Proven Cloning Practices Every Commercial Cultivation Facility Should Use

Front Row technical expert Tyler Simmons breaks down the cloning practices that separate thriving facilities from the rest. In this video, he covers:

• Why keeping mothers too long increases pathogen risk
• How to “high grade” your best clones for future mother plants
• Sanitation practices that actually stop pathogen spread
• Adjusting to Stronger Lighting
• Adjusting lighting and feed EC for modern cloning success
• Using data (like tray weights) to dial in irrigation timing

Tyler also explains how to reset declining strains in just a few cycles, plus practical tips for clone hydration, cutting technique, and mother plant training. Whether you’re troubleshooting slow-rooting clones or fine-tuning a production SOP, this is a must-watch for consistent, vigorous results. Visit our website’s Resources tab for our Simplified Cloning SOP with commercial cloning recommendations.

Transcript:

One of the big mistakes people make is keeping their mothers too long. Many cultivators use mothers that have been around for months, but that comes with serious risks.

One of the main problems with cloning from older mothers is pathogen buildup. If there’s even a low level of hop latent viroid or another pathogen present, the viral load increases over time. At four, eight, or ten weeks the plant might appear healthy, but by three or four months the viral load can be high enough that branches begin showing symptoms.

That’s why I like to fast-cycle mothers as much as possible—keeping them for a maximum of 12 weeks, preferably less. This ensures the highest quality clones, which directly impacts results in the cultivation rooms.

Clone selection for creating new mothers is also critical. Many people take their very best clones and send them to flower for short-term yield gains. The downside is that this leaves weaker clones to serve as mothers, which creates declining yields over time.

Instead, I take the top 1–5% of each batch—the fastest-growing, strongest, greenest clones with the best root systems—and plant those as mothers. By always using the best of the best, you maintain strong genetics and prevent the slow degradation that happens when weaker clones are recycled as mothers.

When taking cuttings, it’s best to select from the tops of healthy, well-trained mothers. Clones from lower branches or shaded areas tend to be weaker and grow less vigorously. Training strategies like “top early and top often” ensure plenty of strong tops for future clones.

Timing and hydration matter as well. Always take cuttings from a mother that is well hydrated. If you cut when the plant is at its lowest water content, the clones will struggle.

If strain performance has already started to decline, the quickest recovery strategy is to aggressively fast-cycle mothers. Take a round of cuttings, plant the best 5% as new mothers, repeat that process for two or three generations, and you’ll lower pathogen load while restoring plant vigor.

Sanitation is critical in cloning. Water quality should be clean and suppressive against pathogens—low-dose calcium hypochlorite, for example, helps keep source water safe. Cutting tools are another major vector for disease. Every cut is an open wound, and tools can easily transfer pathogens. I recommend sanitizing scissors or blades in either a 10% bleach solution or a 2% Virkon S solution between mothers. Always avoid moving between strains with the same unsanitized tools.

Some cultivators ask about pre-soak feeds. I recommend putting cuttings into a cup with the same feed solution used for the mothers—generally around 2 EC veg feed. Rooting hormones, whether gels or liquid dips, can also help. I don’t have a strong preference—experiment to see which works best in your facility.

Lighting for clones has changed significantly over the years. Ten years ago, T5 fluorescents provided 50–80 PPFD, but modern LED propagation lights now allow clones to thrive at 150 PPFD or higher. Higher light intensity helps acclimate plants more quickly to veg and flower environments, but it does require higher EC feeds—often 2–3 EC instead of the old 0.5–0.8 EC range.

Higher light also increases transpiration, meaning clones dry out faster once they start rooting. Weighing trays after irrigation is a useful way to determine when to water again, rather than guessing. At first it might take five or six days before the trays hit target weight, but once roots are established, you may be watering daily.

In short:

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  Always use your best clones to establish new mothers.
  
• 
  Replace mothers every 8–12 weeks.
  
• 
  Take cuttings from well-hydrated, healthy tops.
  
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  Keep sanitation tight—clean water and sterilized tools.
  
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  Adjust lighting and feeding strategies for modern high-intensity environments.
  

These practices ensure healthier mothers, stronger clones, and more consistent results in production rooms.