Clone
Care Guide

How to Grow Cannabis Clones: From Arrival to Harvest

Cannabis clones give you a head start. Instead of 3–5 weeks of seedling development, you begin with a rooted, established plant — genetically identical to its female mother, with a known terpene profile, potency, and growth pattern. But that head start is only an advantage if the clone survives its first week in your garden.

This guide covers everything: arrival care, acclimation, vegetative growth, feeding, training, and harvest timing. Follow these steps and your ClonesUp clones will thrive.

Step 1: Receiving Your Order

The Moment It Arrives

Do not leave your package sitting. Cannabis clones are live plant material — every hour in a closed box without light costs you recovery time.

When your package arrives: 1. Open immediately. Don’t leave it in a car, porch, or storage room. 2. Inspect the packaging. Note any damage before opening. 3. Gently remove each clone. Do not pull by the stem. 4. Check the root system. Roots should be visible, white, and established. 5. Note any wilting. Some wilting after 2 days in transit is normal and expected — clones recover quickly with proper care.

If Clones Arrive Wilted

Wilting after shipping is normal. It does not mean the clones are damaged. Clones without soil lose moisture quickly in transit packaging. Within 24–48 hours of proper care, nearly all wilted-but-healthy clones fully recover.

If clones arrive with brown, mushy stems, no visible root development, or broken stems — contact us within 24 hours with photos. We’ll reship.

Step 2: Acclimation (Days 1–5)

This is the most important phase. Rushing clones into high-intensity light or low humidity is the single most common mistake new clone growers make.

Light During Acclimation

Start LOW. A T5 fluorescent or LED at 30–40% power at 24–30 inches from the canopy.

• 18/6 schedule — 18 hours light, 6 hours dark
• Do NOT place fresh clones under a 600W HID or full-power LED immediately
• Gradually increase intensity over 5–7 days

Why: Clones transpire water through their leaves. The root system is established but not yet fully developed in your medium. High light intensity drives transpiration faster than the roots can compensate, causing stress.

Humidity During Acclimation

Target: 70–80% relative humidity for the first 3–5 days.

If you have a humidity dome, use it. If not, a light misting of the leaves twice daily reduces transpiration demand while roots establish.

After day 5, begin reducing humidity gradually toward your vegetative target (55–65%).

Temperature

• Day temp: 72–78°F (22–26°C)
• Night temp: 65–70°F (18–21°C)
• Avoid cold drafts, heat vents blowing directly on plants

Watering During Acclimation

Water lightly. The root system is established but not yet filling your container — overwatering (saturating the entire medium) can cause root rot before the plant’s transpiration demand matches the water supply.

Water in a ring around the stem (not directly at the base), just enough to keep the medium moist but not saturated.

Step 3: First Week in Medium

Soil vs. Coco vs. Hydro

Soil: Most forgiving for beginners. Use a high-quality cannabis potting mix. Water when the top inch feels dry.

Coco coir: Faster growth, more control over nutrients, slightly more technical. Feed every watering with a calcium-magnesium supplement from day 1. Coco is pH-neutral but doesn’t hold nutrients like soil.

Hydro (DWC, NFT, ebb-and-flow): Fastest growth, highest yields, most technical. Not recommended for clone beginners — troubleshoot your system thoroughly before adding expensive genetics.

Container Size

Start clones in small containers (1-gallon or smaller). Transplant up as the root system develops.

Transplant timing: When roots are visibly escaping drainage holes, or when the plant needs water more than once every 2–3 days.

pH

This is not optional. Incorrect pH locks out nutrients regardless of how much you feed.

• Soil pH: 6.0–7.0 (target 6.3–6.8)
• Coco/Hydro pH: 5.5–6.5 (target 5.8–6.2)

Invest in a quality pH meter. Test and adjust every watering.

Step 4: Vegetative Growth

Once your clones have settled (typically after day 7–10, when you see active new leaf growth), they’re in vegetative stage.

Light in Veg

• HID (MH): 400–1000W at 18–24 inches
• LED: Full-spectrum LED at 50–75% power initially, ramping to 75–100%
• Schedule: 18/6 (or 20/4 for faster growth)

Nutrients in Veg

Start with a reduced dose — 50% of the manufacturer’s recommended rate for the first 2 weeks.

