I won’t be saving it for future cultivation (and couldn’t in any case because it is an autoflowering seed – more on that later).
After putting the seeds away in a warm dark drawer, on a plate covered in damp paper towel and Saran Wrap, I am ready to move on to cloning.
This is far more labor intensive. As it is a process best done in several distinct steps, I make sure to set up and check over all necessary materials prior to going anywhere near Mother Kush with scissors: demineralized water in a spray bottle, measuring cup, rooting gel, soil and pods for planting and of course the scissors. Whether you use scissors or a razor, be sure to sterilize them before cutting. This is important so that you don’t unwittingly transfer a problem from one plant to another. You may not even know that a problem exists – but it is unwise to take chances with your garden, however small, after you’ve invested much time and energy. Thus, I have cleaned these scissors, which were covered in sticky resin from the just-completed harvest. Rubbing alcohol and a paper towel do the job nicely.
Germination 101: starting from seed is a snap with the right gear.
Though I mostly garden alone, I’ve invited my partner Ms. Woodward to join me and help with the cloning. We look over the Kush Mother and pick three healthy stems, each approximately four to five inches in length with healthy growth and leaf development. We only cut one at a time, however; not all three at once. It is important to complete each clone as quickly as possible because having one or two cuttings sitting and waiting while exposed to the air while you finish transplanting your first clone isn’t a good idea.
The cut is made below new growth to give the new plant a maximized chance at successfully taking off. About four to eight inches long is best, as cuttings any shorter will not have sufficient size to grow, or at least will take much longer to mature. The longer a cutting/clone is, the more difficulty the plant will have maintaining itself without roots, while the root structure develops. This will take two weeks or more, so making a cutting of medium size is better than being over-ambitious. Remember to leave approximately one inch to be submerged in soil. Even a light cutting requires a firm base.
Clean scissors after every use, particularly when cloning new plants. A high strength rubbing alcohol is better than the standard drug store brand for removing sticky resin.
Ultimately, like most aspects of a daily grow, cloning is a matter of trial and (learning from) error. There isn’t a hard and fast rule about the “right” way to do anything. Instead, it is better to proceed using anything you read or are told about growing marijuana, including the advice in this guide, as a place to start. Every grow situation is unique and thus so is every grow. While there are some “basics” that a new grower such as yourself will likely have good success with, growing cannabis is, in my opinion, equal parts art and science.
When starting something new, gather information from different sources – but don’t expect one correct answer. Many debates continue to rage about the best or at least different ways to approach many different aspects of a daily grow, from ways to clone to maximizing yield. Grow books such as this one are a good place to start (much of my initial reading on the subject came from The Cannabis Grow Bible, Greg Green’s indispensible handbook for serious gardeners, also available from Green Candy Press). Because this book is written for newbies, from the perspective of a new-ish gardener, it should answer most questions you will face as you move through your first grow from seed to harvest. But the many grow sites on the Internet, particularly the many pot discussion boards, are excellent resources for getting new ideas, second opinions or for that problem situation that you aren’t sure how to handle. If you’re facing a tricky situation, other passionate gardeners will have too, and may have posted their experiences online.
New clones are placed in water. It is good practice to remove a glob of gel from the container rather than dipping stems directly into the gel container. Doing the latter 'activates' the unused gel, making it less effective for future cloning.
Cuttings are submerged in water on the cut end, then cut again, on a diagonal, while under water. The clone-to-be is then ready for rooting gel.
Back to cloning: after I’ve made the cut, the cutting is placed directly into a water-filled glass measuring cup. It can rest here while the next steps are taken. The rooting gel is opened and prepared. The soil, our growth medium of choice for all things, is ladled into the seedling pods and pre-moistened. I am sure to use the demineralized water that has been made ready for this purpose. I make a small indented hole in the soil with my index finger to prepare the soil. We are now ready for the final, most crucial stage: second cut and transplant.
Although the initial cut was straight across the stem (the angle for the first cut doesn’t matter, only the second is crucial), the next cut must be made at a forty-five degree angle. This is a must! When I first started cloning, I lost half a dozen cuttings because I skipped this step. Everything else had been done correctly, and the clones would live for a week, even two. But then they consistently wilted, browned and died over a couple of days. The reason: no root formations grew, even after adjusting for temperature, light exposure and trying multiple grow mediums (soil, rock wool, a cup filled with damp paper towel). The angled cut acts as a catalyst to promote generation of new roots. Take care with this step.
Don’t worry too much about this: once you are aware of the correct cutting method, this isn’t difficult. Some people will suggest a razor blade for the second cut rather than scissors. However, if you purchase a set of high-quality fine scissors, this isn’t really necessary. In fact, I find working with a naked razor to be more finicky, and it requires placing the cutting flat on a cutting board to get enough purchase for a clean cut. Even with a clean board, this opens your new plant to a greater chance of contamination. Why bother? A free hand cut with scissors is quick and easy – and it can be done under water to minimize the chance of an air bubble entering the exposed stem.
Save a used gel jar to use for making clones without activating a full jar.
Fresh clones can look a little mangled, but don’t despair: it’s called ‘weed’ for a reason.
From here, I remove the clone from the water and dip into rooting gel, ensuring that I have covered the cutting tip generously. I try to get as much on as I can without it dripping off. With this done, the clone is placed in the soil indent and I cover it with soil, firming the soil base up around the stem. Take care with this step to ensure that you don’t inadvertently wipe off the rooting gel by scraping it into an unopened patch of soil. It is much better to move the soil around the cutting rather than moving the cutting through packed soil.
We’re almost done now. The final step is to trim lower fan leaves to
