I find the clones are easier than down sizing the pot/roots on a big old flowered plant. The clones can stay in very small 4” pots for years on end. Twice a year I take them out of a 4” pot and cut the root in half with some craft scissors. Then put fresh rich soil in the bottom void left behind. The trick is low lights and cooler temps. I usually use 13-20 watt lil led cloner lights. They are perfect for this. To mitigate the rapid growth as @Low mentioned. I usually run my winter clones fresh every year in the outdoor beds and take fresh clones as they begin preflower around august
But I have occasionally skipped running my keepers to test seeds I made (not enough space ha) and just kept them Bansai for 2-3 years straight. No problem. Keeping them hedged to 12” once a week like a hedge works great. They stay short and bushy. In fact, they will grow too many side shoots this way. You have to limit them to 5-7 branches. They want to pop out a hundred this way. I never fertilize unless they show a bad deficiency because you don’t want them to have a growth spurt.
I often chuck pollen on them, reveg the keeper clones, and harvest the seeds. But that’s another story. Seems like a waste to not use the mothers for something. Make em breeders. They will reveg repeatedly after seeding.
This is great info and sounds like what I’m trying to do. Basically just want a way to hold genetics between grows so I can cycle more strains with less seeds. I do want to start making my own seeds but haven’t quite gotten there yet. Sounds like you’re super well versed in that which is awesome.
Do you trim 50 percent around or right off the bottom of the root ball?
Do you keep yours in a tent?
If it’s that low of lights I’m thinking a massive clone dome may be better for 4-5, plus I could fully flip the veg tent then and harvest/dry in the veg tent. I have the smaller AC Infinity kit now and seems like maybe their largest kit would be good for this. I think gorilla tents might have a nice tall one too though that’s more solid. Not sure I’ve seen I’ve with lights though. That’s awesome to know they only need that little light too, makes cutting down the electric bill between runs more feasible with sustained genetics. Sorry getting pretty amped up about it.
Thinking I’ll add this instead of a 2x4 drying tent maybe with clone dome on top and mother’s on bottom just in the lung room. I keep the RH around 50 and will get a little extra from the dome inside the tent. So no extra vent needed and I can dry in the veg tent without losing genetics.
First steps in establishing the mothers complete. They’re in Budcups right now but will likely up pot to 1 gallon fabric pots in the next week. I’ve given 2 feeds. The 1st at around 350 ppm and second around 180. Plan to start alternating something around the 200 ppm feed every other week I think and will take it from there. I topped three which will be the mothers and face then a little trim to start shaping them.
Did another prune taking most of the larger leaves. Going to let all of the limbs grow out to about clone length before clipping. Then will leave at least one node per branch I plan to keep. Also transplanted to their 1 gallon fabric pots. I’ve been over watering stone based on the roots but plan to switch to weekly waterings with feeds every other week. My feed plan right now is Sensi Grow, Roots Cal Mag, B52, Sensizym, Bud Candy, and voodoo plus. Will pull voodoo Plus and B52 next feed. Everything was fed at 1 mL/L rate which is about 450-500 ppm on the 500 scale. Was feeding a little heavier than I plan to long term while they stabilize in the smaller form given a deficiency signs but I will probably cut to half that twice a month once they’re stable and then keep them manicured weekly.
Another big training day yesterday for the mothers. I’ve been intentionally leaving extra lower veg and letting it build up so that I could top them further and start training into the desired cup shape. Felt strange cutting off that much good growth but I really like the easy they’re shaping up.
Thanks man! I got super lucky with the trifoliate but let some shading get away from me stretching a few first nodes a little further than I wanted. I really love how they’re shaping up though still and going to keep a close eye on that in pruning.
You’ve got a whole forest of them that are looking great. I was wondering about the next step of pruning. Seems like I pick 3 branches and then just top at 1 height and prune it down to 1-2 remaining branches at the tip of that indefinitely and tons of branch sites will populate on those. Or do I need to leave more small branches with nodes to get the full bushy top like you’re getting?
Now do remember to take what I say with a grain of salt and a shot of JD
I’ve just started this project this year but reading about it for a couple
I’m trying to have 6-8 mothers of different strains under 1 65watt BIY light. And work them for clone runs. Why, I dfk
Your work up top isn’t bad though i dont know your end goal
I take it you have seen a current pic of my little mothers, bushy you say, y yes,yes they are. Getting ready to cut a couple dozen or so to root for my next runs.
Then I’ll have a good structural pic for ya
Tell me your goals with a bonsai mother and I’ll spit the truth
I’m bittin my tongue right now
Nice, I’ll definitely have to follow that thread. I’m mainly trying to preserve 4-5 genetics so I can run them in sea of green cycles. Just for personal use for the wife and some of the family but I like having morning, day, and night smoke with slightly different effects. I’m following the grow weed easy guide and trying to make a cup with 3 arms. I took them back slowly at first because the triple node was so small but they’re starting to shape into the cup. I’m going to grow the three arms to about the height of the tallest arm on each now and then top them. That’s where I get a little lost on how much to prune, but get that you need to leave a couple sets of leaves on the end of each for continued growth.
