Top 6 Best Cloning Gel for Marijuana
Cloning is probably the easiest and most economic way of multiplying your cannabis plants. The name of the process refers to the fact that you only use the genetic set of one mother plant, so the “children” will be almost identical to it. This enables you to preserve the features that fit your purpose best.
What you do is choose a female cannabis plant that has it all – taste, yield, potency, and what not – and make little copies of it. You can then repeat the process as much as you want, which means an almost endless supply of perfect buds.
Technically, cloning means cutting off a piece of the parent plant and waiting for it to root before you can treat it as a new instance. Here’s where the risk lies, though. If the cutting doesn’t feel good enough, it might fail to root, which means death (and inevitable losses).
High quality rooting gel, or cloning powder, can be used to give it all the nutrients it needs. It also contains rooting hormones that facilitate the process, yielding a bigger root in less time.
Below is a list of safe and effective products that we can recommend from our experience.
Top Rooting Solutions for Weed
Contents
You might notice that the cloning gel reviews aren’t made specifically for marijuana. There’s really nothing to prevent you from using multipurpose root boosters as long as they have the right rooting hormone ratio.
HydroDynamics Clonex Rooting Gel
Based on indole-3-butyric acid (0.31%), this gel promotes the initiation of root and cell enlargement. It also has the perfect texture for tender cuttings by sealing the cut.
According to the label, you should expect roots to appear in one to two weeks. Although this is not the fastest solution on the market, it definitely improves your chances of actually growing a plant out of your cutting.
- Easy to use
- Protects roots
- High success rate
- Moderate yet sufficient IBA concentration
- Pricey
- Not as quick as some powders
Quick Clone Gel
You’ll love this gel if you’re suspicious of artificial formulas. Quick Clone relies on tea brew for the nutrients that many organic farmers use to aid plant growth without harsh chemicals.
It also contains IBA, and its percentage is twice as big here as it is in the above product. The label actually promises new roots in 5 to 10 days depending on the species. 1-Napthalenaecetic acid supposedly adds to the effect.
A selection of herbs, leaves, and other plant matter is added as a source of vitamins for optimum nutrition. The product is completely dye-free. Its biggest disadvantage is that the survival rate is somewhat lower than with Clonex. However, the cuttings that do take real root faster.
- Easy to apply
- High rooting hormone content for fast growth
- NAA added
- On the pricey side
- Moderate success rate
Clonex HGC726011
Unlike the above products, this rooting stimulator is formulated as a concentrate that can be used to prepare water solutions. Rather than dipping your cut in the product, you mix it with water and use the solution to soak the growing medium. The manufacturer also suggests combining it with the gel for optimal effect.
The solution contains Vitamin B1, which relieves the stress for cuttings, reducing the chance of shock. You can keep adding it to the medium after roots have developed to promote further growth, too.
Please remember to adjust the pH of the solution every time you do it. Although very effective, the product is not what you call easy-to-use.
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- Effective
- Contains Vitamin B1
- Can be used in combination with gels
- Not inexpensive
- Can be a pain to mix
Miracle-Gro FastRoot1 Dry Powder
The formula of this product might look unimpressive with just 0.1% of indole-3-butyric acid. However, it’s not uncommon for powders to work quicker simply due to the formulation, and FastRoot is a good example of it.
Unlike gel, the powder doesn’t protect the cutting. The survival rate is therefore somewhat lower. However, the stronger child plants root really fast provided that you use a lot of this powder. It’s quite easy as you just need to deep the cutting in it.
The price is a big advantage of this product, too. We highly recommend it if your weed budget is tight.
- Very affordable
- Quick if you use a lot
- Relatively easy to use
- You need a lot of powder
- No vitamins added
Bontone II Rooting Powder
This product has about the same formulation as the one above and comes with the same instructions. Yet, it’s more versatile in that you can also use it for seeds and bulbs if that’s your case, making up for the higher price. It comes from a well-trusted brand, too.
Our impression is that it works quicker than the above product, which might be due to a more tenacious texture.
- Quick growth
- Versatile
- Simple formulation
- Pricier than some powders
- No vitamins added
Technaflora Rootech Gel
Formulated with 0.55% IBA and Vitamin B1 for extra protection, this Canadian gel comes in a super small 7g box. This is great if you’re in doubt as to whether you should invest in it.
The gel is thicker than average and stays put, protecting the cuttings. The success rate is also impressive, and the roots that develop look really strong.
