This sea of clones is growing in a greenhouse under natural light. In the winter, the grower turns on HP sodium lamps to extend the photoperiod to 18 hours of light.

Growing clones on shelves that are mounted on wheels is super efficient. Create a humidity tent around clones by hanging clear plastic over shelves.

Integrity in clone stock:

1. Maintain 18-hour photoperiod

2. Keep healthy

3. Grow for ??? time period

4. Repot

5. Grow hydroponically

Any female can become cloning stock, no matter how old. She can be grown from a seed or clone. The important thing to remember when taking clones from a mother is to never let the mother bloom and then revert back to vegetative growth.

Keep several mothers in the vegetative stage for cloning stock. Strong mothers produce strong healthy clones. Start new mothers from seed every year. Clones have a better chance of being strong and healthy when mothers are not stressed. Mother plants must have at least 18-hour days to retain a strong of genetic characteristics.

A clone is an exact genetic replica of the mother plant. Each mother’s cell caries a DNA blueprint of itself. Radiation, chemicals and poor cultural practices can damage this DNA. Unless damaged the DNA remains intact. Clones that grow poorly are generally the result of unsanitary and poor cloning practices.

A female plant will reproduce 100 percent females all exactly like the mother. When grown in the exact same environment, clones from the same mother look alike. But the same clones subjected to distinct environments in different grow rooms often look differently. For example, a broad-leafed indica clone that is under-fertilized and grown in a low-humidity environment will look different than a perfectly fertilized sister clone grown in a humid environment. However, mutations can occur and environmental stress can cause an occasional male flower on a female plant.

A month-old clone from a six-month old mother is not really one month old; it is six months old, just like her mother. This phenomenon is not totally understood, but valid. A six-month old plant produces more cannabinoids than a one-month old plant. By cloning this THC-potent plant that will continue to grow in potency at a very rapid rate.

Negative points

Always start with the best cloning stock you can find. Mother plants yield clones in her image. If the mother plant lacks potency, harvest weight or is not pest and disease resistant, the clone shares her weakness. This weakness is compounded when growing only one variety. An unchecked pest or disease infestation could wipe out the entire crop. Keep mothers healthy. Many growers do a preventative spray weekly.

Each time a mass cloning is made, new growing shoots are initiated. This new growth develops healthier roots faster that grow quickly. Mothers must be constantly pumped-up to continue to produce new growth. Give mothers about 10 percent less nitrogen because less nitrogen promotes rooting in clones.

Weekly spraying keeps mothers from risk of disease and pest attack. Never take clones from sick or diseased mothers. They will grow poorly and yield low.

For best results take clones from mother plants at least two months old. Plants cloned earlier may develop unevenly and grow slowly. Clones taken from flowering plants root quickly but require a month or longer to revert back to vegetative growth. Such rejuvenated clones occasionally flower prematurely and buds are more prone to fungal attacks.

Clones suffer stress and go through an incredible transformation when they change from a severed growing tip to a rooted plant, their entire chemistry changes. The stem that once grew leaves must now grow roots in order to survive.

While rooting, clones require a minimum of nitrogen and increased levels of phosphorus to promote root growth. Sprays should be avoided during rooting as they compound cloning stress.

Rooting Hormones

Root inducing hormones speed plant processes. When the stem of a cutting develops roots, it must transform from producing green stem cells to manufacturing undifferentiated cells and finally fabricate root cells. Rooting hormones hasten growth of undifferentiated cells. Once undifferentiated, cells quickly transform into root cells. Three substances that stimulate undifferentiated growth include napthalenaecetic acid (NAA), indolebutyric acid (IBA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,3 DPA). Commercial rooting hormones contain one, two or all of the above synthetic ingredients and often include a fungicide to help prevent damping-off.

Rooting hormones are available in different concentrations. Always use the weakest concentration for softwood cuttings. Use only one application of a rooting hormone containing IBA. Any IBA application that is overdone or lasts too long will inhibit rooting. Clones direct their own auxins to the wound made when the cutting was taken. If the artificial rooting hormone has not dissipated concentrations would be too high.

They are available in a liquid, gel or powder form. Liquid and gel types are the most versatile, penetrate stems evenly and are consistent. Powdered rooting hormones adhere inconsistently to stems, penetrate poorly, spur uneven root growth and yield a lower survival rate.

Split the stem of clones to expose more of the cambium layer, the only place that generates new roots.

Before you make clones

Small clones with few leaves root faster than big cuttings with many leaves. At first leaves contain moisture, but after a few days, the stem is no longer able to supply enough moisture and the clone suffers stress. A small amount of leaf space is all that is necessary for photosynthesis to supply enough energy for root growth.

Large cuttings with much stored starch root slower than small clones with small stems. The excess starch in a moist soil environment also attracts problems from pathogens.

Although thin-stemmed clones have fewer reserves (starch) they only need enough reserve energy to initiate root growth.

Do not use fertilizer. Do not kill clones with kindness by giving them nutrients. It will delay rooting. Ammonium nitrate, a very common fertilizer, will stop root hairs from growing. Seaweed: Nutrient extracts including seaweed and algae contain hormones (cytokinins) that promote green growth and delay root growth.

Do not add more rooting hormones. Rooting hormone concentrations within clones are critical. Clones also generate (rooting) hormones. Adding more hormones (IBA, auxins and cytokinins) will disrupt the natural balance and delay rooting.

Use anti-desiccant sprays sparing and only if a is impossible to set up a humidity tent. The semi-permiable synthetic anti-desiccant spray coats leaves and allows gasses to escape but not water vapor. Make sure to cover foliage evenly when applying. Even with a coating of anti-desiccant wax, clones may suffer moisture stress. Make sure to keep the root zone moist. Inadequate moisture causes root development to stop.

Always keep the cutting area clean. Stay away of areas that could harbor fungus spores. Pythium is the worst! Pythium flourishes in high temperatures and excessive moisture. Temperatures from 65-78 degrees F. (18-25 degrees C.) impair germination of most spores.

Mites, whiteflies, thrips, etc. love weak tender clones. Infested clones should be separated and removed from the room to avoid spreading. Cooler conditions slow mite reproduction and allow you to avert an infestation.

If an infestation does occur, apply aerosol pyrethrum. Remember all pesticides, natural or not, are phytotoxoc. Spraying cuttings is a bad idea in general. If you must use sprays, use them when it is cool and only natural organic sprays and keep them to a minimum.

The last thing to remember is to grow more clones!

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