The propagation by cuttings of cannabis , also called agamic reproduction, is a practice that arouses a lot of fascination on legal and non-legal cannabis growers. The possibility of having a real "library" to choose, reproduce and even experiment with new genetics is a step coveted by many growers.
Handing down the genetic heritage of any plant or the creation of new varieties would never be possible without the propagation of clones or cuttings. Similarly, if nowadays we find cannabis genetics invented 30, 40 years ago, which made history, it is thanks to the selection of mothers and reproduction through cannabis cuttings
Of course, as in all things, even if cloning cannabis plants isn't particularly difficult, you need a little experience, but above all dexterity to carry out the cutting operations. First of all, the choice of the mother plays a fundamental role. A strong and healthy hemp mother plant consequently ensures equally strong and luxuriant cuttings. It is not uncommon to find among cannabis experts, mother plants that reach even 10-15 years of life in excellent health. For this to happen, constant decanting and cleaning of dead roots are necessary to maintain the health of the root system. Although it depends on how much the plant is, it has been exploited to produce cannabis cuttings.
Plant cloning is very easy with proper skills
Producing clones from cannabis plants is a relatively simple process that requires minimal investment of time and resources. Like we said before, The first step is to identify a ‘mother’ plant; this should be a healthy and mature plant that has been well cared for, as this will ensure the best possible clones.There are many ways to do this, such as buying from a dispensary or online seedbank, getting a cutting from a friend’s plant, or taking a clone of your own plant. No matter what method you choose, make sure your genetics are strong and healthy so that your clones will be too.
Next, you’ll need to set up your cloning environment. You should have a warm area with plenty of light for the clones to grow in. You’ll also need some kind of cloning medium such as rockwool cubes or soil mix, and nutrient-rich water or misting solution.
Now comes the fun part - taking the actual cuttings!
Weed clones: which tools do i need
Having the right tools to clone cuttings from cannabis plants is certainly the right step to be successful and achieve a good success rate. Naturally, the cleanliness and healthiness of the instruments is the first rule.
Cannabis mother plants: to make cannabis cuttings it is essential to start from a strong and healthy mother plant, free of parasites or diseases in general.
Cutting tools: the most used cutting tool for making cuttings is certainly the common aluminum cutter for paper or plastic, even if the scalpel for sterilized cuttings , in addition to not transmitting any pathogens, ensures cleaner cuts, damaging the tissues less and the cuticle of plants. Cutting scissors are not recommended, even if they are well sharpened.
Rooting hormone for cuttings : There are many types of hormones on the market to facilitate rooting, some in powder form and some in gel form, although our experience tells us that it is possible to do without.
Peat jiffy or rockwool cubes : they are the most used tools for planting young hemp seedlings, as they ensure a certain sterility to the sprout and neutrality of nutritional elements, not necessary in this primordial phase.
Hydrogen peroxide (optional): it is used to ensure greater sterility and cleanliness of the freshly cut shoot, but the quantity to be used must be small and well proportioned with normal water.
Plastic mini greenhouse: For the propagation of cuttings it is a basic accessory to keep humidity and temperature constant (in the case of heated mini greenhouses).
Latex gloves (optional) it is always good to get latex gloves to ensure cleanliness and healthiness.
How to clone weed cuttings
As soon as you have the tools described above, you need to clarify some premises. Remember that it is always good to start the practice of cloning cannabis plants in the early hours of the day. It is not recommended to take cuttings outdoors during the hottest hours or towards sunset. Cutting scissors are not recommended, if not even banned, as they would damage the fabrics. It should also be noted that there are many techniques for cloning plants, we have focused on the easiest one to simplify this guide.
It begins with washing your hands well and disinfecting the cutting tools even if they are new in packaging.
To disinfect without causing damage to young cannabis shoots , it is useful to obtain hydrogen peroxide at 10% vol, which in turn must be diluted with normal water in a ratio of 1/10, i.e. 90% water 10% hydrogen peroxide.
Wash your cutting tools with this solution and dry them carefully. Preferably choose the apical buds of the cannabis cuttings to be detached, because being more tender they will root faster.
In order to make a clean and precise cut, try to stretch the branch by gently pulling the apical part upwards, without damaging it or compressing it too much on the stem.
Buy our cuttings kit and you will not make any mistakes.
Make the cut cleanly and decisively in the part immediately below the internode. Once the shoot has been detached, remove the leaves at the base of the stem and also trim the regrown shoots at their base. At this point, once the shoot has been stripped at the base, immerse it in rooting hormone and immediately after insert it into the support of your choice (peat jiffy or rockwool). Be careful not to mar or injure the stem as you insert into the jiffy. Make sure that the sprout fits perfectly in the prepared hole, so as not to let air penetrate the base of the stem.
At this point many experienced growers suggest trimming the tips of the leaves slightly. This expedient helps the young seedling not to lose the humidity which is essential in this phase. After cutting the desired cuttings , we must place them in an environment with constant temperatures and humidity. As mentioned, we suggest you equip yourself with a mini greenhouse , even better if heated , where you can plant your cannabis cuttings.
As for the lighting to be provided to young cannabis cuttings, excessive wattage and light power are not recommended. This would dry out the root ball or jiffy where they are planted too quickly, slowing down rooting. On the other hand, the color of the light is important, which must be between white and blue between 6200°k and 7000°k. This coloring is ideal for the seedlings to take root in this delicate phase.
We remind you that temperatures must not fall below 18-19°, this would significantly slow down the rooting speed, but even worse, not fall below 70% humidity. Depending on the grower's needs, the best photoperiod to generate hemp clones or plants is between 16 and 18 hours of light and consequently 6-8 hours of darkness.
Weed cutting in the fridge
When plants or cuttings are made or sold, long-distance transport is often necessary. In this regard, there is the possibility of significantly slowing down the biological rhythm of plants to allow for long transports. The young shoots of hemp, even if not rooted, placed in the dark at 4-6 degrees of temperature, have shown a formidable resistance, surviving in perfect conditions even up to 30 days. In fact, in the refrigerator almost all species of plants go into a sort of "hibernation" slowing down their biological rhythm a lot, to then start growing again as soon as they are put back in the right conditions.
