How To Clone A Cannabis Plant; The Cheat Sheet To Successful Cannabis Cloning
The demand for cannabis for research, medical, and recreational use has skyrocketed thanks to the ongoing legalization in different states.
Currently, the cannabis market is valued north of USD 15 Billion, with the number expected to compound annually at a rate of 14.9%.
With commercial cannabis growers scrambling to increase their yields to meet these growing demands, you can pull ahead of the competition by installing vertical grow racks.
Another way to stay ahead of the competition and cut weeks off your grow time is to clone your cannabis plants. Cloning your cannabis ensures only the most desired female plants with the ideal appearance, smell, and effects are propagated.
The alternative would be to buy feminized seeds, which can be expensive, especially for large-scale cannabis growers.
Another option would be to grow your cannabis from seeds. This is not ideal for a commercial grower as the seed will take longer, and your overall yield will be reduced thanks to poorly developed plants and sexing.
Sexing cannabis involves getting rid of male cannabis plants during the pre-flower stage to prevent fertilization of the female plants.
Since cannabis clones are a genetic replica of the mother plant, you’re assured of the quality and yield of the cloned plants.
In this article, we’ll dive into the step-by-step process of how to clone a cannabis plant. We’ll discuss the best time to clone cannabis plants and highlight the benefits of cloning cannabis.
What Is a Cannabis Clone?
Before getting into how to clone a cannabis plant, let’s lay some groundwork and define a cannabis clone.
A cannabis clone is a branch or stems cut or snipped from a growing cannabis plant. Usually, this branch or stem cutting has the same genetic makeup as the mother plant from which it was cut. As a result, you’re guaranteed the same high-quality traits and yields you have come to expect from the mother plant.
A typical clone is about four to six inches. After snipping it from the mother plant, you can place it in a growing medium, let it develop root, then transfer it to the main growing area.
Cannabis clones usually require precise humidity and temperature conditions to develop roots and grow properly. For this reason, an indoor growing system may be the ideal setup to grow your cloned crops.
Benefits of Cloning Cannabis Plants for Indoor Cultivators
Cloning is an ideal practice for commercial growers because of its numerous benefits. For one, using cannabis clones instead of seeds can cut over a month from your growth period. Usually, seeds will need time to germinate, but once clones develop roots, they can continue to grow with vigor as a typical vegetative cannabis plant.
Another glaring benefit of propagating clones is that they provide security. Cannabis clones remove the guesswork from cannabis cultivation. Since clones are a genetic replica of the mother plant, you’ll know the yield, appearance, smell, and effects of your cannabis harvest.
You also won’t risk growing poorly developed seeds and male cannabis plants that will waste your valuable grow space.
As you get to understand how to clone a cannabis plant you’ll appreciate how cloning your cannabis from female plants will help cut back on your overhead costs.
Cloning cannabis is a straightforward process requiring standard farming equipment you already own. With this step-by-step process of how to clone a cannabis plant, you’ll grow quality cannabis in no time.
A Step-By-Step Process of How to Clone Cannabis Plants
While the details of how to clone a cannabis plant are fairly easy to master, it’s also important to learn how to care for your clones, so they grow into well-nourished and disease-free cannabis plants.
Such care includes using sterilized cutting equipment, putting your clone in the right growing medium, providing the best condition, and providing the right hormones for the roots to develop.
What You Need to Clone a Cannabis Plant
- Scissors: Ideal for cutting stems or branches off the mother plant
- Razor: Ideal for trimming down the cuts
- Rooting Setup (tray): To house the cuts as they develop roots
- Rooting Hormone: To encourage root development
How to Clone a Cannabis Plant Step 1: Choose an Ideal Mother Plant
The ideal mother plant from which the clone is taken should be:
- Female
- Healthy
- Sturdy
- At least four to six months old or two months into the vegetative cycle (this is the best time to clone cannabis plants)
Don’t take clones off a flowering plant, as you risk propagating hermaphrodite cannabis plants.
