CLONING Step by Step

Cloning involves preparing a small cutting taken from a mother plant, treating the cut stem with a rooting hormone and placing the prepared stem cutting in a cloning chamber. The clone should grow roots and become an independent plantlet exhibiting identical characteristics to its' mother plant. Most soft or semi-hardwood cuttings will have developed roots within a week to ten days.

The name cloning simply stated means taking a cutting from a mature female plant in the vegetative stage and inducing it to grow roots. Clones will replicate the mother plant in every way ie: size, sex, colour, smell, taste etc. It is therefore crucial to have a mother plant of outstanding quality. The newly rooted cutting can be induced to flower immediately, or it can be put under a vegetative light cycle to attain a larger size.

As soon as the clone is large enough you can begin to take cuttings from it. Contrary to rumour, this can be done infinitely without any loss of desired qualities.

The Mother Plant

It is important to choose a mother plant carefully. When selecting a suitable mother plant consider the following:

> Aesthetic qualities, shape, density of leaves, compactness and size.

> Heavy flowering/fruit production.

> Disease and insect resistance.

> Early Maturation

> Clones well and produces strong new plantlets.

It is important to remember that your mother plant should be healthy and stress free. Cuttings coming from a stressed mother plant may root poorly, be slow growing, produce poorly and become mutated. It is important to reinforce that the condition of your mother plant is paramount to the success of your clones. Vigorous genetic stock can be lost by cloning from poorly cared for mother plants. As a general guide do not take more than 20 - 30 % of the vegetative material from each mother plant and do not take cuttings from the mother plant more than three times.

Each time you take cuttings it is a good idea to start a new mother plant from the most vigorous clones. Remember if growing initially from seed to select only the best genetic plants to use as mothers for cloning. Seeds will never produce the same consistent results you can expect from clones.