How to Clone Cannabis at Home
A repeatable five-step method I use to get high success rates on clones at home.
- Step 1
Pick the cutting
Take cuttings from a healthy mother in vegetative growth, at least 3–4 weeks old. Look for branches with 2–3 nodes, slightly woody but still flexible. Avoid weak side shoots and anything showing deficiency.
- Step 2
Cut, dip, set
Make a 45° cut just below a node with a clean, sharp blade. Strip the lower leaves, trim the upper fans by half to reduce transpiration. Dip immediately in cloning gel, then push into a pre-soaked rapid rooter or rockwool cube.
- Step 3
Dome it
Cover with a humidity dome. Target 75–80°F, 80–90% humidity for the first 4–5 days. Mist the inside of the dome morning and night. Crack the dome a little more each day from day 5 onward to harden them off.
- Step 4
Light, low and soft
18–24 hours of low-intensity light. T5 fluorescents or a dimmed LED at ~30–40% works great. Too much light dries them out before roots can support them.
- Step 5
Wait for roots
Most strains will pop roots in 7–14 days. When you see a healthy white root system poking through the cube, transplant into a small solo cup or 1-gallon pot and start gentle nutrients.
Pro tips
- • Sterilize your blade between cuttings. Pathogens move fast in a humid dome.
- • If a clone wilts after 24 hours, it's almost always a temp/humidity issue, not water.
- • Label everything. Future-you will thank present-you.