The Art of Cloning Cannabis Plants

Did you know that there is an easy way to ensure your favorite cultivar can be grown again without needing to buy more seeds? It allows them to decide the number of plants they require for the next round of growing.

Cloning is a way to reproduce a genetic replica and the most desirable traits from a cannabis plant. Skunk Magazine explains the art of cloning cannabis and everything that you will need to know.

What Is a Cannabis Clone?

A clone, or cutting, is when a grower reproduces an exact genetic copy of a specific plant. The goal is to take a fresh shoot from a plant during the vegetative period and allow it to independently grow roots in a controlled environment. Once rooted, your clone can be safely transplanted, resulting in a healthy and vibrant plant, typically around 6 inches in size.

The Right Time to Take a Clone

Once you have chosen the candidate plant to clone, the right time to take the clone will be when the plant has plenty of healthy foliage, side shoots, and a well-established root system. The best time to clone is when a cannabis plant is in the vegetative stage and typically around six to eight weeks old. The bigger and bushier the plant is, the greater the number of viable clones.

Cannabis Mother Plants

A mother plant will be a healthy and robust plant that will be responsible for providing infant plants. Mother plants will be kept permanently suspended in a vegetative state, meaning that flowering is never induced, and kept under a strict lighting schedule of 18/6 for rapid growth.

What About Cloning Auto-Flowering Plants?

Auto-flowering cannabis plants will begin to flower three to four weeks after planting, so you can’t clone them. Taking cuttings off an auto-flowering plant can stress them out and lead to stunted growth, according to the auto experts at Auto-Seeds.

The Ideal Amount of Light Cannabis Clones Need

When it comes to clones, there is no need for intense lighting. A simple compact fluorescent (6400k) or low-powered LED strip light will suffice. The light mustn’t provide too much heat.

The Correct Temperature and Humidity for Cloning Cannabis

To ensure your precious clones have the greatest chance of successfully rooting, you should aim for a temperature between 68–79 degrees Fahrenheit. The optimal humidity level should range between 90%-100% during the first 48–72 hours. However, these levels should never fall below 60%-70%, as advised by Sensi Seeds.

What Exactly Do I Need to Take a Clone?

The art of cloning is straightforward, and all you need is a sharp scalpel, a coco coir/rockwool or peat pellet, and a propagator to house the clones. In some cases, growers may choose to use a rooting hormone to accelerate the rooting process and promote a greater level of success.

The Different Methods of Cloning

There are four different ways you can clone a cannabis plant. Those include:

Using a sharp blade or a pair of scissors, insert the freshly taken shoot into a jiffy plug. It should be a terminal branch, meaning the end of a shoot that has leaves, and then you place it inside a plastic propagator with a lid over the top. This method is most commonly used by home growers.

Another method involves allowing the clones to root directly into the water using deep water culture hydroponic methods. The bottom of the clones will sit 1-2 centimeters below the water level, which has an air stone producing tiny bubbles and dissolved oxygen.

Aeroponic cloners suspend the bottom of the cutting in darkness, insert it inside a foam pad, and spray it with a nozzle and pump. This style of cloning provides the ideal amount of water and air around the clones, encouraging root growth.

A simple way you can clone a cannabis plant is to use a cup of water. As long as the plant receives 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness, the clone inside the cup will slowly root. However, this method can usually take between 21–28 days before you will signs of roots appearing.

How Long Will It Take for My Clones to Show Roots?

The most important thing for you to consider when cloning cannabis is to be patient for the first signs of fully formed roots to appear. This can range between three and 14 days, according to Leafly. Cuttings in hydroponic methods such as D.W.C or aquaponics will often root the quickest, whilst using jiffy plugs and a propagator will take the longest.

Transplanting Rooted Cannabis Clones

Once the clones show signs of healthy, bright white, and hairy roots, they are ready for transplanting. This depends on the desired growing medium and the pot size that you intend to use. Be careful, as they will be in a delicate state and need time to adapt to their new environment.

Cloning cannabis is an excellent way to produce infant plants. Each grower is different and will have their unique style and chosen method of successfully cloning. As long as your environmental setting is correct, cloning is simple and has numerous benefits.

Such as not needing to buy new seeds and no need for sexing plants, saves growing space and allows you to decide the exact number of clones that you want, as well also gives you the peace of mind your new plants will be clean, sterile, pest and pathogen-free to use for the next crop.

Feature photo: Tray containing six different cultivars in clone form. Photo credit: Stoney Tark.