Re:

How to grow weed from clones

Sun, 07/Nov/21

Growing marijuana from clones is a natural process, even though quite stressful for plants. You should definitely feel the benefits of making weed from clones, while the whole deal is no harder than a classic from-seed-to-weed growing. It does not make you choose between a seed aand a clone, but knowing how to grow weed from clones is a great opportunity indeed.

Growing weed from clones full guide in 8 steps

(1) Select a mother plant and a lovely branch on it that you are going to cut for a clone, or follow someone’s recommendation.

(2) Idyllically, before you cut a clone from a mother plant, keep the mother plant clean from nutrients for 3-5 days.

(3) For the cut, you’ll need a blade or a razor, distilled water, a rooting hormone, and a rooting medium (like rockwool).

(4) Cut the clone at a 45-degree angle as close to the stem as possible with a sharp blade to tear not the tissues of the plant, like if you are a surgeon.

(5) Moist the rooting medium with a nutrient rooting solution.

(6) Put the just-cut clones into holes you’ve made in the rockwool cubes (your rooting medium).

(7) Keep moist, give light, and wait till roots sprout.

(8) When roots are ready, re-settle a plant to the usual place, where it continues to be a regular plant.

Are you saying there's nothing unique in me?
— ARE YOU SAYING, THERE’S NOTHING UNIQUE IN ME?
(from “Madagascar” motion picture)

Why should I try growing weed from clones?

Growing weed from clones is rewarding, you save on time, and you are on a slightly different process, so you learn more growing options. The most important, however, you copy the mother plant, its gender, character, and future harvest, hopefully, you copy everything.

If you’ll like cloning, that shall lead you to marvelous buds. The other way shall do either, but growing weed from clones is just another way to an excellent toke, and you choose which fits your character and please your heart the best.

  • You cut clones from selected female plants from a grower you know, then you get the same copy of the plant of the same strain, the same strong character, the same fertility, and 100% female.

  • In a tight growing space, like indoors, having a guaranteed female plant (and not feminized) may count as a huge and unique opportunity.

  • You reduce total growing time because you already have a small plant at the start. It will take a week or two from the moment you cut till the clones give roots, then they immediately leap to the vegetation stage. This is a shorter period than growing from seeds.

  • Amounts of nugs from a properly grown clone plant may beat any feminized seeds project. Growing weed from clones saves time, and the whole term is a little closer to the speed records that autoflowers seeds do. Even though clones shall grow one-two weeks longer than the record-breaking out-of-the-seed strains, an amount of top-notch bud you harvest from a proper clone shall conquer your heart!

How to cut a clone?

Keep mother plants away from nutrients to reduce the nitrogen in branches and leaves. The excess amount of nitrogen may provoke clones to start vegetation rather than rooting.

Keep everything sterile and clean as if you are a surgeon. Have your razor or a scalpel super sharp, and super clean. A good cut shall give less stress and a healthier cutting shall sprout better roots.

  • Choose a fairly healthy branch 4-6 inches long (10-15 cm) idyllically bearing 6+ nodes.

  • Cut it at a 45-degree angle with a blade and as close to the stem as possible.

  • Make one clean sharp cut. Do not tear the tissues around the cut: have a blade super sharp, and a hand steady.

  • Do not expose a fresh cut for too long to air, place the fresh cut into distilled water as quickly as you can. This shall prevent air bubbles inside tissue around the fresh cut.

  • Dip the cutting into hormone gel to stimulate root growth.

  • Place the clone into wet rockwool (or another medium).

  • Cut more branches than the number of clones you plan. You are going to lose some.

  • Give sufficient light upon clones.

  • Keep rockwool wet but no over-flood.

How to prepare rockwool for marijuana cloning?

Distill water is a good choice if you intend to use nutrients in the rooting solution. Otherwise, you can come up with regular clean water, you usually use. Into distilled water add a small amount of nutrient to reach 5.5 PH, then stop. Using nutrients in a rooting solution for clones will encourage roots for better growth.

