Common Cloning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Follow our cloning tips to clone marijuana the right way.

Some cannabis strains are so easily cloned that you can practically take a cutting, stick it in the dirt and leave it to grow roots. While it may take a little more effort than that with most cannabis strains, cloning can still be a fairly easy, reasonably painless process. Here are some of the most common cloning mistakes made by growers new to cloning:

1. Don’t clone from a flowering female: although it’s possible to take clones from a female who is in flower, the process takes longer and your success rate with the initial rooting process may be lower. The best plants to take clones from are females who are in the full, vigorous swing of their vegetative stage of growth.
2. Don’t take clones from ill or otherwise afflicted plants: this really should go without saying, but your success in cloning will depend largely on the health of the plant you are taking cuttings from. If you take cuttings from plants that are infected, infested with bugs, or afflicted by mold or root rot, your cuttings won’t thrive as much as they could / should.
3. Don’t drown your new clones: it’s true that drying out spells death for new clones and the fragile roots they’re (hopefully!) growing, but resist the temptation to overdo it lest they become waterlogged. Your plants need oxygen, just like all living creatures, and stagnant water becomes stale, lacking the oxygen your plants need. Over-watering your new clones can also need to root or stem rot.
4. Don’t forget a humidity dome: new cannabis clones thrive in high humidity environments, so aim to keep humidity levels between 75 – 100%. If you’re growing / cloning in a particularly dry environment, or if you just don’t want to turn your whole grow room into a steam room, a humidity dome can be bought or made very cheaply.
5. Don’t over-light your cloning area: when you first take your clones, remember that you don’t want them focused on photosynthesizing, you want them to focus on growing new roots. So keep your clones under cool fluorescent lights during the rooting period; once they are well-rooted you can plant them and transition them to MH or HPS lights.
6. Don’t let it get too cold: new cuttings and freshly-rooted clones are very sensitive to the temperature of your grow area, so be sure to keep it warm. Ideal temperature should stay in a range of 75 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Follow these simple tips the next time you take your clones and you’ll be well on your way to successful, hassle-free cloning for all your cannabis needs.