How to Clone Cannabis Plants In Water

There are many ways to clone cannabis, but did you know that one of the easiest ways is to use water?

Now, we all want strains we don’t have. Whether you see it at a friend’s place or a dispensary, you simply fall in love with it. You may get seeds if you’re lucky, but it rarely ever happens. In such cases, cloning is your best option. 

However, many growers hesitate to clone their plants. It’s natural to fear losses when you have one plant, but once you master cloning techniques, it’s pretty easy to take it from there. 

So, what is cloning the cannabis plant, and how can you do it quickly? 

Here’s a guide for you to clone cannabis in a glass of water!

What is a Cannabis Clone? 

Cloning cannabis is nothing but cutting a branch of the mother plant and using the cut branch to grow another plant. The cloned plant has the same genetic makeup as the mother plant you took from it.

Typically, the branch you want to clone must be around 6-7 inches in length. Once it’s cut off, put the cutting in a growing medium, like Rockwool cubes or, in this case, a glass of water. Then, once it starts growing the roots, it is transferred into the growing pot or the ground.

Why Should You Clone Cannabis Plants?

The best reason to clone cannabis is that you get to grow your favorite strain of cannabis endlessly without experimenting too much. That’s because the clone plant is always genetically identical to the mother plant. So if you have a particular cannabis strain you like, maybe for the smell, potency, or flavor, you can grow it again.

Another reason would be that you don’t want to mess around with seeds or invest in expensive growing equipment, like a hydroponic system. The method to clone cannabis in a glass of water is so simple you almost think it’s a myth.

Cloning cannabis also saves you time since you don’t have to germinate the seeds. This method saves a month of the growing process. And it saves you a lot of space since you don’t have to germinate many seeds.

Lastly, it is free! You don’t have to invest in expensive seeds or equipment. All you need to do is ask your friend for a clone cutting from their plant for the first time.

How to Choose a Cannabis Mother Plant?

The mother plant is the cannabis plant you take the clone cutting from. So, the mother plant must be healthy and sturdy since the same genetics will pass on to your clone cannabis plant. 

Apart from that, the mother plant must be in the vegetative stage when you get a cutting. For example, a clone cut from a flowering plant may turn into a hermaphrodite and damage the mother plant, so it is not recommended. 

Sometimes, clones taken from a flowering plant may grow oddly, and many growers take clones from flowering mother plants on purpose to take advantage of their abnormal growth. This technique, known as monster cropping, is ideal for saving time; however, you should do this only if you’re a pro at growing cannabis plants. 

You want your cannabis clone to be female.

Some of the other things you should look for in the mother plant include:

• Vibrant, vigorous growth
• Preferred aromas and flavors that you like
• Dense trichomes and big buds
• Resistance to mold and pests

How to Clone a Cannabis Plant?

Before you even start the cloning process, you need to choose a suitable method that works for you. 

You can clone cannabis in a few ways. The most common way to clone cannabis is using a rooting medium, such as Rockwool or rooting cubes, and this method requires you to also invest in a tray, tray cell insert, dome, root rubes, heat mat, etc. 

Another popular method is using an auto-cloner system, which does all the work for you. However, this system is expensive and not recommended for newbie cloners. 

The method that we recommend for first-time cloners is using a simple glass of water! All you need is a glass, high-quality water, rooting hormone, and some basic cannabis setup for this method. This is the easiest way to clone cannabis for newbies, and here’s how you do that.

Steps to Clone Cannabis in a Glass of Water

Things You Need

1. Sharp scissors to cut the clone branch
2. Razor for trimming up the cuttings
3. A cup or glass
4. Rooting hormone — you can even use honey, cinnamon, or diluted apple cider vinegar
5. Springwater, or at least pH-balanced (5.8 to 6.2) clean water without a lot of minerals
6. Growing pot
7. And LED lights

Steps to Take a Cutting to Clone Cannabis

This is a crucial step that can make or break your cannabis cloning process, so you need to be meticulous while taking the cutting from the mother plant. 

