How to Clone Cannabis: Taking Cuttings From a Keeper

When one plant out of a pack turns out to be the keeper, sowing the rest only gives you her siblings, not her again. Cloning is how you keep the exact plant — not a copy that’s close, the same genetics carrying on. It’s not first-grow essential, but the day you hit a keeper, this is how you hold onto her.

The short version:

• A clone is a rooted cutting — genetically identical to the plant you took it from
• Take cuttings only from a plant in veg, never in flower
• Lower branches root more readily; cut at 45° just below a node
• Root under a humidity dome in soft light — no feeding yet
• It skips the seedling stage and preserves the phenotype you liked

Want the full breakdown? Keep scrolling.

Why clone instead of just sowing more seeds?

Three reasons, and the first is the one that matters at the start: you keep the exact plant, not the strain. The phenotype that fit your space and smelled right is preserved, not re-rolled in the genetic lottery. Second, a clone skips germination and the seedling stage — it roots straight into a young veg plant, saving a couple of weeks a run. Third, the long game: a plant kept going and cloned from for years is genetics that don’t get lost — growers have passed single cuttings hand to hand for decades. And no, a clone isn’t weaker than a seedling; it’s proven genetics with none of the seedling guesswork. The only thing it lacks is a taproot, which makes no practical difference in a pot.

How do I take the cutting?

Pick a healthy shoot about the length of your finger, with at least a couple of nodes, from a plant in veg — a flowering plant’s cuttings sulk for weeks trying to revert. Lower branches root more readily; they’re younger tissue. Use a clean, sharp, sterile blade (a dirty cut introduces rot before there’s a single root) and cut at roughly 45°, just below a node, because nodes are where roots form. Strip the lower leaves so you’ve a bare bit of stem to bury, and trim big fan leaves on top by half — the cutting has no roots, so it can’t support a full set of thirsty leaves. Dip the cut end in rooting gel (more forgiving than powder; DIG stock it) and put it straight into your medium so a node or two sits below the surface. You can skip the hormone — plenty root without it — but it tips the odds your way.

Then what?

Into a propagation setup and hands off — covered properly in the rooting and mother-plant guides. The short version: warm, humid, soft light, and patience. The Nurse killed more clones than he rooted by feeding them, blasting them with full light and lifting the dome every hour to check — cooking and starving them at once. Cuttings don’t want care. They want to be left warm, humid and alone. Roots show in one to three weeks; then you pot it on like any young veg plant. Clone in veg, keep it simple, and you’ve got the plant you liked on tap.

FAQ

Can you clone a flowering cannabis plant? You can (“monstercropping”), but it roots slowly and reverts fussily — not worth it while learning. Clone in veg, where it’s simple and reliable.

Do I need rooting hormone to clone cannabis? No, but it helps. Cuttings root without it, yet a dab of rooting gel raises your strike rate noticeably — handy when you want the whole tray to take.

Is a clone weaker than a seed plant? No. It’s the same genetics as a plant you’ve already proven, minus the seedling guesswork. The lack of a taproot doesn’t matter in a pot.

Where on the plant should I take a cutting? A lower branch in veg, finger-length with a couple of nodes. Lower growth is younger and roots more readily than the top.