Dip rockwool cubes in rooting solution, and leave them there till they get generously moist. As soon as you have a rooting solution ready it takes 15-20 minutes to prepare rockwool cubes to accept marijuana clones.

Make a hole in each cube. The holes should be a little smaller or equal in diameter to the branches that you cut for clones. This shall let transplants sit tight and stay vertical, also giving a smaller load on roots, as they are ridiculously weak when they only come out of clones.

Growing clones outdoors

Before growing clones outdoors, you better start indoors, except that the weather is exceptional in your garden. No cold nights, good strong sun in daytime, and you can hide the clones from the wind (the roots are yet to appear, then new roots are weaker in the early stage, than the roots of plants of a similar size grown from seeds). Superior conditions may let you start your clones outdoors.

Usually, people start clones indoors. Then, when the plant reaches the bottom of cups with its roots, you transplant it to the outdoor environment. The plant and the roots are relatively weak in the early stage while sprouting that is why we are to create more comfort at the beginning.

Apart from that, outdoors is not hell for the clone plants, but a harder environment can kill the attempt. Give tender conditions for clones if they run a whole cycle outdoors: protect from wind at minimum.

Temperature for clones indoors

Cloning techniques are practically designed to grow marijuana indoors. So you grow clones indoors in the same conditions you grow regular marijuana plants. During the rooting stage maintain the temperature at 72-76 F (22-25 C) point, and you set 18 hours of light a day. Keep everything super clean as usual.

Watering weed clones

In the early stage, when you just put fresh transplants into the rooting medium, it is important to keep the whole system from dry to slightly moist. The roots shall be trying to find their way to water and grow faster and longer. It does not mean a Sahara desert in your pots (or cups) where clones grow.

If you choose soil as a rooting medium, fertilizers become optional. Because soil is already naturally fertilized, even if you try a random soil from your garden. Adjust the nutrients later if you want, but good soil requires fewer nutrients or even none of them (a rule of thumb).

On the other hand, nutrients help transplants to survive stress. The whole story is stressful by definition, so don’t be too far into “all-natural” once you are already on the track of genetic experiments, already doing clones.

Rooting mediums for clones

  • Water is the cheapest rooting medium, use distilled water if you plan to add nutrients (you better do). Adding nutrients, keep PH 5.5. Then place your clone in that water solution, and wait till roots start to sprout.

  • Soil is the natural rooting medium. It’ll require less maintenance, you take it as is, but taking proper soil like from a growing store shall make your attempt easier. Place your clone into loose soil, keep the soil moist but no over-flood.

  • Rockwool (aka mineral wool) is an artificial rooting medium and a perfect fit for clones and rooting enterprises. It is a good and relatively cheap investment that shall repay greatly, especially if you are a first-timer:

    • It gives optimal airflow for roots and retains water as good as we need for clones to sprout.

    • Easy to carry as soon as the rockwool cube, where the plant sits is already holding the shape well (compared to water or soil). You can put all clones into one tray once they are in cubes, which is convenient. For example, for watering.

    • The rockwool lets your plant sit tight in a hole, so the root takes no load, and the stem stays immovable affected by air movement (including breeze if outdoors, but you do not expect they shall survive a gale, you better hide plants from the weather for a while).

Once your clones sprout roots

You better keep in mind during the whole process of marijuana cloning, that the situation you create for the plants is way stressful. Even though the transplants (clones you cut) struggle to survive, it is a natural process like falling branches do in the wild nature, but you just pursue a higher success rate of survival of clones. So once roots start appearing:

  • Keep light at 18 hours per day regime.

  • Keep the temperature at 72-76 F (22-25 C)

  • Expose clones to air movements.

Exposure to air movement shall make stems and roots stronger, otherwise, they risk falling within a day or two, when you relocate your clones into a real environment. It’s early to say “give them wind” at this point but you try making air movement by ventilator working at a distance, slowly increasing to the light breeze. Bringing clones to the open air when the weather is marvelous is a good idea. Wind resistance you train in your clones, and especially if you prepare them to settle outdoors, once they are normal plants.

