Can I keep a mother plant in first flowers stage for cloning?

[gato]

I have taken many clones from mothers in this state and they do seem to be very bushy.

That sounds perfect to what was intended. About a week of flower was what was planned. It's nice to hear they got very bushy...though bushy wasn't intended, but may be even better producing that spikes. Limited space may not be such a detractor as thought and Weaselcracker's pictures prove even small plants can give quantity.

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Thought I might as well add this. At first I thought what a dumb question, but the responses have shown not so dumb after all. When I got the 4 FMS C-99...and a Nicole Kush freebie, there wasn't enough room for what was planned. I'd read a thread about removing the fan leaves for a plant's entire life. That sort of intrigued me.

From my learning of fruit trees...I learned that one leaf in direct light is equal to 9 in the shade. It sort of troubled me about removing the fan leaf factories, but the results were impressive. So I took one C-99 and when it was 4 nodes....started removing the fan leaves. I was attempting to try and make it a popcicle stick of solid buds. To encourage the flowering shoots to be roughly equal, I use a tomato plant technique of laying the plant on it's side.

With tomato...laying the plant on it's side will made a natural bend for trench planting. No stress is done to the plant by bending for removing lower leaves and planting deeper for more root growth. I also rotated the plant. When the growth start to grow up on one side...I rotated it to another position to expose the now forced side shoots to get the most direct light exposure. It looks sort of amazing to me. The entire plant was 7 inches tall and had 9 shoot nodes...less that one inch between nodes.

Given what was said about the GLR and keeping a mother in flowering and the other comment about clones taken in first flowers...cause me to imagine the removing fan leaves and rotating the plant to encourage many side shoots growth and not vertical, as being a possible technique for high production of very small plants. I'm imagining 1/4oz+ plants not bushed out into a true bush, but stick bushed and using many clones might produce much more in such a small bin. Maybe produce better than a plant that is larger and not as easily hidden for visitors.

Thanks to the responders....they have helped quite a bit in understanding what might work and what might not. I don't know how much production C-99 grapefruit will produce, but it looks like even a 15x15x30 bin might give 3oz or more and that would be fantastic for me. The 2 bins making that much would more than supply what I'd use waiting for another crop.

Thanks folks!

 

[Weaselcracker]

I don't know how much production C-99 grapefruit will produce, but it looks like even a 15x15x30 bin might give 3oz or more

Are you talking about 15x 15 inches?
If the grow goes well you'll average a bit more than half that estimate in that area, depending on your light source and conditions of course.
My scrog screens are 19"x24"- so pretty much exactly twice the area you're taking about (assuming you are also in inches). I have eight of these screens and have been using them for about 2 and a half years. The highest yielding screens produce about five ounces. I just recently harvested a Critical Cheese (in my current journal) which may have been my highest yielding screenful yet- but I could tell that it didn't all ripen 100% as well as it should have because the screen was too full. I haven't weighed it yet- still drying. Next time I'll reduce the amount a little. Or if I added more light that might help- but I'm maxed out on my power drain already.

My point though - most of the time I averages about 3 or 3.5 ounces per screen.
If you get 3 ounces in your space it will be absolutely pushing the upper limits of possible yield. If the grow goes well, expect to average more like 1.5 oz.

 

[gato]

Thanks for that info Weaselcracker. I was trying to be optimistic...nice to hear a more experienced opinion.

Yes it is inches...so the space is quite small.

My thinking was that I might get a quarter oz per plant or near that and have a dozen small plants...making close to 3oz, but from what you say...maybe not. The observations of how the plant responded by removing fan leaves and rotating on it's side (full sun for 9hrs a day+ indirect light) showed a very small plant could make a large number of flowering shoots and was hoping that would make the difference.

Honestly...1 and 1/2 to 2oz per bin would be ok with me.