First, ensure the mother plant is not fertilized or in the flowering stage. This ensures that nitrogen has worked its way out of the leaves, as excess nitrogen can make the clone grow leaves instead of roots during the rooting stage.

Next, you must work in a sterile environment — Use gloves and disinfect the razors and scissors before getting started to avoid contamination.

Cups to Use to Clone Cannabis Plants

Many growers ask what kind of cups are best to clone cannabis plants. For example, should the cups be transparent or opaque, so they don't allow light to pass through?

Generally, it's best not to grow plants in clear or transparent cups or pots since it invites algae and other bacteria and messes with plant growth. However, since the cloned plants won't spend much time in the cups, you can use clear or opaque cups to get the best results. Most growers use clear cups to see the roots as they grow and plant them into the soil or other medium when they are done.

Follow these steps to cloning the cannabis plant:

Look for a healthy and sturdy branch with at least two nodes. Make sure the clone is at least 7 inches long, as smaller clones may have trouble rooting. 

Cut the branch using a razor or scissor from below the bottom node at a 45-degree angle to increase the rooting surface area.

Remove all the leaves except 2-3 leaves at the top so the clone can focus on producing roots rather than growing. 

Place the fresh cutting into a rooting hormone and place them in the cup of water immediately. Do not delay this process, as some air may make its way into your stem and cause it to wilt in just a few hours. 

Once the cutting is in the glass, cut unnecessary leaves on the lower tiers of the branch if you haven’t done so already and cut off the tips of the fan leaves to promote photosynthesis and nutrient and water uptake. 

Lastly, ensure the cutting gets adequate light — preferably 18 hours — and humidity to grow properly. But, do not introduce them to your artificial lighting equipment just yet. The clones only need meager sunlight, so placing them on a sunny windowsill will work fine. However, placing the clones under powerful lights is a fast way to kill them. 

Typically, the clone would be ready for transplanting within a couple of weeks, but some strains may take longer, and some may not. Just be patient. You’ll know it’s ready when the roots grow to be an inch or two in length.

Also, many people wonder if it’s a good idea to change the water in the cup. Well, this depends on your plant. If you find that the water gets murky in 2-3 days, throw it out and refill the cup with plain fresh water again. If the water looks good, you can leave the clone alone. 

In addition, keep an eye on the clones. Some plants may take a long time to root, but other cannabis plants are so quick that they use up all the water in the cup before you even notice them! So make sure the cups have enough water for the clones at all times, so you don’t kill them accidentally. 

Steps for Transplanting the Weed Clone

Now, it’s time to transplant the clone into the growing medium, whether into a pot or the ground. Follow these steps to transplant the clone into the growing medium:

Fill your cup or pot with some soil — at least until halfway. Choose a pot with drainage holes so the water drains out easily.

Water the soil to make it moist and stay intact when transplanting. Ensure excess water is drained via the bottom to avoid drowning the roots.

Next, use two fingers to dig a hole into the soil that’s big enough to bury the roots.

Now, gently place the clone cutting in the hole and cover it with soil.

Water again, but make sure it’s only moist and not dripping wet. 

Place the rooted clones on a windowsill with bright sunlight or under a CFL or fluorescent light that’s not too powerful. But, again, introducing them to powerful lights at this stage will kill them. 

Once the plants adjust and show some growth, take care of them as usual. 

Summary: How To Clone Cannabis Plants In Water

Follow these steps to clone your favorite strain of cannabis with a glass of water and a simple setup. 

Just remember, this is a basic way to clone cannabis, but it may not always be successful, so keep experimenting or try cloning a few branches at a time.

Once you understand the cloning process correctly, we recommend using rooting mediums like Rockwool or jiffy pellets and dedicated trays, tray cell insert, dome, root cubes, heat mat, etc., to clone cannabis. The investment is worth it.