How to Clone Cannabis Plants Correctly (Beginner Mistakes to Avoid)

Cloning cannabis plants is a way to consistently produce infant plants with roots. There are many benefits to being able to produce clones. Not many growers know how to clone cannabis or the cloning mistakes.

In this article, I will present a cannabis cloning guide. Hence, you know how to take cannabis cuttings like a pro, what tools and equipment are needed, and how to ensure a very high cloning success rate. You will also learn the optimal conditions for cloning cannabis, how to root cannabis clones faster, common cloning mistakes and how to avoid them.

Cloning cannabis allows you to produce a genetic copy of your favourite strain.

Table of contents:

What Is Cannabis Cloning and Why Do Growers Use It?

Cannabis cloning is a way to produce an exact genetic replica in the form of an infant-sized plant with roots. Whilst many growers choose to grow from seed, there is a large percentage of home growers and commercial-scale growers who prefer cloning cannabis. Below highlights the benefits and advantages of using clones over seeds.

What Are the Benefits of Cloning Cannabis Plants?

• You can preserve a genetic replica of a strain
• Clones can be mass-produced, producing hundreds of cuttings
• The cloning process is cheap and easy to do
• Clones grow much faster than seedlings
• Clones are ideal for commercial-scale facilities
• You can exchange clones with other growers
• Clones are an important part of a breeding programme
• Cannabis clones are perfectly suited for Sea of Green

How Does the Cannabis Cloning Process Work?

Knowing how to clone cannabis will save you money and make life easy when preparing for the next crop. The cannabis cloning process works by taking a healthy female cannabis plant and selecting an axillary growth shoot that is 2-3 internodes high.

The cut shoot is placed in a coco coir pellet. Under the right conditions and propagation environment, the cutting will develop roots within 7-21 days! It's as simple as that, and it's how you can produce a genetic replica of your favourite cannabis plants.

Why Is Cloning Preferred Over Growing From Seeds?

• Clones with roots can grow very quickly
• Clones are more reliable than seedlings
• Clones will grow identically and uniformly
• Seeds can take 4-5 weeks to establish themselves
• Cloning does not cost anything
• You are not required to buy a new pack of seeds

How to Clone Cannabis Plants Successfully

Photo - This tray of clones has produced roots and are ready to be transplanted.

Knowing how to clone cannabis like a pro will make a massive difference to the cloning success rate. The following explains the tools and equipment needed, along with the importance of proper technique.

What Tools and Supplies Are Needed for Cannabis Cloning?

The good news is you do not need to spend much money obtaining all the tools for cloning cannabis. Below is a short list of everything you need to ensure top-level cloning success.

• Healthy cannabis plant
• Sharp scalpel
• Coco coir jiffy pellets
• Cannabis rooting gel
• Cloning the humidity dome
• Clone lighting schedule
• Spray bottle

How to Take Cannabis Cuttings Without Damaging the Mother Plant

It is essential that the tool you use to cut the shoot off the mother plant during vegetation is sharp and sterile. Make a clean, precise 45-degree slice.

Do not take too many cuttings at once. Allow the mother plant 2-3 weeks to produce new growth before taking new cuttings. Avoid using blunt scissors, rusty blunt scalpels, or razor blades.

Why Proper Technique Improves Cloning Success Rate

Over the years, I have taken hundreds of clones and found that applying the correct cloning techniques increases the cloning success rate. Using sharp equipment, healthy mother plants, and following the required temperature and humidity levels are key.

What Are the Best Conditions for Rooting Cannabis Clones?

Photo - This plastic cannabis humidity dome will be ideal for 15 - 21 cuttings.

As easy as it sounds, you have to be extra careful to create the best conditions for rooting cannabis clones. Using a humidity dome/propagator is highly advantageous. The correct light schedule, temperature, and humidity are essential, as explained below.

What Role Does a Cloning Humidity Dome Play in Root Development?

Cannabis clones require a high humidity and warm environment whilst forming root cells and developing fibrous roots. A cannabis humidity dome works great for maintaining consistent temperature and humidity, and for creating an easy-to-control, easy-to-maintain environment.

The dome can be adjusted to let air out and can be sprayed to create a high humidity level.

• Propagators can be bought in small or large sizes, depending on the clone count
• Plastic cups taped over pots work well as a basic homemade version
• Cannabis clones will take between 7 and 21 days to root inside a humidity dome
• Cloning humidity domes creates a sterile and clean growing environment
• Small cannabis humidity domes are ideal for 2-6 clones

How Does the Clone Lighting Schedule Affect Growth?

You need to set your light schedule to 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness. Clones must grow vegetation, so they require short periods of darkness. Cannabis clones will develop roots as a response to vegetative growth.

Why Is Temperature and Moisture Control Important for Healthy Clones?

You must think the plant has no roots yet, so it is solely dependent on moisture in the air. This is why a cloning humidity dome makes cloning easier.

If the air is too dry, clones will not be able to root and will become dry and brittle. If the air is too humid, they will not be able to root and will be susceptible to mould.

Use a digital hygrometer to measure the temperature and humidity in your propagation area.

• The relative humidity level of the cloning humidity dome will be 70 - 80%
• Humidity domes help keep the temperature warm between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius

How to Root Cannabis Clones Faster and More Effectively

Photo - Cannabis clones develop a strong root base alowing them to grow quickly in veg.

There are several ways to root clones, ranging from the traditional coco coir starter plug and propagator to hydroponic bubblers or the old-school glass-of-water method. Below breaks down the different ways to root cannabis clones faster.

What Is Rooting Gel Cannabis and How Does It Help?

Cannabis rooting gel acts as a growth hormone, boosting root development and significantly improving cloning success rates. One of the most commonly used rooting hormones is Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA).

How Can Growers Encourage Faster Root Formation?

Working with healthy, robust plants will be beneficial. It is also important to ensure that the tools you use are sharp and sterile and that the growing environment is optimal.

Not every strain will respond the same, and some may take longer than others. Sativa cannabis genetics typically root much sooner than indica.

Why Do Some Cannabis Clones Not Produce Roots?

There will be times when you peek inside the propagator, continue cloning, and everything looks great. The clones are pointing upwards, appearing healthy and vibrant green. However, once you get past the 14-day mark, you notice no signs of roots.

It has happened to me plenty of times in the past. The reason this happens can be down to a pathogen in the soil, high humidity levels, temperatures that are too low or too high, or excessive light intensity.

What Are the Most Common Cloning Mistakes Cannabis Growers Make?

• Taking cuttings off unhealthy mother plants
• Working in a dirty and unclean environment
• Keeping the grow light too close to the clones
• Letting humidity levels in the propagator get too high
• Taking clones off plants infested with spider mites
• Passing pathogens or plant disease amongst growers
• Being impatient and checking the clones too often
• Taking cuttings using blunt tools
• Using too much cannabis cloning gel

Frequently Asked Questions About Cloning Cannabis

Below are the most frequently asked questions on how to clone cannabis.