Opinions On Loss Of Potency From Repeated Cloning From Clones

[JohnB RPh]

Do you feel there is a decrease in quality of plant potency from repeated cloning from clones, rather than using one mother continuously? For instance, I veg 6 plants and take 1 clone from each plant just before moving them to flowering room. I then veg these clones for 6 to 8 weeks, and just before moving them to flowering stage I take 6 clones from these vegging plants. This process is repeated over and over. Thoughts?

[Beans]

Your fine

 

I have run the same cuts over and over for years

 

If anything my skills have improved and they are usually better

 

If this was the case all old elite cuts would be worthless

[MasterKush]

Agree with Beans. I have been cloning from a clone for YEARS and havent noticed any adverse effects. It is true however, that some plants will lose vigor over time. With a good strain, it usually takes many, many generations for this to happen. I have seen cuts go 20-30 generations with no loss of vigor. My Juicy Fruit cut was atleast 10 generations when I got it in 2006, and I have taken it aleast 10 generations further. It is still one of the most vigorous plants in my garden.

[CaveatLector]

Plant lab geneticists at MSU clone plants from a tissue sample the size of a piece of rice. They clone hundreds of plants a month and clone from previous clones rather than keeping a "mother" plant. They easily are hundreds, if not thousands, of generations out. These are scientists that depend on stability because they engage in genetic engineering on the plants. It is my understanding that a genetic mutation is highly unlikely due to the fact that it is the same dna that is cloned and there never is a next geberation that can mutate more easily.

 

So, with that said, I think you could clone the same plant every couple months or so for the rest of your life with no material change in the genetic makeup of the plant.

[JohnB RPh]

Thanks guys.

[Cannalytics]

Healthy moms --> healthy clones. Forever.

[DLD420]

I agree that there is no noticable decline in plant potency but that only applies to healthy cuttings from healthy donor plants, I have found a clone that roots quickly and has decent growth patterns early will retain the original plants potency, as long as there are no stresses involved. Slow rooting cuttings can still be of good quality but the slow start cuts quantity. I have a strain that my friends and I have been growing since 94, with very little change in potency and it has been clone from clone for 18 years.

[hydromike]

We cloned for 13 years. with one product we called "Pearl" I believe it was originally called (early pearl) we got from the seed bank. What a smell and ever here of 2 toke meds, this was it and the 2 tokes lasted for hours. Don't let people tell you cloning the same plant degrades the potency. we did this 13-15 years with pearl. Just keeping 36 clones going every 45 days. We tried seeds of kush and many the other but still nothing yet that can compare to pearl.

View my true hydroponic farm video. (not selling anything)

[cristinew]

we never use a mother just clone before you flower why waste the plant number, we have a blueberry over 10 years old still test above 20% we clone every 19 days and harverst every 19 days 3 stages in each room

[Country Boy]

we never use a mother just clone before you flower why waste the plant number, we have a blueberry over 10 years old still test above 20% we clone every 19 days and harverst every 19 days 3 stages in each room

 

That has always been My technique as well. I would take a few cuts from each just to make sure i would have a good replacement for the new flowering plant. Never needed it, but better safe than sorry.

 

P.S. There have been studies to prove that Clones keep their potency as what is a a clone but identical DNA from the Plant it was taken from. It changes when someone affects it's DNA with factors such as stress.

Edited July 26, 2012 by Country Boy

[Tareyw13]

On 7/26/2012 at 10:35 AM, hydromike said:

We cloned for 13 years. with one product we called "Pearl" I believe it was originally called (early pearl) we got from the seed bank. What a smell and ever here of 2 toke meds, this was it and the 2 tokes lasted for hours. Don't let people tell you cloning the same plant degrades the potency. we did this 13-15 years with pearl. Just keeping 36 clones going every 45 days. We tried seeds of kush and many the other but still nothing yet that can compare to pearl.

View my true hydroponic farm video. (not selling anything)

I got an early cut of The White. I've been growing 5 years now. Just taking clones from the best of the last grow. Now it is a 2-toke med as well, much more bug resistant. Doesn't have any issues. 

[Kingdiamond]

Ive been running Dr Greenthumbs Bubba OG  almost the entire time ive been growing and never noticed any change in either potency or appearance.

[Restorium2]

Running three strains from the 90's; OG Kush, Original Diesel, Chem D,  they stay the same over time and cloning. 

[mishigami bear]

I have kept clones of clones of clones.... including some revegs.... for about 12 years, with no noticeable loss in potency or plant vigor. In fact nothing at all seemed to "drift" genetically. I only lost the strain through a personal screw up (had to travel for work with out adequate supervision of new cuttings). I'm convinced that I would still have identical results today if she were still around.

Clones will never quite grow the same structurally as plants from seed that send down the very deep tap root. But its really not important in the long run.