Hobby Grow Clone SOP (2024)

The exact process I'm using in my grow.

Over the past year, cloning has become a top priority. Partially out of intention, partially out of necessity.

Let me explain.

For those of you who have subscribed to The Hobby Grow for a while, you may recall my diving down this rabbit hole before with bucket cloning as well as documenting the cloning methods of growers more experienced than myself.

Cloning is a valuable skill that allows for the preservation and duplication of genetics.

But it's also a necessity when things don't go as planned, like my midsummer bout with PM that caused me to cull everything in flower, and go through an intensive cleansing process that involved multiple rounds of cloning.

Since March, I've been running a variety of trials with my clones, dialing things in for my situation, which, like many other home hobby growers, is an imperfect space.

The best advice I've been given for those that wish to dial in their cloning efforts came from Lovin in Her Eyes. She told me that it's much better to build the right space for cloning, rather than to try to establish a process for an imperfect space.

But, like many hobbyists, I only have so much space, electricity, and resources available to me.

So while I'd like to build the perfect space, right now, my cloning shelf shares a light timer with my veg, and sits nearby, in moderate (but not ideal) humidity and temps (36-58% relative humidity, 68-77ºF).

Over the past 6 months, I've focused on dialing in my cloning tek, with increasing success rates.

In the process, I've tried Peat Plugs, Rockwool Cubes, iHort Q Plugs, etc. and come to find the best results with rockwool cubes.

This process is a combination of insight and techniques from:

• Slow Nickel - Callus Tek (pushing cuts all the way through the plug to encourage callousing)

• Clone Coach - Ketchup Bottle Tek, Clone Coach SOP (a solid foundation, but one that relies heavily on Lovin's advice of setting up the right environment and working from there, venting/removing domes much earlier than worked for me)

• Secret Asian Genetics - Cloning Tek Discussions (General advice and fodder based on current and past practices)

• JLS Monster - Dome Discussions at the Rocky Mountain Home Grower Sesh (where we both agree that many SOPs, included Clone Coach's, often encourage dome venting/removal too early in dry climates like Colorado)

After exploring a variety of techniques from more experienced growers than myself, this is the process that has given me most consistent results:

General Process:

• Day 1-2 - Don't touch it

• Day 3-7 Burp, Shake, Gradually Vent, ZT Spray

• Day 7-8 First Feed

• Day 8-12 Gradually vent, Dry Down/Rooting, First Roots

• Day 12 - Second Feed

• Day 13-15 - Dry Down/Final Rooting

Important Note: Unless you've got a perfect space with high RH and ideal temps, don't vent/remove dome earlier than Day 7.

Second Note: I run 18 hours on, 6 off. Many have found 20-24 hours on to shorten the rooting time but, again, working with a shared space with rest of my veg lighting, so I've settled on 18 hours.

Below is the process that I've found to be most successful for my cloning efforts recently, which has allowed me to put my genetic stable through multiple rounds of clean cloning, as well as preserve the genetics I have hunted and am currently hunting.

Hobby Grow Clone SOP (2024)

What you'll need: