Clones are a great way to start your cannabis nursery. They’re also highly recommended by indoor hemp growers for their high yield and quality. But the intricacies involved in growing clones can be rather tricky.
So, why are your clones wilting after cutting?
Clones wilting after cutting can happen for a variety of reasons. One of the reason behind seedling wilting could be improper seating. Besides that inappropriate medium and high light intensity are all possible reasons. Moreover, not using fluorescents or anti-transpirants can cause your clones to wilt after cutting.
Well, this is just an outline of some of the reasons your clones may wilt. However, we’ve gathered some greater details and some probable solutions.
Let’s get right into the comprehensives of the hemp!
Clones Are Wilting After Cutting – Is This Concerning?
First, let’s get into some background information. Cloning is a process by which cannabis plants are rooted using cuttings. As the name suggests, cloning is a method by which a genetically identical plant is produced.
Source: growweedeasy.com
According to the rule of thumb, cloning cannabis cuttings is a two-step process. The first step is wounding, by which you prepare the cuttings from a stem. And the next, called sticking, is to plant the cannabis cuttings in growth media.
You wound your cannabis plant by removing a sliver of epidermal tissue from the stem. What you get is undifferentiated cells, or “stem cells” that can readily develop into roots.
Sticking is done by planting the cuttings into soil or gel media. They can grow faster with rooting hormones, but this often creates lower quality hemp. The temperature, humidity and light intensity need to be controlled tightly during this step.
Clone cutting usage is especially useful for those who have found the perfect breed. As this produces genetically identical plants.
However, cutting based cloning can also go wrong. By ill management, clones can go yellow and have no roots, in extreme cases.
Cloning cannabis provides for fast propagation and robust root development. But newly planted clones wilting after cutting is a big issue with this method of growing cannabis. There are a lot of factors that need to be taken into consideration.
Let’s dive deeper into what this conundrum is all about!
What are the Main Reasons for Clones Wilting After Cutting?
Clones can wilt for mostly 4 factors not being properly regulated. Let’s look at some of the ways your hemp cloning can go wrong.
Reason 1: Not Maintaining Appropriate Temperature
The ideal temperature for cannabis growth is 73 degrees Fahrenheit with other factors considered. But they thrive at a range of 70-80 degrees F, depending on the breed of your cuttings.
Going beyond this range can prove to be devastating for the plants. Going below 70 degrees halts the photosynthetic processes within the leaves from optimal function. Clones wilting after 4 days of growth can be seen with low temperatures.
If the temperature is controlled to be above 80 by a few degrees, the opposite happens. The first few days show rapid growth, especially in the roots.
However, as time goes on the higher temperature causes overheating and dehydration. The clones transpire too frequently and need constant misting. This produces poor quality produce, eventual yellowing, and fresh clones wilting.
Solution: Maintaining Ideal Temperature
Before jumping on to the solutions, check whether your plant is wilting due to the wrong temperature. If after fixing the wrong temperature your clones begin to go back to their natural state then you know wilting is taking place due to improper temperature.
Now, how can you always maintain the appropriate temperature inside the tent? Well, you can easily do that by investing in a heater for the winter months and air cooler for the warmer months.
I’ve looked for good quality heaters for some time now for my grow tent. I went through a lot of them and found some to work better for clones. Some of these heaters are:
| Image | Product Name | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | iPower Electric Heater Fan | Buy Now from Amazon! |
  | Bio Green PAL 2.0/USDT Palma Greenhouse Heater | Buy Now from Amazon! |
  | Electric Patio Heater | Buy Now from Amazon! |
After utilizing these methods you can see your clones getting healthier!
Reason 2: Humidity
The humidity of the hemp dome is controlled best through clear domes. The transparent domes regulate the transpiration rate in the plants the best.
Source: 420magazine.com
If you choose to opt for open space indoor growth for cannabis, humidity may not be constant. Humidity is a result of transpiration, and as it increases so does the plant’s dehydration. The clones having wilted leaves becomes sickly.
Solution: Use a Dehumidifier
To combat the problem of excessive humidity, use a dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers take in excess humidity from the tent and release it outside. As a result, humidity is regulated.