How long do clones take to grow?

The overall term depends on the mother plant. Just like she did so shall do, or should do, the offspring. However, what kind of benefit, among others, the clones give us – we cut the term skipping the germination stage, and the early vegetation stage. We spend 1-2 weeks for rooting instead, then we are in the middle of vegetation. Roughly, clones make the whole story a few weeks shorter, it should be beyond a month: 6-8 weeks.

What do scientists say?

The inventor of teleportation said he will never step into a teleportation cabin. Yes, it is invented as they have successfully teleported photons over a 143 km distance, about 88 miles. Somewhat a copy too.

“We know shit about biology,” — says Craig Venter, a former leader in the Human Genome Project.

Again, it is not bad to play with growing marijuana clones. There are certain benefits, we have mentioned in this post, and it is a natural process but just you aid the nature to increase the survival rate of clones. That is what you do by setting up the idyllic conditions for clones to root.

Clones vs seeds

Finally we list up pros and cons as a comparison of growing weed from clones vs growing weed from clones. The important message is: even though you stick to clones, which are great to be stick to, you won’t escape growing from seeds.

Sooner or later you will discover that a number of clones you take from the same mother plant is limited, and you’ll need to change her. On the other hand, taking clones from clones may work. There was one guy in Alaska, who cloned the Matanuska Thunderfuck (MTF) strain away from law enforcement eyes for 20 years to preserver the unique genetics of MTF. The strain is now available in the market, by the way, but often branded as “Alaskan Thunderfuck”. Leaves of MTF have fangs, boo!

Marijuana plants raised from seeds are in general stronger, as we mentioned already in this post. They feature stronger roots, and a subsequently stronger development of the whole system.

I prefer thinking about weed clones comparing a country-side guy to a megalopolis nerd, the latter represents a clone, and the former represents a plant from seed. Unscientific, I know, but I am that megalopolis nerd, and I now live in a country side, so I know the answer, ha-ha.

Green cartoon zombies illustrate marijuana clones' enterprise perfectly


Marijuana famous people

Fri, 30/Jul/21

This is the Hall of fame of famous people of the marijuana culture, and marijuana industry, also history. The list is ordered randomly, positions mean nothing. We are keeping this list updated, yet slowly.

Raphael Mechoulam

Professor Raphael Mechoulam

Dr Raphael Mechoulam is an Israeli scientist, who discovered, explained, isolated, and fully synthesized THC. Delta-9 tetra hydro cannabiniol, also known as the THC, is the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, one that makes us high.

Haile Selassie I

Haile Selassie I, King of Ethiopia, and the Prophet in Rastafari Religion

His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I was the emperor and the last king of Ethiopia, and a central figure of Rastafari religion. The Rastafari followers faithfully regard Haile Selassie I as a divine person, and a direct descendant of the biblical King Solomon and Queen of Sheba.

Rameses II

Rameses II, Rameses the Great, the Pharaoh of the Ancient Egypt

Rameses II was a pharaoh of Egypt about 3300 years ago. Scientists recently proved mummies of pharaohs and their high priests were positive on tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine. It makes pharaohs the first rulers in history, officially documented, who have ideologically advocated weed.

Robert Nesta Marley

Bob Marley, Rastafari, Jamaican Musician, Marijuana Advocate

Bob Marley (full name Robert Nesta Marley) is a marijuana advocate, Rastafari follower, cultural leader for many people, and famous Jamaican reggae musician.
Marley « I would say to the people, Be still, and know that His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is the Almighty. Now, the Bible seh so, Babylon newspaper seh so, and I and the children seh so. Yunno? So I don’t see how much more reveal our people want. Wha’ dem want? A white God, well God come black. True true.
»

Jim Belushi

Jim Belusshi's marijuana farm

Jim Belushi, American actor. After watching his “Real Men” movie I started thinking he was a stoner. Check out the Belushi’s Farm.

