The term cannabis clone is usually questioned by a lot of people especially if they are very new in the world of growing cannabis. For those experienced cultivators, marijuana clones are one of the effective ways to grow weeds and it has been proven to have a lot of advantages. Besides being an easy method, cloning is also one of the fastest ways of growing cannabis in order to produce many new weed plants.
What is Cloning and Why Would You Choose to Clone a Marijuana Plant?
There are two known ways that you can use in breeding cannabis. First is using sexual reproduction, where a male and a female plant is being crossed together through pollination so that they can produce seeds. These seeds will then be planted in order to produce generic hybrids of those two parent plants.
The second way is with the use of cloning, or also known as asexual reproduction. The clones that are used in this method are rooted cuttings which are genetically identical to the plant where it is taken from. There are huge benefits of cloning which can contribute to the popularity of both home and commercial growers. If it is done correctly, not only does cloning be cost-saving, but also, it has a great potential to give your garden an improved sustainability and stability.
With cloning, new harvests can be produced with the exact replicas of the best performing strains. Since the genetics are made to be identical, you can expect to get a plant with identical characteristics. So if ever you have come across some buds that you really love, cloning the plant where it came from can be a great choice so that you can produce yields with the same effects and characteristics. If you have your own garden, you can take clones from there if you are looking for something to replicate plants with your desired features like cannabinoid profile, flavor, grow time, yield, etc.
How Cloning Works
A clone is a small piece of plant which has been cut off from its parent plant in order for them to make roots in their own. Marijuana clones are cuttings from a cannabis plant. These cuttings produce their own roots which then grows in order to be as identical as their mother. Each marijuana clone has the same genes and they are a genetic copy of their parents. This means that if their parent is a female, you can expect that all the clones from that plant will also be female.
Cloning Tips
If you are cutting the branches of your plants, you have to ensure that you will have six to eight inches length of the branch. You also have to make sure that you leave a pair of leaves on your branch in order for new branches to sprout.
Take note that you need to cut away the branches in the bottom because they are not productive, unlike the branches that are located on top. This will have a faster rooting within the clone. You can also consider cutting starting from the top if you wish to produce a plant that will flower quickly.
Use a sharp knife in cutting so that you can avoid ripping when you do the process. Cut diagonally because this can maximize the surface of the plant where roots will sprout. Cloning gears such as knives, rock wool, and rooting gel are readily available online.
Rockwool Method
With Rockwool technique, all you need to do is to trim the healthy cuttings that come from plants that are healthy. You need to clip away almost all the leaves, but be sure to leave the ones on top intact. And then, dip these cuttings in a powder, and place them in the Rockwool cube and put it under a light.
The best temperature for this method is about 72-75*F, and a humidity level over 90%. You can expect the roots to start to show up at around eight to twelve days. Soak those rock wool in a water of 5.5 pH for several hours.
Soil Method
Take away the mature leaves when you perform the cutting so that all the energy and resources can be utilized to sprout roots. Wet the lower area of the stalk which is already sliced and dip them in powder or rooting get. After then, stick your plant in a potting soil that is saturated, and place it under a CFL light. Let it remain there while the roots continue to form.
Water Method
Remove all the leaves that are mature if you choose this method. And then, use a container or any other similar ones like a plastic container bottle of around 16 ounces, and fill up with water which has been already aided with food. And then submerge its stalks into the water and let them stay there. You have to mix it up every several days so that algae won’t grow much. When you encounter any algae problem, change your water immediately. You have to keep the sunlight less intense or indirect than usual until a new leaf is formed. The growth of the new leaf usually takes place simultaneously with the growth of the root. If you see a great ball of roots, this can be a good sign that it is already ready for transplant.
Taking Care of your Clones
Taking care of your clones is very important and there are a lot of ways to do this. You have to maintain an ideal room temperature between 72 to 77 deg F. Also, spray all of them with water a couple of times so that the water can be absorbed through the leaves. You can also try to purchase a mechanized cloner so that you can monitor their temperature or moisture. With the lighting, you can start using bright lighting, then gradually dim it for the next days. Another thing to take note is that when you use a gel or a powder for rooting, be sure that it is properly stored in a dry and cool place.