I’ve been in search of good-quality dehumidifiers for my clones for a long time now. I’ve used almost all types of dehumidifiers under the sun.
After doing that I’ve noticed that not all dehumidifiers are appropriate for clones. Some tend to not get the job done. Here’s a list of dehumidifiers that works really well in providing the optimum temperature in a grow tent according to the size of your tent.
These dehumidifiers are made for use in a cultivation room. It can bring the humidity up or down no matter what level it’s.
Reason 3: Light Intensity
The clones need fluorescent high-intensity light for optimal development. Rooted clones wilting after cutting are also caused by the lack of appropriate lighting.
After cutting or wounding, the clones require more light with a higher intensity. Some choose to place the domes in direct sunlight. Do not do this as this will cause severe dehydration to plants already wounded.
Make sure you know what kind of fluorescent lights to use for growing cannabis.
Solution: Use Ideal Lights and Thermostats
You have to ensure that the lights aren’t too bright. Fluorescents are essential in growing cannabis properly and direct sunlight should be avoided.
Source: bioslighting.com
An anti-transpirant spray prevents rooted clones wilting after transplant. It forms a waxy barrier, this keeps water inside the cutting and prevents transpiration.
Make sure to monitor the ambient air temperature closely. The deviation from the optimal temperatures and clones wilting brown leaves is a direct consequence.
Here are some HPS fluorescent lights that you need to get your hands on-
| Image | Product Name | Features | Where to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
  | 400W HPS | Better for small grow tents | Grab Now from Amazon! |
  | 1000W HPS | Ideal for larger tents | Grab Now from Amazon! |
These products are essential in modern times as expert growers will have you convinced. They may make or break the quality of your produce!
Reason 4: Cutting
The clones can also wilt after cutting. This is a common phenomenon and happens due to improper wounding of the stem.
Transpiration rate increases and outbound mineral uptake from media is compromised. The hormones and minerals not being able to reach where the demand is, causes the clones to droop
But all is not lost when your clones are drooping, read on to know how to solve it!
Solution: Regulate the Size of the Cutting
The first facet to take care of is the size of the cuttings. The cuttings may be too big and carry too much leaf mass. Trim off half of the leaves laterally to reduce the size but keep a large surface area.
Reason 5: Contaminated Medium
Sometimes the medium that is being used can cause the wilting of clones. Clones tend to be quite sensitive a slight change in the medium can negatively affect the clones.
Solution: Take Care of the Medium
Make sure the cuttings are seated firmly in the growth media. Whether it be soil or a hormone-based agar medium with cube chunks.
If they are too firm in their seating, their stems may break. This prevents proper water uptake. So press in some space with your thumbs when transplanting.
Always be careful while handling your clones. Here are some mistakes that you need to avoid while cloning-
The steps mentioned prior should fix just about any problem you may face growing cannabis. The next segment is some FAQs asked by novice growers. If you have further interest in clones, check out the timing involved in topping clones for more.
FAQs
How often should you mist your clones?
You mist or spray your cuttings with water or anti-transpirant every few hours at first. Spraying the cuttings every other day makes sure they are kept from drying out. Clonex Mist is great for this. The plant’s root in 9-14 days. When the roots first start to emerge, you can begin to transplant them.
What humidity should clones be at?
The humidity for growing indoors should be kept between 75-90%. Temperatures required for a cloning environment are in the 21-26 degrees Celsius range. Cuttings can be taken at any stage of the cannabis plant’s development. But those taken during the flowering stage require lower humidities.
Do cuttings need direct sunlight?
Plant cutting should be kept away from sunlight, especially if it’s not shielded. Direct sunlight overheats the plant. This causes stress in the stems as dehydration occurs and the transpiration rate increases tenfold. Keep the hemp plants in bright fluorescent lights for a nominal photosynthetic rate.
To Wrap Up
Hopefully, this sheds some light on why your clones wilting after cutting.
Making sure the leaves are sprayed with anti-transpirants often is essential for the fix. Fluorescents, a firm seating, and having the right size cuttings go a long way too.
Good luck and have a great day in the skies!
