You’ve rolled your own for a while…are you ready to grow your own? Are you stumped on where to start? We can help! One of the best ways to start is with a clone. Clones are cuttings taken from mother plants. As the name implies, clones will produce an exact copy of the mother plant. The beauty of clones is that they are more predictable and grow faster. And they are easy to get! Nature’s Medicine South Denver and Nature’s Medicine Salida offer a variety of healthy clones to choose from. Our sister store, La Conte’s on Washington, also carries clones for purchase.
Growing clones can be tough, but these tips for growing healthy cannabis clones should help you enjoy the fruits (or buds) of your labor. From selecting healthy clones to trimming and training, you’ll be a cannabis clone expert in no time.
1: Start with Healthy Clones
Make sure your clones are healthy and free of pests or diseases. If you already have plants, make sure you quarantine new plants for about five days. Check for fungus, pests or anything that could be carried to your existing plants. If the leaves are twisted, blistered, have small specks, yellow or white spots, fuzzy patches, powdery residue or bite marks, it’s a sign they could have mites, mildew or other issues and you don’t want to transfer it to your plants.
2: Use High-Quality Soil or Hydroponic Nutrients
To thrive, your clones will need nutrient-rich soil or hydroponic solutions. This isn’t the place to skimp!
3: Transplant the Clones Quickly
If transplanting to pots, always use new or clean and sterilized pots. Transplant the clones into clean soil or hydroponic systems as soon as you can to ensure the plants do not get root-bound and minimize stress.
4: Water—Not Too Little, Not Too Much
Use Goldilocks and the Three Bears as your guide. You want to get the water just right! Underwatered clones can dry out. Overwatering can stress your clones and stunt their growth.
5: Provide Proper Lighting
There’s some Goldilocks carry-over here as well. Too much light can dry them our or even burn them. Too little and they won’t grow. Make sure you know your space and you have the right grow lights. Schedules for clones are usually 18 hours of light per day or more.
6: Maintain the Proper Temperature and Humidity.
Cannabis clones prefer a warm, humid environment to grow properly. It’s best to keep them between 70-80°F (21-27°C) or slightly warmer than room temperature. Keep your humidity levels between 60-70%.
7: Protect Against Pests and Diseases
The steps you take to alleviate stress on your cannabis clones will make them more durable resistant. Now, just keep the grow area clean and keep creepy-crawlies away. For this, you should avoid chemical pesticides. Remember, anything you put in the soil can be absorbed. So, if you don’t want to smoke it, don’t feed it to your clones! There are lots of organic pest control methods, including using neem oil or even introducing native ladybugs.
8: Trim and Train the Plants
It’s more than a haircut. Regular trimming promotes healthy growth and bushier plants. Use training techniques to encourage even growth and bigger yields. Some options are topping or low-stress training (LST) where you gently bend the stems and tie them in place to maximize the light.
By following these tips for growing healthy cannabis clones, you can ensure successful cannabis cultivation. While you wait for your clones, we also have a great selection of cannabis products at Nature’s Medicine South Denver and Nature’s Medicine Salida. Let’s get Growing!
