How to Clone Cannabis and Marijuana Plants
What is Cloning?
Cloning is a way of propagating plants through asexual reproduction so you creates clones. A clone has only one parent and is an exact genetic copy of that parent. This can happen naturally to many types of plants in the wild through a variety of processes, for example, when a strawberry plant lays down runners the resulting baby strawberry plants are clones of the original. Because of this natural ability the cloning of plants is separate from the controversy and ethical debate that surrounds the cloning of animals.
Over many thousands of years humans have exploited this ability to select plants that have particular desirable properties like high yields or pleasant flavours. Marijuana farmers are no different.
Why Clone Cannabis plants?
There are several ways that cloning cannabis plants can be beneficial to the cannabis cultivator:
- It is possible to ensure the gender of your plants(i.e., that they are female);
- You can save money on seeds;
- You can produce large quantities of new, individual plants;
- When you have a high yielding, good tasting, or particularly potent individual plant you can replicate it.
Although we recommend elsewhere on this site that you spend as much money as possible on good seeds from a reputable company, this is only to get you going. With a well designed grow room programme you can be self sufficient for cuttings, growing only the highest quality weed from cuttings that you have selected yourself. Although all new smoke will taste the same as the last, as it is genetically identical.
How to Take a Cutting from a Cannabis Plant
The first step in cloning your plants is to take a cutting. Although it is possible to take a cutting from a flowering plant we would advise against it. Once your plants are flowering leave them to do their thing – that is, growing top quality weed for you.
Take cuttings from young pre-flowering plants. Once you have selected the phenotype that you desire, and are assured of its sex, keep it growing under 18-20 hours light to prevent it from entering the flowering cycle. This will be your mother plant and with good care she will provide you with an almost limitless supply of cuttings.
Some growers like to take cuttings from all of their plants as a matter of routine, especially if growing a batch of plants from seed. These cuttings are clearly labelled to correspond with the parent plants. Then, when the parent plants are finished it is possible to select the best one and choose the relevant clone. Now your next batch of young plants will be exact copies of your favourite adult.
To take a cutting you will need a clean, sharp razor blade or scalpel. Select a green branch quite low on the plant with 2 or 3 nodes. Avoid woody branches. Using the razor cut the branch at a diagonal angle about ¼
inch (5-10mm) below a node.
Although it is possible to root cuttings in water it is recommended that you use a rooting gel or powder. Remove the bottom leaves from the cutting and dip it in the rooting compound, then plant the cutting in your desired growing medium. Rockwool cubes work particularly well.
At this stage the cutting is very fragile. Do not force it into the growing medium. Make a hole with a pencil and gently place the cutting into the hole, closing the hole around it with your finger tips.
If you take the cutting from just above a node on the plant, then that branch will split into two as if you had pinched it out. This way your mother plant will produce an exponential number of cuttings and keep you happily supplied with babies for your nursery.
How to Root a Cutting from a Cannabis Plant
Once all your cuttings are ready and in their pots, give them a drink of water and a mist from a water sprayer. Ensure that no light can reach the roots. If you have several cuttings put them into a propagation tray with a plastic lid, this will help limit the effects of transpiration and ensure that the plant holds onto plenty of water. Remember at this stage the young clone has no roots so must absorb water through the leaves and cut stem.
The young plants will need light, but in this fragile state it is important not to burn them with hot lights. Start with a fluorescent light at about 10 inches (25cm) away and gradually move it closer as the plant develops. If you don’t have space for a separate nursery area place the young plants in the grow room, partially shaded by the leaves of the mother.
Caring For New Cuttings
Over the next couple of weeks your new plants should develop their own root system. Remove the propagator lid and fan the plants every day to ensure adequate ventilation. It is worth making a few holes in the lid to help with this. It is also important not to overwater these young plants. Roots need oxygen to grow so make sure that they get proper drainage. Feed the plants on just water for the first few days and then begin giving them a very diluted nutrient mix. After about two weeks, when you can see the plants’ root systems becoming strong, the plants can be re-potted into larger containers and take their place in your growing system.
That’s how to clone your marijuana plant.
Check out our cannabis strain review guide to find out more about different strains of weed.
By using clones to grow outdoors wouldent the plant go in to flower ing mode just by putting it into normal sun light your reducing it from 18-20hours to the 12-13hr of light posible from a normal sunny day. I put clones in the ground 5weeks ago and thay are already starting to flower is there somthing I did wrong thay dident get very tall before only about a ft tall
first timer growing. i had my plants budding and clipped the big leaves and , oops .later i then i broke it . i then hurried after noticing tiny buds, grabbed some shot glasses and clone powder my brother had , used some egg shell fertile water .home made . great stuff . after about 10 days i had some nice roots . i potted two of them and looks to be growing great. i give them a little water every day but not to much. the look like a pro did it . i hope i can maintain these sweet looking clones . i am so proud of myself . now my bro wants his clone powder back . go figure .
I have been growing about a year now i stay in prepetual motion i dont have mothers and it has been really working well until my last batch of clones
Normally i would only lose 7 to 10 out of 100 i just took 155 i have lost more than half and they are still dying
Im putting in a new ro machine today i hope that will solve my problem i have tried everything i know i dont know what else to do
Well water can be easily determined by your bathtub and commode. If the minerals depositants are visual often, then you might procede to RO water or rain water.
I just cut clones yesterday how many hours of light and dark do they need
how can l take cuting from flowering weed is it to late ,,,is it posible,, and do l take cutings from flowering weed as the same as from mother weed ,,,
i have two clones i took off a mother before i put her to flower how long do you grow your clones and can i clone a clone this is only my first time growing
i have another question my plant thats in flower has a not good smell to it it looks healthy and the roots are nice and white what could it be can it be from being to hot and how do i fix it
Hi Wendy. Yes you can clone a clone. Let her get nice and strong first.
And are you sure the smell isn’t the natural smell of the weed? Some modern cannabis strains smell dank as hell.