Cloning a cannabis plant is the most traumatic event that it will ever experience in its lifetime. Clones that are cut from a cannabis mother go through incredible changes, from being a branch of a mother plant to developing roots and becoming a plant on its own.
Clones that are properly taken from a mother with low nitrogen concentrations and high in carbohydrates will quickly develop a dense root system to support its life. Clones that are taken from the lower branches of a mother plant tend to root easier than clones taken from other parts of the mother plant.
This is because the lower branches contain more of the proper hormones to root and hormone content varies from one part of a mother plant to another. The top of the mother plant contains the oldest hormones and is the most difficult to root.
The branches in the middle of the mother contain hormones that are younger and easier to clone cannabis and root. The lowest branches of the mother plant contain the newest hormones and will be the easiest for cloning cannabis.
Taking large cuttings from stems that are thick and packed with starch will cause the roots to grow slower in marijuana cloning compared to clones that have smaller stems. Cannabis clones with fewer leaves will also root faster than clones that have many leaves on them.
Be sure to remove larger leaves from the clone cutting before you plant them to start rooting. Female flowers that have NOT been fertilized by male pollen are known as Sinsemilla. Sinsemilla female buds are much more potent than female flowers that have been seeded.
Cannabis Cloning Precautions
A common problem in cloning cannabis occurs when the clone has an embolism and an embolism is when a bubble of air gets trapped in the hole of the clone’s stem.
It occurs most often when taking big clones and laying them on the counter before placing them into water or a growing medium. You can eliminate this problem by re-cutting the clone cutting underwater.
Be sure to leave enough length on the stem of the cutting to be able to re-cut under water. Using water that is within the pH range of five (5) to six (6) will assist the clones since they will root better than higher or lower pHs.
You can check the pH of water by using pH tester strips or a water meter and if water quality is a problem you will want to adjust the water before you use the water for cloning.
Another problem that may occur is if the water you are using contains high levels of chlorine or other contaminants. In this case, you will want to have your water checked by taking a sample from a company that does water testing.
If water quality is of concern, you will want to think about installing a water purification system or even purchasing bottled water to use. Many times, new growers tend to kill their clones with the added kindness of fertilizer.
It is best to not use fertilizer when the clones are rooting since this can cause the rooting to be delayed. If an infestation of fungus or pests occurs, you can use natural, organic sprays that are diluted with water.
When you are spraying your clones you will want to make sure to apply the spray when it is cool or when the lights are off. Be sure to keep the use of sprays to a minimum during this fragile part of their life.
Cleanliness is of the highest importance. Areas that are messy, dirty, and have trash and dead plant matter create an ideal place for pests and fungi to thrive within. Be sure to not over-water clones that you have taken, too much water will suffocate clones. Clones love moist, warm growing mediums, not soggy, drenched mediums.
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