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- Mini box for beginner cloners
- Vitamin B1 makes the transition smoother
- High success rate
- Very strong roots
- Expensive
Dyna-Gro Root Gel
With just 0.216% of IBA in its formula, this somewhat pricey gel also features 1-naphthalene acetic acid to compensate for it. Vitamin B1 is added to the formula, too. It boasts a range of 16 essential minerals, preventing both abnormal growth and feebleness in new plants.
While definitely on the pricey side, we recommend this gel if you feel unsure about how your cuttings might feel as it gives a really high success rate.
- High survival rate
- Easy to use thick texture
- NAA added
- Features Vitamin B1
- Rich in nutrients
- Pricey
Buyer’s Guide
If you’re unsure as to what to look for while cloning gel shopping, here are some recommendations.
First of all, you need to understand that cloning gel is a term that’s often misused. Rotting hormones come in many formulations, including gels, solutions, and powder. Since the first one seems to be the most common, many use it to refer to all rooting stimulating products.
The gel is the easiest to use of all formulations if it is thick enough as it stays put, while powder tends to fall off the stem. It also seals the cutting, providing additional protection and, ideally, improving moisture transfer. However, root rot is more common with gels than with powder. The texture is crucial when it comes to gels.
Solutions are most often used in combination with gels, while you can also apply them on their own. The greatest advantage is that you can get whatever concentration you want. This also means more time spent helping your weed to root.
How to Clone Weed
To understand what cloning gel will work best, you need to be familiar with the process. What you do is cut off a piece of the mother plant, usually female cannabis. This should be a mature one, which usually manifests in the leaves alternating rather than meeting at the same point of the stem.
A pair of scissors or a sharp razor (sterilized!) is all you need to make a cutting. The clone should be about 5 to 8 inches long, ideally taken from a very active growth tip.
Here’s when rooting hormones can come in handy. Some growers simply leave the cuttings in the water and wait for roots to appear. However, the survival rate might be lower than you expect, and you’ll probably have to wait long.
To make the process more efficient, you can apply some cloning gel/powder to the cutting stem before placing it in the growing medium.
Talking about the growing medium, the most popular hydroponic choice is the so-called starter cubes, usually made of rock wool. It’s common practice to soak them in water for some time before sticking the cutting into the medium.
When the clone is planted, you need to give it enough light and keep it warm, which can be done by using specialized grow lights, heating mats, and humidity domes (optional).
Cloning gel stimulates a process that would happen sooner or later anyway, increasing the plant’s chances of developing strong healthy roots. This is due to the so-called plant hormones, or signal molecules that control plant growth and propagation.
IBA, or indole-3-butyric acid, is the most common choice, while some formulations combine it with NAA (1-naphthaleneacetic acid). If you want rapid growth, look at the concentration: 0.1% of IBA is the bare minimum, while 0.6% is probably as much as you can get.
You also want the product to stay put on the stem, which favors thicker gels over powder. This factor influences the survival rate. So do the added nutrients such as Vitamin B1, which is known to help plants adapt to new conditions after transplantation.
FAQ
Here are the answers to some questions that many beginner cloners ask about the gels and powders which can assist rooting as well as the cloning process.
How to cut on your plant?
Choose a sturdy mother plant that’s two months or more into the vegetation stage. Wearing gloves, use a sterile razor/pair of scissors to cut off a branch just above the node. Then use a razor to cut below the bottom node of the resulting cutting. An angle of 45° is considered optimal as it increases the surface area for obtaining nutrients.
How do gels work?
Gels contain plant hormones, i.e. substances that tell the plant that it’s time to grow and develop roots. Some formulas also come with added nutrients and Vitamin A to make the transition easier for the cutting. Besides, gels protect the fresh-cut by forming a moist envelope around it.
How to use a clone rooting gel?
As a rule, you want to dip the cut in gel/powder immediately after cutting a branch to seal it off. Some growers use both, first gel and then powder. Remember that you need to use a sterile spoon with gels rather than deep the cutting in the bottle.
Takeaways
While not at all essential or crucial, cloning gel is a great aid for new cuttings as they develop into full-fledged cannabis plants. It supplies the little copies with nutrients and signalized them to start growing, making the rooting process way quicker and improving survival rate.
Gels are generally gentler and work better to protect roots as compared to powder. The latter in turn does a better job of speeding up root growth. Luckily, some gels combine high plant hormone concentration with a protective formulation, making them the best choice.
Have you already tried any rooting aids? If yes, which? Feel free to share your experience in the Comments section!
