Long Term Mother Care

Genetic preservation centric thread. Tips, tricks and discussion.

I run mothers perpetual clone grow 100% extracts. I noticed yield cut in half from poor practices. I had a feeling I needed to learn about this but neglected.

Read a bunch of stuff to see how vast the topic is. Thats probably why but sometimes got to risk things and lose things to know you need to invest. That this isnt for no reason.

I do dtw coco so I read keeping a plant small in small pots to signal to stay small.. Isnt an issue but rootbound stress is. So start in small pot and cut bottom off a fat 1/4. Then up pot and repeat every few months or little more.

Then reselect mother and start again with new clone. Recommends yearly. I am reselecting mother on my first keeper for practice. So keep copies of each plant and keep the best. I have a way to do the up potting I mentioned but with bonsai plants, probably clones.

Sterile!! Buy as many dedicated tools to cut the plant, have several of each and use a clean one on each plant. Sheers, knifes.. I wouldnt re use razor blades to save a penny, just buy a ton. Their cheap.

Keep it on a sleep cycle so the plant doesnt get fatigued or hormone confused, it needs a rest cycle. That might help with stress reduction when taking cuts. Preserve genetics.

So Im foggy on the part about epigenitics. How some can turn on and off due to stress but taking a cut resets that. However some can become so surpressed that it cant be retrieved. I took clones off the worst one for 2-3 generations and might be stuck with that.

So Im reselecting mother culling the obvious bad and keep the best. Then back to square one. It only took 2 yrs to get to this point but the idea of thread is to learn how to keep 20 plus year old mothers. So what are some things I might of missed here..?

Some traits just dont get damaged easy so you just wouldnt think anything was wrong. Being extracts only I feel like I dont get paid for my work because I literally dont. So its important front and center now.

Here we have a mom. My Watermelon Ultra. This one was increadibly stunted as clone. Very yellow and messed up and refused to grow for two whole grow cycles until it was flippable. So for sure dont take cuts from this. Its a perfect example of what Im talking about tho.

Look at the tight rootbinding. The salt build up. Some algae. I read it needs be flushed and believed it as I always get this. I thought I could keep a mom but had lots to learn. Shes a beaut tho she outgrew a lot of stunt.

This where I would keep my moms, got space for 3 now bit could squeeze 4. The condensate bucket is there tho would need to move to middle. So they got a good 1.5x1.5’ each. Cool basement 60-70F in tents and 50-70rh 60 average. Dim lighting analog almost at off position literally before it turns off.

This where my copies would sit. Nursery pot to up pot in bigger one then a final one if needed. Should give me 6 months if needed but 4 months for sure.

Why that long? Well Im pheno hunting so might need a hub for them while I test them all the way to harvest. To keep the flow going Il still have to finish running the next round already going.

Idk but it can do it if needed. One things for sure it will help with space. I can set a tray of them or two aside in a open spot in mother tent or perpetual veg tent while seedlings start here.

This is for IPM or else gnats and aphids will take over. Thats also what potentially hurt my genetics. I staple fabric pot shut around stem/dripper then bug jell the seams.

I put garbage bags around the pots for production plants as flower room temp and rh dries back crazy. So it slows dryback and extra IPM. I use box fans above bar lights for circulation even for veg.

So might use bags on those too or well, should wtf am I saying. Thats strong IPM game and where Id for sure want it. But the rootbinding will lead to needing flower like treatment. I feed 3x a day veg but might be able to decrease if to use bags.

Id be using larger pots for the big moms. I dont want them stressed being too small constant pruning. The veg hub will likely be like that already but just trying to work on my veg game. I havent had moms for some time just did clones of clones which I highly do not recommend.