Quick ??? about mother plants

[BillyKidd]

Does anybody have a pretty good tutorial for starting, caring, how long to expect it to continue producing as a mother plant? I've been searching the net on this subject and seem to be getting conflicting results about this subject.

[NebulaHaze]

This is something I'm interested in, too. We've taken clones as needed, but never kept a mother plant for more than a few months as we typically grow from seed. I would love to hear from growers who have maintained a mother plant for years.

What I usually hear from strain-keepers is they grow out a new clone of the mother about once a year as plant growth seems to get less vigorous if you keep the same plant in the vegetative stage for a really long time. They choose the healthiest and fastest-growing clone to make a new mother for the next year.

Growers have kept certain strain cultivars alive this way for decades, though it can become harder and harder over time to get vigorous clones. For example if a plant gets sick, it sometimes may simply not grow as well even after it recovers. A non-vigorous plant produces non-vigorous clones, so it's very important to monitor health and keep your most important genetics in more than one grow room if possible!

[Weed Pharma]

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I've kept a mother plant for a year and then flowered her out recently- I'm working on another strain as a mother plant, which I won't use the clones until next summer. (I only veg photo's during the hot summer months).
Mother plants are not difficult, but you have to keep at it, by controling growth rate until you are ready for clones. (it's painful to toss out clones you won't be using during,lol)

I have not been able to find much info on long term developemnt of a mother plant- especially the best way to LST/Trim etc.

I have considered making a bonsai out of my current clone that's just starting-and use the trimming from that for clones.

The problem I have with this sativa strain- is it's very wide internodal spacing (which I am trying to control) and grows very fast which is not ideal for a bonsai plant.

[BillyKidd]

You mentioned controlling growth rate, what methods work best for a mother plant? Just keeping it in 18/6 light cycle and keeping it warm and slightly humid, or what?

[oldjarhead100]

I.ve only kept a mother plant for about 6 months ,until I bloomed her ,and kept another clone for a new mother

[Vapo69]

I have a runt at the moment, she is going to get tossed today as she is an auto, and I put a blue toof(mephisto)in to soak last night, but if you had a runt from seed......would the clones be runts?.....it would solve space probs!!

[D.A.A.S.69]

Morning Vapo69, that's some good thinking about mothers and grow space,.
I can't wait for some good answers. Have a great day.

[Vapo69]

Hey D.A.A.S.69 , thanks dude, have a good one yourself

[GanjaGed]

Not sure, never tried that. I can think of reasons for both possibilities, lol.

[GanjaGed]

I always preferred mothers from seeds, both work fine, just my preference.

Start as you would any plant.

Train in a way that that suits your space. I preferred an open bowl shape around the rim of the pot.

Run low nutes, think 1st week veg str. Nitrogen = bio-mass. You want just enough to keep her healthy. If running something like Flora Trio, run a Lucas style formula with low ppm's, basically Micro and Bloom, no Grow.

Keep light intensity low, again just enough to keep her healthy. Also there's no reason not to run 18/6. Low nutes and light will help you maintain size. Once you have her to size you just want her to stay healthy not vegging vigorously, just replacing what you take and staying happy.

About a week or 2 before taking clones cut out as much N as possible and boost PK, this will help rooting.

I like to foliar spray with H2O2 after taking clones, esp.


If I was going to keep mothers again, and had the room I think I'd ScrOG them. Just a smallish screen over the pot. Let her grow up over the screen a bit, take clones, tie her down over and over. Trim away sections and let her refill as needed to maintain size

Just like everything else it's all about tailoring a mother to your own situation. At this point though, for me, seeds and clones from vegging plants just before the flip are a better way to do it.