Hemp cuttings are good for reproduction if handled properly, they can provide almost endless supplies of high quality feminized plants.
Many cannabis growers prefer to use the method of cuttings (clones) when sowing new seeds, indeed, if taken and processed properly, the cuttings provide a stable genetic environment both in quality and type of seed. plants as they grow, even over generations to come. Another reason is of course the lack of availability of quality seeds, which are considered (almost exclusively) illegal.
What is horticulture & cuttings
According to Wikipedia horticulture is the art of cultivating gardens, practicing the cultivation of vegetables, flowers, fruit and ornamental trees or shrubs.
Technically its constitutes taking a cell from a plant and promoting the plant growth of the whole plant. In the cannabis world, cuttings generally refer to taking a twig from a plant and rooting it (implanted) so that it becomes a plant.
Taking cuttings is a fairly straightforward and easy process to implement, however, learning and success does not come instantly. Cuttings that fail and do not grow properly are usually the result of poor practice, hygiene failures, or simply a lack of knowledge.
In order to avoid too many failures, here are 18 tips to help you get ahead of you start working with cuttings. It's important to note that these tips are just as good for hydroponics as they are for raw soil.
1 / Genetics is a sensitive issue
Radiation, chemicals, and unhealthy growing methods can interfere with DNA growth and cause non-usable cuttings to grow.
2 / A cutting from a female plant will produce 100% feminized plants
Growing in the same environment and conditions, you will be replenished with feminized strains, totally identical to the mother plant.
3 / Use at least two young mother plants
Cuttings taken on plants less than two months old can develop differently from one another and develop more slowly.
4 / Seeds generate new mother plants each year
The age of cuttings is determined by the age of the mother plant from which they were taken.
Cuttings taken from 6 month old mother plants will yield mature 6 month cuttings. Marijuana plants reach their CBD and THC production capacity from the age of 6 months to a year, you should seed (age 0) every year to maximize the impact of your planting.
5 / keep a few growing plants
Mothers intended to provide you with a renewed stock of cuttings in case of failure or bad experiences
6 / Do not use weak feminized plants
Always start with the best plant; the one that has a slower growth, diseases or parasites are transmitted to the properties of the cutting and can affect all crops. Furthermore weak cuttings do not include good (slow) growth and produce few buds (bud)
7 / Make cuttings preferably with mature plants
Mature plants produce more cannabinoids than seedlings; and therefore a high concentration of THC
8 / Make small cuttings as soon as possible
As soon as the canopy forms, with a few leaves; they will root faster and this will save the leaf cost that they will develop later
9 / Avoid cuttings taken at the flowering stage
Indeed these faster cuttings need an additional month before returning to growth. In addition, they flower younger, and may be prone to damage from disease.
10 / Do not put the females that have already flowered in re-growth mode
This would destabilize your crop and directly threaten future cuttings from them.
11 / Plants need 18 at 24 hours of light a day
The mother plants are exclusively intended to grow, so keep to the maximum daytime hours
12 / Less nitrogen contributes to the rooting of cuttings
It is recommended to reduce the nitrogen supply by 10% of the normal, in order to improve the cuttings and its implantation.
13 / Keep your flowering cycle in eight weeks
This boils down to a constant supply of cutting and therefore also harvesting
14 / Constantly cut
It is recommended to take two new cuttings every four days, to allow the mother plant to grow in good health.
15 / Do not use hybrid mother plants
The F1 style hybrid seed will surely give cuttings quickly; but the cuttings of F1 plants will give cuttings to the longer development
16 / To start, use Indica varieties
Indica varieties in particular the Skunk categories, which are the easiest to cut, and particularly suitable for beginners
17 / Ban so-called “Automatic” varieties
The varieties known under the name of Automatic (auto-flo) are not suitable for cuttings, due to their automatic flowering which will make it difficult to cuttings which do not flower immediately ...
18 / Trials & Errors
Cuttings are not immune to experience and errors. Try different species in the best possible environmental conditions, by elimination you will find the right and suitable species.