When I have...I use 1/4 or slightly more per week. if I can get 2oz per bin (and the mother plant)..it ought to supply what I'd want from it. Gotta remember..I'd pretty darn ignorant and don't really know what i'm talking about. Was trying to figure how to incorporate my tree fruits knowledge into things.

The flowering mother (going to full flower her) is tied down and coiled around the inside of the 3gal pot, like a centipede with it's legs sticking out coiling around the pot rim. It is tied down severely and all the shoots from it are growing straight up and also tied down to open areas. Every shoot has it's own growing space and no shading anywhere on the plant.

Think I'm getting close to what to try and not try...thanks to you and the other responders...thanks*

 

[gato]

Figured to update the thread. I posted this in the wrong thread, it was posted in a gas lantern thread by mistake. Adding here for this thread started by me.

I took clones from the first flowers C-99 Grapefruit and put her into full flower schedule.

After the clones were rooted, I tied them down severely and forced shoots. Then I topped them to make more shoots. It responded normally and is putting out quite a few shoots while still expressing first flowers.The plants are only about 6 inches tall, but with many side shoots. Just put the first clone on 12/12 schedule and plan the 2nd plant tomorrow.

Wont be using that lantern technique yet, but if the first flowering mother plant is cloned and kept in first flowers, then it may be viable for very small spaces. The clones still show first flower after rooting and growth starts and also after topping them.

Thanks for that info Fear This*

The container is only 30"Lx15"Wx15"H. The clones are in a lower height pot that holds about a gallon or so of soil. I may have to put more than one clone per pot, or use smaller pots to up the number of clones and yield. I can jam in about 5 or 6 pots per plastic bin. By the way they are making shoots and it's size, I might half an once or a good quarter, with the growth rate it is showing. I may be generous on the quantity, but the way they are growing and the number of shoots. They will get LST.

Guess the system is viable for small spaces.

thanks to the responders*

 

[idkhow2grow]

Here is a cutting took in veg and placed in 12-12 to root.

about 9 weeks from the cut to harvest

 

[gato]

That's terrific idkhow2grow!

And in a solo cup too. Imagine not much weight to it, but with a bunch of clones it may make up for size. 9 weeks from cut to harvest sounds decent too. Bet I could fit a whole bunch of solo cups in a 30 inch long bin. Have new cutting rooting in a pint or so sized...about the same size as the super mini pot plant picture posted by Weaselcracker. I imagine that with a heavier producer the yield would be pretty decent.

What strain is that pic of? The dried bud looks pretty nice. Is that white widow?

Thanks for the pic and the info on how long it took for a complete grow. It really does help in trying to formulate a small container system.

 

[idkhow2grow]

That's terrific idkhow2grow!

And in a solo cup too. Imagine not much weight to it, but with a bunch of clones it may make up for size. 9 weeks from cut to harvest sounds decent too. Bet I could fit a whole bunch of solo cups in a 30 inch long bin. Have new cutting rooting in a pint or so sized...about the same size as the super mini pot plant picture posted by Weaselcracker. I imagine that with a heavier producer the yield would be pretty decent.

What strain is that pic of? The dried bud looks pretty nice. Is that white widow?

Thanks for the pic and the info on how long it took for a complete grow. It really does help in trying to formulate a small container system.

Its just some random bag seed. Here is the mother that was planted early jan

That little clone dried to be 1.9g

 

[idkhow2grow]

 

[gato]

That reminds me of some of the white widow plants I've seen posted here. Really chunky buds and looks compact too. Nice plant! 1.9 grams? I'm probably having delusions of grandeur over how much production I can get...like one poster said, but*

2 grams per plant means 14 clones per ounce. Not measured, but imagine the bin would hold a large number of them and ought to produce a pretty decent amount.

Thanks for the pix!

 

[idkhow2grow]

That reminds me of some of the white widow plants I've seen posted here. Really chunky buds and looks compact too. Nice plant!

Im about 80% that its what we call British Columbian around here.