Jim Ross

Jim Ross MTF

Jim Ross / by ZeWeed.com

Jim Ross kept alive a unique marijuana strain by cloning it for 20 years, away from eyes. He alone saved the Matanuska Thunderfuck (MTF) genetics for the world. MTF is also marketed as Alaskan Thunderfuck.


Delta-9 THC explained

Wed, 02/Jun/21

THC or Delta-9 THC represents the principal psychoactive compound present in marijuana. THC is an acronym, which unwinds to its scientific name “Delta nine tetra hydro cannabinol”. In the market, however, and in everyday speech, we use a popular handy nickname calling it simply “THC”.

Delta-9 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is there in marijuana to make us high when we smoke weed, eat weed as edibles, or otherwise consume it.

Impact of Delta-9 THC

A doodle of Delta-9 THC infographic formula

If you’ve just hit, and you suddenly start feeling an increase in imagination and an over-positive mood; troubles are far away; if a favorite movie involves you more than usual, or you desperately want to play a video game, or express your avalanching creativity in a drawing — it means the weed is good and rich with THC, and it’s kicked in.

Kenny McCormick, cheesing, Major boobage episode, South Park series

Kenny McCormick, South Park series

For more than 12,000 years, people smoke marijuana for creativity, spirituality, and merely fun, and also we leverage the outstanding medical properties of weed, just along with the general highness THC gifts to us.

Boaters smoke weed, filmmakers definitely smoke weed, game designers, artists, poets, executive managers, and craftsmen — everyone smokes weed. Yeah, the latter two need a lot of creativity to keep going! The software developers of this website, marketers, designers, and copywriters love toking as well. The whole world.

Is Delta-9 THC addictive?

It depends greatly on what you call “addictive”, but just… er… Everything is addictive: social networks are addictive, the morning coffee is way addictive, and the Sun in the sky is addictive beyond imaginable.

The Cambridge dictionary defines the word:

Addict /ˈæd.ɪkt/ is a person who cannot stop doing or using something.

I personally cannot live without software making, I’m also video game addict, and an oxtail soup addict (yes, I’m very serious about oxtail soup!)

How long does Delta-9 THC stay in the body?

Studies indicate that 80-90% of the total intake of Delta-9 THC is gone from the system within 5 days. The peak reached after smoking falls in 4-6 hours. If you are a “chronic stoner”, Delta-9 THC is never out of your system. It also accumulates in fats where its presence expands to an undefined time span.

Northern Lights Trichomes

The crystal monstrosities in the picture above are the trichomes on the cannabis plant magnified. The trichomes make buds look frosty, while the contents of trichomes (namely, Delta-9 THC) make us high.

When we puff…

At the temperature 220-235℉, it equals 105-112℃, carbon dioxide present in the trichomes of marijuana abandons THCA (the THC acid) changing it to Delta-9 THC. As heating continues the temperature rises very quickly to 350℉, which equals 176℃, and at this point, THC evaporates: it changes from solid-state to gas. We inhale it with smoke, then in the lungs, Delta-9 THC absorbs into blood, and heads towards the brain.

How Delta-9 THC works on the micro level

On the micro-level, the molecular of THC has a proper structure to interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the human brain. These receptors are part of our endocannabinoid system, and, loosely speaking, Delta-9 THC is incidentally “compatible” with it. So THC contracts those receptors of the endocannabinoid system and incentivizes the chemical processes, eventually changing our behavior and our way of thinking.

Anandamide in relation to THC

The “high” that Delta-9 THC performs is a natural condition, and we have Anandamide in the body for the purpose to make us happy, thoughtful, and creative. THC only stimulates it.

Anandamide and THC receptors

This is what goes on when we intake marijuana.

Who has discovered Delta-9 THC?

Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, Israeli organic chemist and professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, was born in Sofia in Bulgaria in 1930. He discovered THC and its effects on the human body and also isolated THC, and fully synthesized it in 1969. Also, he has identified how Anandamide works concerning the chemical backgrounds of happiness, and how marijuana affects this condition in the human body.


