Growing cannabis has become widely accepted especially in countries where it is legal. Cannabis enthusiasts are no longer just inclined in using marijuana for recreational and medical uses but they have also embarked on growing the plant.
Cannabis growers have discovered many ways of breeding or cultivating the plant. They have discovered a variety of methods and one of the interesting facts that some growers would like to know is can you clone a clone? Sounds interesting indeed. Read on this article to know if the process of cloning is possible if the source is a cloned cannabis plant.
What is cloning?
Before we go further and discuss the topic if you can clone from a clone, let us first know what is cloning? Cloning is an important term in cannabis cultivation which refers to a common method of propagating additional plants.
The cloning process involves taking the stem cuttings from a very healthy parent plant which is usually referred to as the mother plant. When the cuttings are taken from the mother plant, they are transferred or placed in a medium where they can take root and later grow into healthy adult plants. These plants will have the exact same characteristics or genetics as that of the mother plant.
Can you clone a clone?
For expert growers, cannabis is one of the easiest plants to clone and that is good news. Yes, cannabis can be easily cloned. This makes it easy for cannabis growers to propagate their cannabis plants.
Cloning allows growers to propagate many plants from a healthy cannabis clone. Since these clones get the same genetics from the mother plant, by cloning from a clone, you can expect that the new plants will have the same genetics as that of the mother plant. So that means that you will have no problem cloning from a clone.
Cloning makes it easier for cannabis growers to propagate that is why it is a common and most preferred method. Cloning is a viable solution in cases where hybrids can’t be grown from seed.
Also, it is important to take note that if you select a cloned plant to be a mother plant, make sure that it is healthy and dependable since the new plants will inherit its genetic qualities.
How to clone from a cloned plant?
As mentioned earlier, cloning is an easy process to breed and grow cannabis. The process of cloning from a cloned plant is just merely the same as that of cloning from a natural source or mother plant.
If you want to propagate your cannabis plant by using a cloned mother plant, here are the things that you need to have:
- Sharp and sterilized razor.
- Healthy cloned cannabis plant which is about two months’ old
- Planting medium
- Rooting hormone
- Water
It is very important that you use a sharp and sterile razor so that it won’t create any stress or injury to the plant and minimize the spread of any possible harmful disease. Also, most cannabis growers recommend using razors because scissors might crush the inner tissue of the stem which can make it difficult for the plants to link and to grow.
Can you clone from a clone? Yes, and here are the steps:
- First and foremost, if you have decided to clone, select a healthy plant among your cloned plants. The plant should be about or at least 2 months old. Make sure that the plant has no pest damage and is growing healthy and robust. The reason for this is that the produced plants will be inheriting the parent’s genetic properties thus it is very important for the mother plant to be very healthy even if they are cloned.
- Prepare your tools. The key here is to have the right tools and make sure that everything is clean including your hands. Make sure to wash your hands or use a pair of clean gloves.
- Choose the right planting medium. It is important to select the right rooting medium for your clones to thrive best. Cannabis experts recommend Rockwool cubes which are made from molten rocks. Rockwool cubes allow a good passage of air. You can use plastic trays to hold the cubes.
- Proceed to the cutting process. Using a sharp and sterilized blade or razor, cut the lower area of the plant stem or a side shoot. This will be the part that you want to regrow. Make a 45-degree angle which is an ideal surface area for good germination. Make sure that the cuttings have two nodes.
- After cutting the part, make sure to immerse it right away in the water. This will prevent air bubbles from forming. Trim down some leaves left on the cutting. This will make the energy focused on the new clones.
- Before placing the new clone to the medium, make sure to apply some rooting hormone to the exposed tip. The rooting hormone will support the growth of healthy roots and it can also prevent harmful diseases.
- Place the new clone to the medium. As recommended you can use Rockwool as a medium soil or water. Note that cannabis clones need to be kept in high humidity as they absorb water through their leaves while they develop their roots. Cones should be kept in 18 hours of light and 6 hours of the dark cycle under grow lights, metal halide lamps, or low-power fluorescent.
- Check your clones daily. It is very important to keep track of your new clones on a regular basis. Keep an eye on the development of the roots. Roots can grow in about 10-14 days. As soon as the clones have developed 3-5 cm roots, they are ready to be transferred.
Can you clone a clone? Yes, and the best thing about it is that you can take one cloned plant and propagate unlimited new clone cannabis plants. Cannabis is such an amazing plant and the process of cloning has made it a lot easier for cannabis growers to cultivate and breed their own cannabis plant. Start with a healthy cloned parent plant and enjoy the possibility of propagating new healthy cannabis.