Cavendish bananas are all genetically identical. Each banana you buy in the store is the clone of the one next to it. Every banana plant being grown for export is really part of the same plant, a collective organism larger than any other on earth. Clones are quite common in agricultural practices, so what's the harm in cloning cannabis plants? While many think that the clone is no different from the mother plant or other clones from the same mother. This is just not true, not to say they are necessarily inferior but a cloned plant and a plant from seed stock can be quite different.
The physical difference of a clone and seed start
Strictly focusing on a physical differences the cloned plant starts with an inherit disadvantage. The disadvantage of lacking a taproot the lack of a taproot definitely affects the vigor of a cloned plant when compared to the growth rate of a seed plant.
Cannabis grown from seed has a taproot—a central root which is sent deep into the soil from which subsidiary roots grow.
When a cutting is taken from a cannabis plant, the cutting must develop a tangle of roots to funnel up moisture and nutrients. Clones lack a taproot and therefore are structurally (not genetically) distinct to cannabis grown from seed.
A seed plant will be infinitely more robust and have faster growth rates in most cases. This doesn't mean every case but the odds are not in your favor however you can take proactive steps.
Clean Before cloning Your Green
The mere act of taking a cutting from the mother plant also introduces a host of potential problems. Aside from inflicting transplant shock on the clone, the cut part creates an easy passage for pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi to weave their way in, causing infection.
Growers who scrupulously sterilize cloning equipment and use proper techniques will have greater success cloning without issue. When every care is taken to ensure that the cutting is taken as gently as possible, and appropriate rooting and hormone mediums are used, the clone is more likely to extend a robust rooting system and grow strong and healthy.
Epigenetics
Epigenetics provides us with a more nuanced understanding of the nature versus nurture paradox. Genes load the gun, as the saying goes, but the environment pulls the trigger. The field of epigenetics offers valuable insights for understanding how cannabis clones can appear to lose potency. Epigenetics refers to outside stimuli, or modifications, that can turn genes on or off. It’s not that there is an alteration of the genetic code in the clone; rather, environmental factors modify its genetic potential and expression.
Ultimately, there is a host of factors that may contribute to clonal decay. While the control of some elements is out of our hands, clonal degradation can be somewhat avoided with proper care, technique, and management of clones. Take clones from robust young mothers using sterile equipment, provide them with the best possible environment, and there’s no reason they won’t thrive for generations.
Genetic mutations in a clone?
Genetic mutations can and do occur in clone populations as they grow and can be passed on through cuttings. While peer-reviewed studies exploring the intricacies of cannabis botany are still few and far between, there is research to suggest that phenotypic variation—that’s variation in physical characteristics—in plant cuttings is due to sporadic mutations in the DNA sequences.
A theory known as Muller’s ratchet argues that clone populations are doomed to accumulate increasing numbers of harmful mutations, which inhibit the plant’s ability to grow and thrive. Some interpret it as nature’s way of showing a preference for sexual reproduction in plant populations.
Telomeres
What’s more, telomeres may also play a role in clonal decay. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that ensure DNA is copied accurately when it divides. When telomeres are stressed or damaged, the very end of the DNA strand doesn’t make it into the new copy, which results in a loss of vital genetic information.
It can be helpful to conceptualize this process like a photocopier cutting off the last line of text from a page each time it is copied—analogously, DNA strands may become shorter with every cell division.
Re-Veg
So lets give a clone a taproot up so to speak what differences come from re-veging compared to cloning. There are a few ways that a cannabis plant can revert from a flowering period back to a vegetative period.
Post-Harvest Re-Vegging
Probably the easiest method, this will allow you to harvest a plant for buds and then re-veg it for a second growing season.
When harvesting, leave a few healthy flowers and branches in tact at the base of the plant. Readjust the plant’s photoperiod back to a 18/6 cycle (hours of light/hours of dark) from the 12/12 photoperiod it had when flowering.
You’ll also want to change its nutrient regimen, giving the plant nutrients more conducive to early-stage growth. It will need more of a nitrogen-heavy diet for root and leaf development, as opposed to the high amounts of potassium and phosphorus that it likely received during flowering.
What are the best nutrients for growing cannabis?
Early growth on a re-vegged plant may exhibit stress-induced mutations like single-fingered leafs and odd node patterning, but these issues should go away after a few weeks, once the plant regains its bearings.
Post-harvest re-veg plants often take a little bit of time to take off at first and some strains may not even be receptive to this method at all. But plants that are re-vegged successfully have been known to display increased vigor after the initial transition.
as stated not always goin to be the best but if you find a strain that adapts well after the added stress it can be much better than cloning. Of course the opposite can ring true in a plant less equipped for higher stress levels.
Monster-Cropping Clones
As mentioned above, cloning a plant while it’s in the flowering stage is called monster-cropping. To successfully do this, take clones from the lower branches of a plant when it’s in the second or third week of flowering. Move flowering buds and clone like normal, sterilizing equipment and carefully take a clipping.
As with post-harvest re-vegging, monster-cropping may result in stunted and mutated growth at first, but with proper care and training, this method can produce massive plants with increased vigor and foliage growth.
This can happen on accident?
Cannabis plants will unexpectedly revert back to vegetative growth if there is any disturbance in their dark photoperiod (if they aren’t in darkness for at least 12 hours a day).
This can occur both indoors and outdoors, usually because of a light leak or a light-timer malfunction for indoor growers, or from planting outside too early in the season for outdoor growers.
Even the tiniest of changes in a cannabis plant’s light cycle can cause it to flip back to a vegetative state, and some plants may even turn hermaphroditic, growing both male pollen sacs and female flowers. This last part is a pervasive issue with almost all of the re-veging techniques however experience and the proper strain can diminish the possibility.
What's that quote life finds a way My last plant was a genetic loto Powerball because it was almost impossible, Going against my better judgement I tried growing a hermaphroditic gorilla glue & auto flowering white widow grown in the same facility. Shockingly it presented with the auto flowering trait and though stunted it worked grew all the way to a miniscule harvest. I'm happy to see this due to a fascination of cannabis and its many unanswered questions.
Another experiment
In this same spirit of fascination of the undocumented habits of certain plant species with a cultural taboo. My next grow if I can manage it will be kratom probably a first here at weedcash, but also somehow a continuation of experience gleamed from rowing cannabis. With kratom the Active chemical that is commonly measured to determine potency Mitragynine presents from stress from leaf loss and increases to deter predation after each Harvest or Clipping the leaves. Cannabis is deterring the suns detriment with THC. This apposing yet similar plant seems to likely help me further unravel the mysteries of both. I'm looking into plant or seed start delivery
Todays strain G13 Diesel- Taste surprised me on this it has a pungent pine fuel flavor I honestly dont see that much distinctly different from both a diesel taste or skunk taste. An Indica sativa hybrid, ranging it THC levels from 18%-23% a forget what your talking about mid sentence kind of high. While drinking a Tea made from a kratom powder combination called purple train wreck.
Some other less plant based news, I just sold one of my 5 new years keys on Crypto
Brew Master due to the new game features and artifacts added yesterday. These keys are very rare and I doubled the price point on the last one I'm selling and the only one in the market and began selling artifacts which are already sold since my announcement last evening
Could be the last key I own the majority
Not that it matters but I hit 14th on the leaderboards
https://www.cryptobrewmaster.io/game/invite?ref=3d5efa435682425384e9aeb6236ab07e&code=AlphaBonus
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