Indica vs Sativa Explained

Fri, 02/Apr/21

Marijuana strains in the modern market are axiomatically divided into two main families: Indica and Sativa. These are the historical families of the cannabis plant, but just the modern breeding progressing wildly made them – “Indica” and “Sativa” – the labels, the trademarks: practically there is no pure Indica, nor pure Sativa, but just historically we find it way convenient and we stick to the definitions. I bet anyone has seen a description saying: “Indica 60%” – let’s dig up, what does it even mean?

There is also Ruderalis, becoming a popular term as autoflowering seeds are conquering the market – the easiest and fastest way to grow cheap weed at home. However, those autoflowering seeds are usually a mix of Ruderalis and either Indica or Sativa. And the latter two forever take their special place in the language, in the industry, and among end consumers – aka stoners, which is us!

What’s the difference between Indica and Sativa?

About 30 years ago I have stepped on the path of a recreational stoner, and loving it. Even though we didn’t have 50 strains over the counter, however, that day a very close friend of mine told me the difference: “The formula is simple to catch the basic idea, Sativa is to laugh, and Indica is to sleep.”

Since then I use it as the basic definition, for whoever asks me. Of course, not only this, and a whole speech follows about the myriad of nuances, but the truth is – Sativa delivers storms of laughter, and an avalanche of creativity, but Indica is to feel sleepy, relaxed, being deep into strategic thinking. This just explains everything we want to know about what is Indica, and what is Sativa.

Indica vs Sativa leaf shapes

Sativa (on the left) and Indica (on the right)

Cannabis Sativa gives a taller plant compared to Indica, which is, in general, a lower plant and bushier. Also, you can detect the domination of Indica or Sativa genetics in a marijuana plant by the shape of the leaves, and by color. Indica is in general darker with deeper green, while Sativa obviously features a lighter green color of the leaves and buds if you put both together in front of yourself. Basically, Indica and Sativa determine the type of your high.

Indica effects

Indica cannabis family originates from the northern regions of India, just as its name suggests. Thus, Cannabis Indica has evolved in a cooler climate rather than Cannabis Sativa. Cannabis Indica is considered amateur marijuana once it comes to growing weed at home: as a northern lass Indica is less whimsical, not yet all-forgiving but some grower’s mistakes it certainly allows.

Indica delivers sleepy effects indeed, recommended for the beginner stoner to bake one in the evening. It delivers vast relaxation to the body, and slowness in movements, compared to Sativa, Indica is responsible for physical effects on the body. Once you intake a good portion of Indica you get what we call “stoned”, rather than “hyper”.

Sativa effects

Sativa cannabis family has evolved closer to the equator, and it loves high temperatures and arid climates, and it gives taller slimmer plants. Many growers confirm Cannabis Sativa is harder to grow rather than Cannabis Indica.

What does Sativa make to you? Sativa strains make you “hyper” and “pro-active”, as only hyper one can be from marijuana. Anyway, you get high as it is top-notch marijuana, but Sativa just alters the mind different way and less the body’s physical condition. For the creative drive, you prefer Sativa. This is not carved in stone, and you get your creativeness and a lively mind from Indica too, but the stoners recognize it as the general idea to start from – the liveliness of Indica is “slower”, so to say.

Historical record

In 1753, a Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, also referred to as Carl von Linne, was the first person in recorded history who identified a cannabis plant as “Cannabis Sativa L.”, where “L.” stands for Linnaeus, his name.

In 1785, a French military scientist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck identified the other type of cannabis plant – Cannabis Indica, and he classified it as “Cannabis Indica Lam.”, where “Lam.” is for his name. I’m not a botanist but it seems obvious that they all were putting their names trailing.

In 1924, a Russian botanist Dmitry Janischevsky has identified the third variety Cannabis Ruderalis, separating it from the already-discovered Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa.

Cannabis Ruderalis

Cannabis Ruderalis originates from the Chuy Valley, a natural wonder located on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, where the wild weed grows for ages covering 400,000 hectares – equals the size of Delaware, full of wild marijuana, belonging to no one, totally wild.

