In recent years, various countries have legalized cannabis. This has led to the fact that the cultivation of this plant is becoming more and more popular. In particular, marijuana is used for medical and recreational purposes. Many growers are looking for ways to optimize yields and preserve the unique traits of their favorite strains. The most popular and effective method is cannabis cloning. With the help of this method, it is possible to create genetically identical copies of the best bushes, thereby guaranteeing high quality and the necessary properties of the crop.
Disclaimer: This article is presented for educational purposes. We do not encourage the cultivation and use of marijuana, as this is prohibited by the law of Ukraine.
What Cloning Marijuana Gives: Advantages and Disadvantages
Marijuana can reproduce in several ways - vegetatively and sexually. In the natural environment, grafting of cuttings is carried out by the grower. Marijuana cloning boasts several advantages, resulting in a much better quality crop:
- if not feminized marijuana seeds, but regular, then it will still be possible to get a large number of female bushes;
- accelerated growth and development of marijuana bushes.
The main disadvantage of cannabis cloning is that these bushes are quite picky when grown outdoors. In this situation, it is necessary to consider all aspects.
How to create a cannabis clone: step-by-step instructions
There are several ways to clone hemp, most often growers use the following method:
- Preparation. Any intervention in the growth of the bush is a shock for hemp. That is why, during cloning, it is absolutely necessary to use only sterile tools to separate the cuttings from the mother bush.
- Choosing a suitable rootstock for cloning. It is best to take material from branches that are as close to the ground as possible. If you take cuttings from the upper part of the bush, there are old hormones that can spoil the result of the procedure. The branches at the bottom of the bush are strong and sturdy. You can clone a plant from the age of 2 months. Each variety reacts individually to cloning. Therefore, from the very beginning, it is worth removing the substrate, depending on the specific variety, and then separate the cuttings.
- Cloning. To do this, you need to take a sharp, sterile knife and separate a branch about 20 cm long from the bush. Cut the petiole at an angle of 45 degrees. The cut end of the branch should be immersed in a solution containing root hormones for 10 seconds, and then planted in a container with small squares of mineral wool. At the same time, an air chamber should be left between the surface of the tray and the wool. This is the main stage of cloning. After that, you need to compact the mineral wool a little and sprinkle the surface with water. Also, in the next 2-3 days, high humidity (over 90%) should be created at the planting site, which after some time should be reduced to 10%. The temperature should be maintained in the range from +25 to +27°С. Also, during the rooting stage, round-the-clock lighting will be needed.
A hemp clone takes root within 7-10 days. At the same time, you cannot fertilize the plant or feed it with any substances. The fact is that the salt of the fertilizer does not allow moisture to be absorbed from the substrate for the growth of the clone. Nitrogen also harms the hormonal background of marijuana. When the seedling takes root, roots will begin to grow. In this situation, you can transplant the plant. Most often, this can be done in 2-3 weeks.
Please note that young clones should be provided with a blue spectrum in lighting. Therefore, it is better to use fluorescent lamps.
