If i were to top my plant and use as a clone, how far do you want the node spacing to be and between which nodes do i cut. The plant is only about 3 weeks old, I'm sure its still to young. Im just gathering the info now for when its ready. How long does it usually take for a plant to be big enough to take a clone from, 4-5week?
Clone/topping
- Thread starter roll_one
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nfhiggs
Well-Known Member
Why are you considering cloning so soon?
I dont want to clone until the plant is ready to be but i dont want it to get to big for my tent before i flip it to 12/12. Im only looking to take one clone to make it a mother so id rather try and avoid taking more than i need and hope that it takes to rooting.
Right now I'm trying to gather all of the information so I'm not rushing around at the last minute trying to know how to properly do it. Ive looked at a bunch of posts showing how to do it but they were all from really mature plants that were pretty big. I know you have to cut off at least 2 nodes. Then cut the branches off the bottom node of the clipping. Then use a cloning solution or powder, i got Dip N Grow. How far in between nodes is ideal? Ive seen a post where someone has taken a clone when it was still fairly small, around 4-5 weeks. I dont know if thats the right way to do it or not, just want to know whats the earliest that i can without really harming the plant.
Prince4118
Well-Known Member
iv successfully cloned just the very top out of plants before like 1cm of stem or less i only do this for seving purposes and to get a taste test bud
Trich_holmes
Well-Known Member
Personally, after about three weeks of flower I go in and take off the bottom branches that aren't gonna reach the light anyway. From seed I can get cuts at around 4 weeks. I top at around week 3 and then the next week all the side branching has stretched enough to take cuts. FWIW I'd take at least 2-3 cuts to ensure your mom takes. Nothing worse than taking a cut, flipping a switch, and then your cut doesnt make it and youre resigned to monster cropping for a mom. Besides, your bottom branches are never going to make it to the light anyway and will just divert energy that could be used to bulk up the tops.
wow thats it? i thought that you needed more spacing than that. Good to know! Do you need to wait until the plant reaches a certain maturity? I dont want to stress the plant out to much
When you take clones off a flowering plant, does it reduce the chances of the clone rooting? I was under the impression that it was better to take them off a vegging plant. The seeds i planted were feminized so they should be female. I know you want to take more than one clipping to ensure you get at least one that roots. I guess i was willing to chance it in hopes that the one i clipped will root. Id be pissed if it didn't though lol
GreenParty
Member
I usually clone the week before flip. I have and you can clone from a flowering plant but it is going to take longer to root. Some will tell you taking a clone from near the top of the plant will root differently than one taken from the bottom...I have found no difference (in 4 years cloning). When I cut I like a stem close to 1/8" in diameter and it usually will have two nodes plus itself.
Trich_holmes
Well-Known Member
No, I haven't seen any degradation of rooting progress in a flowering clone. matter of fact, sometimes I've had flowering cuts take faster. The only issue is you would have to re-veg it which takes around a month to get the cut to switch back to veg hormones. Better than loosing a keeper though. Man I have hulked out and wanted to beat my own ass for loosing cuts..lol definitely always take them in veg if you can, but if they fail to take, don't fret you can always get a cut back off of a flowering plant. Even take a finished bud and clone and reveg it. Unfortunately I've had to do that several times too
Roger A. Shrubber
Well-Known Member
its faster to take clones off a vegging plant, but you can take clones from a flowering plant, they call it monster cropping and you get big bushy clones from it that make good mothers usually, but they take longer to root, and you may lose more of them.
nfhiggs
Well-Known Member
Get yourself a seedling tray and a humidity hood, along with some jiffy cubes or rockwool cubes. If your going to take the top I would take it just above the 4th node, when she's got 7 nodes. On the cutting, trim any growth off below the top two nodes, leaving four leaves and the growth tip. Scrape the stem a little bit, and dip it in your dip n grow. Stick it into the cube (soak the cube beforehand) and put it in your seedling tray under the dome. May take up to 2 weeks to show a taproot. I've successfully cloned 5 for 5 with mine.
GreenParty
Member
I thought monster cropping was the revegging of a plant and not the taking of cuttings for clones. No?
nfhiggs
Well-Known Member
No, it's taking clones from a flowering plant, then forcing the clones back into veg with 24 hour light.
whitebb2727
Well-Known Member
Taking cuts the first couple of weeks of flower doesn't hurt anything. Actually I think they take better. Doesn't take too long for reveg if they been in flower a short time. Plus they get bushy as hell.
Thanks for all of the help guys! That's kinda what I thought about taking clones during flower.
Has anyone seen a difference in using jiffy/rock wool cubes in the tray compared to just putting them straight into soil? With my seedlings I've always just put a ziplock bag over the pot for a humidity dome. I check on them a couple times a day and remove the bag so it will be able to breath.
I'm going to get the tray and cubes for future clones. Just curious if putting it in soil will be just as good with a dome
Has anyone seen a difference in using jiffy/rock wool cubes in the tray compared to just putting them straight into soil? With my seedlings I've always just put a ziplock bag over the pot for a humidity dome. I check on them a couple times a day and remove the bag so it will be able to breath.
I'm going to get the tray and cubes for future clones. Just curious if putting it in soil will be just as good with a dome
When ever i get a bigger veg area i plan on buying or making one. They seem like the easiest and effective way to clone.
Jimmyjonestoo
Well-Known Member
If you're even slightly handy I would definitely suggest making one over buying. It's super easy and It will save you a pretty nice chunk of change.
Prince4118
Well-Known Member
i usually wait till i see new shoots coming from where the leaf meets main stem before i top/clone, seen many people do it before that tho i just find they bounce back a fair bit quicker
you can monster crop by taking clones from a flowering plant and by just reveging a flowering plant my mate grows outdoors and gives atrificial lighting/darkness to induce flower then lets it reveg under the sun and his plants go crazy
GreenParty
Member
Wow thanks. I then have monster cropped dozens of clones and i dont remember one taking less than 3 weeks to show roots. Its been a while though as I have not lost a pre-flip clone in a couple years and i average 11 days to show roots.