The preservation of the exact genetic traits of parent strains is very important when it comes to cannabis plants. This is not only because of hybridization to produce new cannabis strains but also for the purpose of cloning such cannabis plants.
Many have believed that cloning is a complex technique that takes a high level of know-how to pull off. Well, we are glad to tell you that this is not the whole truth. With the right knowledge and equipment, you can get started on cloning your cannabis strains without hassles. Thankfully, we are here to provide you with all the information you need. Read on as we explain the best ways to clone your cannabis plants.
What are cannabis clones?
In simple terms, clones are cuttings taken from a vegetating plant. When it comes to cannabis plants, a cannabis clone is a cutting taken either from the mother plants which are usually in a vegetative state, or young vegetative plants. These cuttings are then allowed to develop roots and grow into new plants with the same genetics as their parents.
A seed is different from a clone because it contains the genetics of both the father and mother species. This means that the plants that emerge from these seeds can have varying phenotypes and have varying differences. This is similar to the way siblings can come from the same parents but look completely different and act differently as well. Cloning however retains the taste, smell, yield, and every other important characteristic of the mother cannabis plant. This is why many growers are keener on cannabis clones compared to seeds.
How to choose the right mother plant
Different cannabis strains possess different special characteristics but there is a science to choosing the best plant to clone from. If you are to choose an ideal mother plant, its growing pattern must be factored in, its smell, yield, as well as flavor. Other important traits include resistance to molds and pests, high potency and resin production, and height and robust growth.
Some growers are fond of the act of taking clones from different mother plants and keeping the healthiest clones when they grow. While this is not a wrong practice, it is still possible to take cones from only plants that possess the desired characteristics. The only issue that might be tough to surmount is how to determine and ascertain the potency of these strains early on.
How to take a cannabis clone
Clean your tools
The first thing to ensure before taking a cannabis clone is that all needed equipment is available. These include razor or scalpel, starter cubes, cloning gel or powder, mild lightning, and alcohol to disinfect the tools. It is important to ensure that all the tools to be used in the cloning exercise are properly cleaned. This is because the presence of bacteria puts both the mother plant and clone at risk of developing infections. Therefore, tools that can be cleaned should be cleaned and those that need sterilization should be sterilized as well.
Choose and prepare your rooting medium
Selection of the right rooting medium is important if the clone is to develop healthy roots. Rockwool cubes are highly recommended as they offer proper aeration and retain moisture properly. A plastic tray all be needed to hold the cubes as well as a propagator to retain humidity. Once the cutting is made, it is important to transfer the clone immediately into the rooting medium. Therefore it is best to already have the rooting medium prepared prior to cutting. It is also best to moisten the medium a bit before commencing the cloning process. This is because clones grow better in mediums that are slightly moist and have high humidity.
Select a cutting
As stated earlier you can either take your cutting from a vegging or flowering cannabis plant however both have different advantages over the other. Cuttings taken from a flowering cannabis plant tend to grow slower and also take a longer time to root. This is why most growers opt for taking their cuttings from the vegging plant. The portion of the plant to make the cutting is another important aspect that must be duly considered. It is best to cut from the bottom panches of the plant because they tend to receive less light. Also, they tend to produce smaller buds which will aid their growth and allow them to root faster.
Make the cut
It is important that you ensure that you make the right cut after selecting where to make the cutting. A quality cutting for cloning will be done at an angle of 45 degrees below the last node of cutting. The reason why this is done this way is to increase the rooting surface area and allow the roots to grow quickly. After the cutting is made, dip it into the rooting gel before sticking it into the rooting medium. Once the clone is firm in the rooting medium, remove the bottom leaves of the clone and trim the tips of its fingers. This will enable the plant to photosynthesize properly and take in water when needed.
Move the clone into the dome and monitor
After the clone has been properly fixed and trimmed, move the clone into the dome to maintain humidity. The dome allows you to maintain high levels of humidity and needed lightning can be attached to aid the growth of the clones. Ensure you monitor the clones regularly at this stage to inspect their health. Within 10 to 14 days, the clones will begin to grow roots and are ready to be transplanted.
Transplant the clone
Make use of gloves to gently remove the clones from the medium before transferring them into the soil. Ensure that you work in a sterile environment throughout this process and make use of moist soil to prepare the pots.
Bottom line
Cloning cannabis plants can be easy once one knows the right steps to take. Many expert cannabis growers easily make multiple clones at the same time and it is easy to see why. The more you practice cloning, the better you become at it.
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