Home Growers Corner
Part 5
How To Clone
The Old School Way
Tried and True Methods to Grow Big Plants . by Jay Richardson , contributing writer We started here in March ( part 1 ) with six clones .
This month , we return to our series where we left off in the June issue about the cannabis plants I ’ ve been growing and showing you their progress in real-time . If you ’ ve been following along , I started with six clones because , in Missouri , we are permitted to have up to eighteen plants , with six in each of the three stages of development : clones or seedling plants that are not flowering , six plants taller than 14 inches , and another six that are flowering . After spending the last five decades waiting for legalization , I always try to follow the law . I find it very nice to be a normal citizen instead of being considered a criminal . Growing in Missouri is legal , and the laws are very fair , so there is no need to go crazy and have more plants than regulations permit .
If my garden were to operate yearround at full capacity , I have no idea what I would do with all the flower I could produce . I would also probably end up with more than the law permits . You may remember that in the June article , I mentioned that I didn ’ t flower all six plants at the same time . I don ’ t need that much bud , nor do I want to trim that much bud . I hate growing in the summertime in Missouri , and I normally wouldn ’ t have a garden at all during the summer . The heat , humidity , spider mites , and insects are a complete hassle . Thankfully , I don ’ t have photos of spider mites to show you . It would be educational for you guys but a complete bummer for me .
The only reason I am growing right now ( indoors ) is to provide interesting content for the readers and to have plants for my YouTube videos . Don ’ t let me mislead you ; I will be smoking and eating our final product . I will also make some kickass hashish . With that said , the plants are in different stages of flower , and I have used a couple of different grow techniques .
I let a couple of plants grow upright in the way that nature intended . I also sculpted a couple of plants , like a Japanese Bonsai tree . By tying them down and exposing the lateral branches to the light , we will get more buds . I did this so you could compare and decide for yourself . Plants grow differently under a stationary artificial light than underneath a natural sun , moving through the sky and exposing more of the plant to light . ( Yes , I know it is actually the earth moving and not the sun , so you can hold off on the angry letters and comments .)
This big plant is my hybrid “ Bobo ’ s Better Blend .” It is an example of widening a plant instead of letting it grow straight up .
You may notice that I never show grow tents or other modern equipment that some of you might be using . That is because I don ’ t own or use any tents , and I don ’ t use LED ( light-emitting diode ) lighting . I started growing before science was invented , so I use traditional high-intensity discharge lighting . If I were using tents , I would definitely tie down all of my plants . If you allow a marijuana plant to grow on its own , it will resemble a Christmas tree , and the bottom half of the plant will spend its life in the dark . There will be some little scruffy flowers that you can ’ t exactly call buds , so I call them “ Scruds .” They are okay to use for edibles or hashish , but with a little effort , you can turn them into usable flower .
It ’ s really simple to tie down your branches . I use hooks that I make out of paper clips or pieces of wire . We are doing this because indoor lights have a relatively small area that provides effective light . If plants are too close to the light you will burn them . If plants are too far away , you will deprive them of the healthy rays that they desire . If I were to use a metaphor , it would be The Three Bears . You are Goldilocks , and you are looking for the spot that is “ Just Right .” The best thing to do is follow the instructions that come with your lights and experiment a little .
Speaking of Goldilocks and The Three Bears , why is Goldilocks the hero of the story ? She broke into the bears ’ house when they weren ’ t home and started stealing their shit and sleeping in their beds , yet somehow the bears were the bad guys . I ’ m not sure what the moral of that story is supposed to be or what kids are supposed to learn from it . Sorry , I got a little sidetracked , but here ’ s a personal secret : sometimes , when I write these articles , I ’ ve taken edibles and smoke bong hits . Wow , I ’ ve used two colons and a semicolon . I sure am becoming an accomplished writer .
The photos I have provided this month , show you the different ways our plants are turning out . Most of them are fairly nice , but one or two are a little disappointing . No matter how long you garden , you don ’ t get it right every time . I ’ ll still get a fair amount of bud , but these plants were out at the edge of the garden and didn ’ t get an optimum amount of light . The plants that are growing upright have nice buds , but the back of the plant never gets enough light , so I try to
36 August 2024