How to Clone a Cannabis Plant Step 2: Cut the Right Branch From the Mother Plant
Next, you must carefully observe the plant to note the appropriate regions to make your cuts. The best place to make your cut is above the nodes so the plant can grow after the cuts.
Nodes are points of intersection where the branch and stem meet or where a sub-branch grows from a main branch.
Pick a healthy long branch at least two nodes above the point you want to cut. You can use scissors to snip this branch off the main cannabis plant.
Then use a razor to cut below the bottom node at an angle of 45 degrees to increase the surface area for root formation. This is a crucial step in how to clone a cannabis plant for maximum growth success.
How to Clone a Cannabis Plant Step 3: Prepare the Cut (Clone) For Rooting
Immediately after cutting your clones, experts advise coating the cut region with a rooting hormone like aloe powder or cloneX gel. This will promote quick and healthy root formation.
After this, you can put your clones in a rooting medium soaked in water and nutrients. Some effective rooting mediums include rooting cubes, Rockwool, peat moss, and foam.
Typically, the rooting medium will sit on a water-holding tray such as this one. The advantage of this grid drainage tray is it ensures each clone gets the appropriate amount of water and nutrients.
How to Clone a Cannabis Plant Step 4: Provide the Ideal Condition for Growth
Once your clone is set up in the ideal growing medium, set the perfect conditions for it to thrive. For the first two days, the clones will need humidity of 95 to 100 percent and then a subsequent humidity of 80 to 85 percent until the plants are ready for transplanting.
To further encourage the roots to shoot, warm temperatures of 24-27 °C are essential.
The clones will also need the right amount of light to grow properly. Natural light is too powerful and, therefore, not ideal. Artificial LED or T5 light for 18 to 24 hours a day will accelerate the growing speed of the roots.
For water requirements, you’ll need to gently spray water on the clone’s leaves and the growing medium until it’s moist, not soggy.
How to Clone a Cannabis Plant Step 5: Monitor and Care For Your Clones
If you notice dead clones, remove them from the healthy bunch to prevent the development and spread of mold. You can also respace the clones after removing dead ones to have more air circulating through the plants.
Some clones will root out quickly, while others will take longer to develop roots. From the third to the 14th day, you’ll notice thick white roots forming at the bottom of the grow medium. This is an indication that the clones are ready for transplanting.
How to Clone a Cannabis Plant Step 6: Transplant the Clones
During the initial stages, cloned cannabis plants usually require a lot of care as the plant is under stress after being separated from the donor plant. During this time, the plant is in a state of homeostasis as it tries to survive and develop its roots.
But once the plant develops its roots, it can absorb moisture and nutrients. From here on out, the plant will thrive, and you’ll notice signs of top growth as the plant develops new vegetative material.
This indicates that the plant is ready to go to the main growing area. You’ll need to transplant clones into a growing medium of choice, whether Rockwool, Clay Pellets, Oasis Cubes, Starters, Rice Hulls, or Rockwool.
To avoid transplant shock, wear gloves when handling roots and keep the environment sterile.
Here is the step-by-step transplant process on how to clone a cannabis plant;
- Put your growing medium in your pot, or growing trays
- Water the growing medium before placing the clone, so the medium doesn’t move around once you put the clone in it
- Once the water has drained, burrow through the growing medium with your two fingers to create enough space for the clone.
- Put the clone in the hole and gently pack the growing medium around it
Boost Your Cannabis Harvest With Our Vertical Growing Systems
The demand for cannabis is steadily rising. As more states on the east coast legalize the plant, the need for year-round production will only shoot.
Our indoor farming solutions can pair you with the best Vertical Grow Racks, and Mobile Carriages to ensure your indoor farming system is working at optimum capacity.
All our parts and labor carry a 10-year warranty. We also provide additional services including, free design and CAD services, to ensure that your customized racking design maximally utilizes your specific space for the highest return on investment.
Ready to get started on your new farming journey? Request a quote, or Contact us for more information about our innovative cannabis farming solutions.
