Even though the cannabis industry uses large-scale operations to keep up with the demand, cloning a cannabis plant rather than growing one from seed is critical. Depending on the method, the cannabis growth stages can take up to 4 to 8 months to properly harvest. However, weed clones are an efficient practice that shaves off time that would otherwise go towards germinating seeds and planting your crops.
Weed Clone: What Is it?
Cloning plants is a concept that has been introduced previously by horticulturalists. Throughout time, cloning became a valuable tool for anyone working in the cultivation business, especially plant enthusiasts, agriculturalists, and horticulturalists. The art of cloning reproduces the genetics of the original plant, which we’ll refer to as the mother plant. In the world of cannabis, this usually means taking six inches from the mother plant (usually a branch) and placing it in a rooting cube to grow roots with the help of additional hormones. After it develops its roots, plant the cannabis clone in the ground or a pot and allow it to grow. Through the clone, a whole cannabis plant can grow without using any seeds.
Is Cloning Weed Easy?
Growing marijuana, generally speaking, is a difficult task that requires time, effort, focus, and care. However, if you’re somebody with experience in cloning cannabis plants, then it shouldn’t be as difficult as growing weed from a seed. However, we should note that cloning plants are a perfect option for growing marijuana indoors, whether for personal use or on a commercial scale. Below, we’ll share our tips on everything you need to know about growing cannabis clones.
What Do I Need To Clone Weed?
Weed requires plenty of resources from specific climates, light, and many other factors contributing to a healthy plant. For cloning weed, there’s a bit less effort that needs to go into it, and fortunately, it’s excellent for growing weed with minimal equipment. What you’ll need are scissors and a razor. The scissors will cut the actual branch from the mother plant, while the razor will help trim any leftovers. Then, you’ll need the rooting cube, a tray, tray-cell insert, dome, root cube, and a heat mat, although an auto-cloner works just as well.
Cutting The Mother Plant
When you cut the mother plant, you want to ensure you’re cloning the cutting immediately afterward.
- First, you must find a strong branch from the mother plant. To grow a solid plant, you’ll need a healthy cutting that will eventually turn into a healthy plant.
- When you cut the clone, you’ll want to ensure two nodes. However, you’ll want to cut right above the mother plant’s node with scissors.
- With the razor, you’ll cut underneath the bottom node at a 45-degree angle, increasing the rooting surface and helping the plant grow faster.
- Place the cutting into rooting hormone and add it to a rooting cube or Rockwell.
- Remove excess leaves from the bottom of the cutting and cut off the remaining tips of the leaves. This small trick is one of the best weed growing tips for clones because it increases photosynthesis and helps absorb water and nutrients.
How To Clone A Marijuana Plant
After deciding how you’ll create a cloning set-up, it’s time to turn the branch into a full-blown plant. As expected, you’ll first find the mother plant you want to clone. From there, you’ll snip off a tiny branch (about 6 inches) and formally begin the process.
Whether using Rockwell, rooting cubes, or non-soil mediums, you must ensure incredible airflow that retains moisture well. Rockwell and root cubes are among the most accessible and easy to use. After snipping the cutting:
- Place it in the rooting hormone.
- Add it to the rooting cube/Rockwell.
- Insert it into a tray with water.
From there, you’ll add a dome on top of it that will promote humidity, allowing the plant to grow. Once roots begin to pop out, you can add them to a pot filled with soil and watch it blossom into a beautiful marijuana plant.
Another method that became common in the cannabis industry is the use of a cloner. Though we don’t recommend purchasing one unless you’re frequently cloning, it can make the process easier. The cloner uses aeroponics and spritzes water on the bottom of the plant at different times automatically. However, water alone won’t do the trick. The liquid chamber also needs nutrients and hormones to promote the clone’s growth.