Some sources call it Siberia, other sources call it Russia, but it is neither, it’s Chuy. This type of marijuana plant is also found in the northern Himalayas in Asia. The cold climate, compared to what Indica or Sativa enjoy, made Cannabis Ruderalis evolve as less sensitive to the light regime so that it gives flowers by reaching a definite age, rather than reacting to the rhythm of the Sun. Also, the full growing cycle of Ruderalis from seeds to buds is significantly shorter.

Cannabis Ruderalis “suffered” less marketing attention but gained its fame eventually with the development of the autoflowering seeds at the beginning of the 21st century. The genetic properties of Ruderalis concerning the light regime gave us the brilliant opportunity to grow the all-forgiving amateur weed in no time.

Why do breeders mix Sativa and Indica?

First of all original Cannabis Sativa plant may reach a great height, several meters in the wild, which is not convenient for home growing. Mixing its rich properties with the physical characteristics of Indica, including its resistance to pests and environmental conditions, is just reasonable. Hybrids and Indica-dominant strains fit a limited growing space nicely.

Secondly, the breeders work hard to satisfy the market needs, delivering the mixtures of flavors, what we call terpenes, also the amounts of THC making the recreational weed higher than high, and also delivering proper medical properties of marijuana.

Breeding is a usual process while messing with plants.

Indica vs Sativa vs Hybrid

Nowadays they are all hybrid. We have hundreds of strains in the market, and most of them indicate some percentage of Indica and some percentage of Sativa. The dominating genetics makes it this or that, but they are all hybrids, however.

What do we choose then? We choose the baseline, as weed strains come to the market marked as “more Sativa” or “dominant Sativa”, usually called simply Sativa, or “dominant Indica”, referred to as Indica, with a respect to the high effects as we described above for both types.

Examples,

  • White Widow is Indica, a strong and very classic one.
  • Strawberry Chemdawg is a mad mix of everything. This one we officially call a hybrid strain, it contains the aromas of strawberry, diesel, and black pepper, also featuring the energetic effects of Sativa and calmness of Indica, altogether.
  • Sour Diesel is a Sativa-dominant strain, but it may relax you due to the amount of caryophyllene, the psychoactive terpene standing apart from THC or Sativa properties.
  • Northern Lights, showing in its name the Northern origin, is an Indica-dominant strain of marijuana offering the classic Indica effects.

Autoflower Sativa vs Autoflower Indica

The autoflowering marijuana inherits the unusual growing cycle from Ruderalis, making it very easy to cultivate at home, requiring less growing space, and the breeders have already mixed it with Indica and Sativa – so we enjoy a good amount of high in the autoflowering plants.

Basically, the autoflowering strains share the branding with the famous normal strains but may differ in amounts of THC. There is White Widow Autoflower, and there is Sour Diesel Autoflower. Despite that any autoflower is a hybrid, we’d better call them already Autoflower Sativa and Autoflower Indica, as soon as the genetic of Ruderalis is present in the autoflowers anyway.

Examples,

  • “Auto Orange Bud” contains the genetics of the classic Orange Bud, from the classic era of cannabis breeding. It is now an autoflower, and extremely high Sativa, altogether.
  • “Auto Skywalker” certainly breaks the rule about lower THC in autoflowers, it counts 25% of THC, and is a Sativa strain. Limonene and Caryophyllene are also there.
  • “Auto Blueberry” is another super-classics in a form of autoflower, and it’s Indica.

Practically all the weed in the nowadays marijuana market is technically hybrid, but we still use the archaic terms “Indica” and “Sativa” indication to describe clearly what is going to happen as soon as we consume it, and how we grow it. And, all the commercially distributed weed is high, but we also choose the smell, the terpenes, the price, the easiest effort to grow one at home, etc. It is great fun to know the origins and try to taste the basic difference between Indica and Sativa. So we expect and plan the type of high, and we can compare the feeling while trying all of them.