need to pre-soak the media you’ve selected for cloning using water with an adjusted pH.
Start by filling a container with enough water; this is where you’ll submerge your media into.
Then, adjust the water’s pH to about 5.5–5.8, and place your media completely into it.
Most times, with Rockwool products, it is best to soak them for a long time, like 12–24 hours before you proceed with the cloning process. This is because most Rockwool products get contaminated with lime during the manufacturing process and may be too acidic as a media.
Tap water is a great option, but purified water works best. You don’t also need to use fertilizers during this phase since the root systems aren’t well-developed just yet.
Step 2: Choose the branch you wish to cut
When making a choice, ensure you consider mother plants with about 2–4 nodes. Also, note that getting larger cuttings that have mature leaves have a better chance of growing better.
Mature leaves are promising a successful photosynthesis process and are always the best choice.
Select stems that are not so thick, e.g., the size of a pencil, as anything more than this size will slow down the rooting time.
Remember to select cuttings from a healthy parent plant and select your cutting from the base of the mothers that are at least a month old.
With a mature mother, you are assured of a large deposit of needed carbohydrates for your cannabis clone.
Step 3: Take the Cuttings from the Mother Plant
When you’ve found the best mother plant, use sterile equipment, e.g., razor or scissors, to cut the part you want.
Make a 45° incision and then cut; it is best to make your cuttings at the first node on the mother plant.
The reason why it is best to cut through the nodes is that they are a hormone-rich zone that will help the rooting process.
The 45° cutting is also vital because it gives the cannabis clone a wide surface area making water absorption possible and increasing the rooting potential.
Using sterile equipment also prevents the chances of bacteria spread, hence preventing cannabis plants from being unhealthy.
Step 4: Cannabis Clone Preparation
The next stage is to prepare the cuttings before placing them into the medium.
Take each of the cuttings from the water you kept them, and apply rooting hormone; it is best to use the gel and powder types in combination.
To increase the chances of having a successful cannabis cloning process, cut one end and then dip it into the rooting powder; it makes adherence easier.
When you’re done with this, the process to fix the cutting into your media through the premade holes.
If the medium you use doesn’t have any, bore a hole to the exact size of the stem and then fix it. Fix the stem into the media to an appropriate depth enough to hold it but don’t go all the way to the bottom.
Conclusion
When you clone cannabis plants, you create a replica of the mother plant; this means that all the properties you like to retain from the parent plant will be seen in the clone.
Having a successful cloning process is a blend of care, carefulness, and the resources that make for survival.
A cannabis clone will do well in optimal conditions of light, temperature, and humidity; you should provide them.
Cannabis clones grow much faster than seed-germinated ones. They can also die faster if the conditions for a healthy plant are not provided.
Here you have it, the step-by-step guide to cannabis cloning.
Start cloning now.
