What to Look for When Buying Cannabis Clones

Buy a clone after you see four things: the cultivar name and mother plant record, the leaves and stems, the root ball, and a pathogen test result. A clone is a rooted cutting. It carries the genetics of the mother plant and any pest, mold, or viroid that mother plant holds. A clean clone saves 4 to 8 weeks against starting from seed.

what to look for when buying cannabis clones

Ask for the cultivar record

Get the exact cultivar name, not a nickname. Ask how old the mother plant is and how many times it has been cut. Mother plants kept past 6 months can lose vigor and yield. Ask if the seller keeps a record that ties the clone to a tested mother plant.

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Inspect the leaves

• Color: even green. Yellow lower leaves point to nitrogen hunger or root trouble.
• Surface: no white powder (powdery mildew), no gray fuzz (botrytis), no black spots.
• Undersides: check for mites, eggs, and webbing.
• Shape: no curling, no cupping, no mosaic pattern. Mosaic can mean a virus.

Check the stems and nodes

A stem should stand on its own. Soft tissue, dark streaks, or a hollow feel point to stem rot. Look at node spacing. Tight spacing and short internodes fit indoor tents. Long stretch fits tall rooms. Count the nodes: 3 to 5 nodes is a normal rooted cutting.

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Look at the roots

Slide the cube or pot out of its sleeve. Roots should be white to light tan and firm. Brown, slimy roots with a sour smell mean root rot. Roots that circle the pot mean the clone sat too long. Ask when it was cut and when it rooted.

Ask for pathogen tests

Hop latent viroid (HpLVd) spreads on sap, tools, and cuttings. Infected plants can grow slow and set smaller flowers. Some infected plants show no symptoms at all. Labs test for HpLVd with RT-PCR. Ask for a test date and a batch number. A test older than the last cut does not cover the plant in front of you.

Check for pests

Two-spotted spider mites sit on leaf undersides and leave fine webbing. Adults run about 0.4 mm. Fungus gnats fly off wet media. Aphids cluster on new growth. Any of these travel home with the plant and reach a full room in 2 to 3 weeks.

Confirm the light cycle

Vegetative rooms run 18 hours light and 6 hours dark. A clone moved to 12/12 starts flower. Keep the seller's cycle for the first week to avoid stress. Carry clones in a dark box for trips under 2 hours.

Quarantine and paperwork

Keep new clones in a separate room for 14 to 21 days. Watch for mites, mildew, and slow growth. Check state plant count rules before you buy. A licensed seller can name the cultivar and the test lab. Ask about the return policy if a test comes back positive.