Clones of Clones - Loss of Vigor?

Freddie Millergogo

Well-Known Member
You will not lose any of the original mother's traits. I've never had a clone lose potency or become less vigorous over time. In fact, clones tend to finish a bit faster than their mother's.
+1
An old timer told me clones with a good strain and a clone from the "pick of the litter" get stronger.

It is a bit like eugenics, which was practiced somewhat in Nordic countries from about the 1940s to 1970s. Not something I would approve off. In fact, it was pretty horrific.
 

VegasWinner

Well-Known Member
you do not need a mother. plants don't change unless you do something. The trick is to get clones and not lose a strain. It is a balancing act. I have seen both ways, and I prefer to take cuts from clones. it doesn't matter. some will argue that it does, but genetically it is the same, ergo clone! peace
 

bulimic

Well-Known Member
i've been running clones off of clones for nearly two years now. a couple of years ago i bought some Bubba Kush clones that i fell in love with but the grower disappeared so i've only had the strain through cloning. i usually take my clones right before flower from my strongest 50% of plants, and i haven't had a problem at all with quality or potency, in fact they now seem to grow faster because i'm only cloning the fastest growing plants each time.
 

BM9AGS

Well-Known Member
there being no scientific evidence on this subject leads me to believe that opinions on this matter are completely subjective. I personally think people become familiar with a strain and when they change it its all new and shiny again......like a new woman
 

grow1620

Well-Known Member
I've been running a pheno of superskunk for over 8 years now...I haven't noticed any loss of vigor. From what I heard, it was over 9 years old when gifted to me. It's probably 100+ 'generations of cuttings' from my original clone. Longest I've kept a mother of it is maybe 2-3 months, then I cycle in a new mother from a fresh clone.

I've run alot of different strains and my superskunk still clones faster, grows faster, produces more trics, stinks more, and grows fatter buds than anything else I'm currently growing. This thing is a beast...I've popped tons of seeds and I've never found anything that comes close to matching it's vigor or quick easy cloning.

If there's any genetic drift, it's undetectable and nothing that I ever worry about.
 
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St1kybudz

Well-Known Member
There is no simple answer through my study of genetics cannabis in paticular that it is possible to cause germ line mutations through stress so if you have bad cloning technique and or are a poor tender of the plant then it is possible to end up with clones off of clones that are nothing like and never will be anything semilar to the original mother
 

Sergio Barba

New Member
Try BudBud.us app and you will be able to track every single plant and every single bud for centuries and definitely prove whether or not there is difference in clones over the years.
 

Greenthumbs21

Well-Known Member
I'm trying to determine whether or not to keep a mother plant, or just to take clones of clones. I've read arguments saying that clones will lose vigor over time if taken from clones, while others say there won't be any issues. Not having to keep a mother plant would free up additional space for growing and yield.

From my understanding, shouldn't vigor be the same regardless?

This is how I look at it...

Let's say Plant A is the mother. No matter when I take a cutting from it, shouldn't the genetic age of the clone match the mother? For instance, if the mother is 6 months old, a clone taken from it would be an exact match, meaning it'd also be 6 months old in terms of genetic makeup?

So if Plant B is a clone taken from Plant A when A is 6 months old, Plant B would in effect be the same age (even if it is smaller in size). So in 6 months, Plant A would be 12 months old. Wouldn't Plant B then also be 12 months old in terms of genetics, even though it is only 6 months old in terms of its physical existence?

If I'm an idiot, please let me know. Most on this forum have more experience than me, so I'm just trying to get my head wrapped around this issue. In the end, I want to make the decision that will allow for the best quality flower, but right now I can't tell which is the correct one.

Thank you!
Clones are the exact same if the donor is treated proper. Example..gg4 has been around for years. Clones lose vigor when you take clones from a unhealthy donor.
 
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