Watch for nutrient burn (yellow/brown tips): back off if you see it. Cannabis clones are sensitive to over-feeding during establishment.

Veg nutrient priorities:

• Nitrogen (N): Primary driver of vegetative growth
• Phosphorus (P): Root development
• Potassium (K): Overall plant health
• Cal-Mag: Essential, especially in coco

How Long to Veg

You control this. The longer you veg, the larger the plant at flower — directly affecting yield.

Common veg durations:

• 4 weeks: Medium plant size, good for 2–4 plants/m²
• 6 weeks: Larger structure, 1–2 plants/m²
• 8+ weeks: Maximum yield potential, 1 plant per 1m² (SOG or SCROG)

Clone growers running Sea of Green (SOG) often veg for only 2–3 weeks before flipping.

Step 5: Training

Training increases yield by improving light penetration and canopy distribution.

Topping

Cut the main stem above the 4th–5th node. This creates two main colas instead of one. Each cola will develop a primary bud site at the top. Topped plants require additional veg time (1–2 weeks) to recover and develop.

Recommended for: Most medium-to-large grows

LST (Low Stress Training)

Tie down branches to spread the canopy horizontally. No cutting required. Exposes lower bud sites to direct light.

Recommended for: Beginners who want training without topping risk

SCROG (Screen of Green)

Place a screen over the canopy at 12–18 inches above the medium. Weave branches through the screen as they grow, creating an even, horizontal canopy.

Recommended for: Experienced growers maximizing yield per light

SOG (Sea of Green)

Many small plants flipped to flower quickly with minimal veg time. Creates a sea of cola tops. High plant density.

Recommended for: Growers with clone supply and maximizing cycles per year

Step 6: Transitioning to Flower

Change the light schedule from 18/6 to 12/12. This triggers the hormonal response that initiates flower development.

Week 1–2: Pre-Flower (Stretch)

Most strains stretch significantly (25–100% height increase) in the first 2 weeks of flower. Plan for this. A 24-inch veg plant may finish at 48 inches.

Adjust lights upward during stretch. Continue nitrogen slightly reduced from veg rates.

Week 3–5: Early Flower

Bud sites develop rapidly. Switch to a bloom nutrient formula (high P and K, reduced N). Begin trichome development visible to the naked eye.

Week 5–7: Mid Flower (Peak Trichome Development)

Peak feeding week. Buds fatten. Terpene production increases — this is when your grow room starts smelling like the strain’s characteristic profile.

Carbon filter essential for pungent strains: Donny Burger, Mule Fuel, Swamp Water Fumez, Skunk Venom, Motor Breath 2.0, Garlic family strains.

Week 7–8: Pre-Harvest Flush

Reduce or eliminate nutrients 7–14 days before harvest. Some growers flush aggressively with plain pH’d water. This is debated — at minimum, watch your EC and don’t push heavy feeding in the final 2 weeks.

Step 7: Harvest Timing

Do not harvest by the calendar. Every grow environment is different. Harvest by trichome development.

Reading Trichomes

Use a jeweler’s loupe (30x minimum) or digital microscope.

Clear trichomes: Not ready. THC still developing. Harvesting now produces anxiety-prone, less potent flower.

Milky/Cloudy white trichomes: THC at peak. Effect will be more uplifting, cerebral, energetic. Best harvest window for sativa strains and daytime effects.

Amber trichomes: THC degrading to CBN. Effect becomes more sedating, body-heavy. Best for nighttime use, sleep, and heavy indica effects.

The sweet spot for most strains: 70–80% cloudy, 10–20% amber. Balanced euphoric-to-body effect.

Harvest by Strain (Approximate Timelines)

Individual strain pages list specific flowering times. General reference:

• Fast strains: 7–8 weeks flower (Runtz family, most hybrids)
• Standard strains: 8–9 weeks flower (Gelato, Wedding Cake, OG Kush)
• Slow strains: 9–10+ weeks (Durban Poison, sativa-dominant, Mimosa, Thai crosses)

Step 8: Drying and Curing

Drying

• Temperature: 60–70°F
• Humidity: 55–65% RH
• Time: 7–14 days (until the small stems snap rather than bend)
• Airflow: Gentle — no fans blowing directly on buds
• Light: Darkness preferred — light degrades THC

Curing

Place dry buds in airtight glass jars (Mason jars). For the first 2 weeks, open jars once daily for 15–30 minutes (“burping”) to release moisture and exchange air.

Minimum cure: 2 weeks. Ideal cure: 4–8 weeks.

A proper cure dramatically improves flavor, smoothness, and the complexity of the terpene profile. The difference between 2-week-cured and 6-week-cured cannabis is substantial.

Maintaining Mother Plants

One of the greatest advantages of ClonesUp genetics is the ability to perpetuate your plants indefinitely through clone production.

How to Keep a Mother Plant

1. Identify your best plant during veg 2. Keep it in 18/6 light — never flip it to flower 3. Take cuttings from the lower 1/3 of the plant, leaving upper growth for continued development 4. Repot annually or as needed

Taking Your Own Clones

1. Cut 4–6 inches from a healthy branch just above a node 2. Remove lower leaves, leave 2–3 upper leaves 3. Immediately place cut stem in clean water 4. Dip cut end in rooting gel 5. Insert in rooting medium (rockwool, coco, rapid rooters) 6. Maintain 75–80% humidity, 75–78°F, low light 7. Roots typically develop in 7–14 days

Common Problems and Solutions

Problem	Likely Cause	Fix
Yellowing lower leaves	Nitrogen deficiency or end-of-life (normal in late flower)	Add veg nutrients if in early flower; normal if late flower
Brown leaf tips	Nutrient burn	Reduce feeding by 25–50%, flush with plain water
Wilting despite wet medium	Root rot (overwatering)	Let medium dry out, check drainage, add beneficial bacteria
Purple/red stems	Cold temps, phosphorus deficiency, or genetics	Check temps; if warm, slight P increase
Stretched, weak stems	Insufficient light intensity	Move lights closer or increase intensity
White powdery coating	Powdery Mildew (PM)	Treat immediately — neem oil, potassium bicarbonate, or SM-90. Increase airflow.
Webbing on leaves	Spider mites	Treat with spinosad or insecticidal soap. Increase humidity above 60%.
Slow, stunted growth	pH lockout	Check and correct pH. Flush if needed.

Grow Supply Checklist

Lighting

• [ ] LED grow light (minimum 30W actual/ft²) or HID (MH for veg, HPS for flower)
• [ ] Timer

Environment

• [ ] Grow tent or dedicated space
• [ ] Inline fan with carbon filter (essential for pungent strains)
• [ ] Oscillating fan for airflow
• [ ] Temperature and humidity monitor
• [ ] Humidifier (for acclimation phase)

Growing Medium and Containers

• [ ] Quality cannabis potting mix OR coco coir
• [ ] 1-gallon and 3-gallon containers (transplant up)
• [ ] Drainage trays

Nutrients

• [ ] Complete veg nutrient (high N)
• [ ] Bloom nutrient (high P/K)
• [ ] Cal-Mag supplement
• [ ] pH meter
• [ ] pH Up and pH Down solutions
• [ ] EC/TDS meter

Harvest

• [ ] Jeweler’s loupe (30–60x) or digital microscope
• [ ] Trimming scissors
• [ ] Drying rack
• [ ] Glass Mason jars (cure)
• [ ] Hygrometer for curing jars

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: My clones look droopy after arrival. Are they dead? A: Almost certainly not. Wilting from transit is normal. Place them under low light, maintain 70–75% humidity, and check in 24 hours. Healthy clones recover within 24–48 hours.

Q: How long before I see new growth after receiving clones? A: Within 5–10 days of proper acclimation, you should see active new leaf development. If there’s no new growth after 2 weeks, the clone may be struggling — contact us.

Q: Can I take clones from the clones I bought? A: Yes. This is the most economical way to use ClonesUp genetics. Keep one plant as a mother (never flip to flower), take cuttings repeatedly, and you’ll have an ongoing supply of the same verified genetics indefinitely.

Q: When should I flip to flower? A: When your plant is the desired size for your space. Remember it will stretch 25–100% during the first 2 weeks of flower. A plant you flip at 18 inches may finish at 30–36 inches.

Q: What’s the easiest strain to grow from your catalog? A: Blue Dream, Gorilla Breath, Mimosa, and Double Dream are all beginner-friendly with strong genetics and manageable grow requirements.

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