How to Grow Clones in 9 Simple Steps

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The great thing about growing clones is that you know what you’re getting. When you take a piece off of a mother plant and let it grow roots, the baby will be just like its mother. If you loved Mama and everything she had to offer, you’ll enjoy her offspring as well.

Keep reading, and we’ll tell you how to grow your own clones easily and inexpensively.

Benefits of Cloning Your Own

No bunk seeds that won’t sprout
You can predict a clone’s “personality” because it’s just like its mother
It’s free or dirt cheap to do
Clones grow faster than seedlings during the first few weeks
One mother can provide dozens of clones

How to Grow Clones for Your Grow

You will need:

Starter cubes such as rockwool
Grow lights
Disinfectant (isopropyl alcohol, moonshine, etc)
Humidity dome or propagator
Propagation tray
Trimming scissors, Xacto knife, or razor
Root gel

1. Wash Your Hands & Tools

Sterilize your razor or whatever you’ll be using to cut the mother plant. Wash your hands, too, or wear sterile gloves.

2. Water your Rockwool or Other Starter Cubes

Don’t drench them. If they’re too wet, the clone could rot. Keep the cubes slightly moist.

3. Hack Up One of Your Favorite Plants

You want to make sure you’re using a mature mother plant.

Young plants may have leaves that grow in pairs. One leaf from each pair is on one side of the stem, and the other leaf is on the opposite side at the same height on the stem. Mature plants are likely to have more of an “alternating” pattern or a spiral pattern.

A vegetative stage plant is ideal but not necessary.

Cut off new growth tips, as they tend to have a lot of rooting hormones. The ones near the bottom may have the most.

Grab the tip and cut roughly six inches under the node at a 45 degree angle. Use a razor or other tool. Make the cut as clean as possible with no splitting. Repeat with the other tips until you have your desired number of clones.

Before cutting, make sure each piece has at least two nodes.

4. Trim Off the Lower Leaves

Get rid of those. If any fan leaves near the top are big, trim those, too. Even if they’re not big, trim off any “fingers” on those leaves.

Make the cuts as clean as possible.

You want to encourage photosynthesis and absorption of water. Too much leaf can hinder these processes.

5. Cover the Clone Cuttings with Rooting Gel

Do not let your clones hang out in the open air. Add some rooting gel immediately. If you can’t do this immediately, put them in chlorine-free water.

Cover the whole thing with gel, especially the bottom part that goes into the soil.

6. Make a Small Hole in Each Cube & Stick a Cutting Into It

Each cutting should have a main stem. Make your hole and stick the stem into it.

7. Place the Clone in a Humidity Dome if You Have One

This is optional. However, your clones will need a certain level of humidity to grow a proper root system.

Place your clone on a propagation tray. When you have all your clones in there, put the dome over them.

Do you need to order a humidity dome?

If you have about 100 bucks to invest in a complete clone system, the 35 Site Aeroponic Cloner Machine has a great track record for consistent and successful rooting.

8. Turn On the Lights

Low power lights are fine. What matters most is that you start your babies on a 18 hours light to 6 hours dark cycle.

Do you need LED lights? Find your lights online at Grow Supply Shop.

Any type of light will do. LED’s are the most energy efficient. They will save you the most money in the long term.

9. Maintain Humidity & Moisture Levels

Check on your clones every day. If your humidity is not up to par, spray the clone leaves with chlorine-free water. If any clones die, remove them from the growing environment. Rot is contagious. So is mold.

How Long Do Clones Take to Grow Roots?

They should begin to develop roots within about one or two weeks. Don’t worry if it takes longer than two weeks.

Your clones will be ready for transplanting when the roots are about 1.5 inches long. Depending on the size of the cubes, this will likely be the point when the roots become visible.

How Long Do You Keep Clones in the Humidity Dome?

They need to grow sufficient root structures before you remove them. If they’re ready for transplanting, they’re ready to leave the dome. This can take up to three weeks.