[N3W]

Just wondering, the guy in my hydroshop told me today the creating a mother from clones is not a good idea. according to him, if I take a clone from a mother plan, grow it to become a mother, and than take from this new mother a clone which will make a new mother will lead to deterioration of genetic material.

[bombadil.360]

hydro-shop guy is an idiot, spreading myths...

you can take clones off clones off clones etc... for many generations, and if you keep providing them great environment, they'll do fine.

sugarcane, for example, is grown from cuttings of the last crop, etc... etc... etc...

[Betterhaff]

You need to go to a different shop.

[yocs]

if that was the case most peoples gg4 and gsc would be shit. There's no way everyone's cut is coming from one mother

[N3W]

tnx

[DoubleTripleOG]

Just stop going to the hydro shop altogether. Inflated prices on just about everything. Order online, or find creative ways to find what you need locally. Farm supply stores stores sell ph down for 1/3 of the price of hydro shops. Landscape fabric and sewing supplies for smartpots.

[MrBungle]

I'm surprised there isn't a thread called Hydro shop Horror Stories

[Lester Beans]

Ok well there is something to what the hydro shop guy said. I agree with keeping a mother from a clone is fine, why wouldn't it be? I have always tried to keep that initial mother alive as long as possible, even putting it outside in the summer for awhile. Taking clones from the original plant, I do not see any loss in vigour.

This is time consuming and added work, but if the strain is good enough it is worth it. That being said, some strains going clone to clone to clone lose vigour and become bland. Some strains can do this for years without showing any signs of weakening.

So I agree with the kid. It is better to take that original clone and keep it as you mother plant, and clone off of that. Now you can make more mothers from the original, and clone from these leaving the mother untouched, maintain her, and take clones from her every year or two for new moms to be cloned from. If the strain becomes bland, ditch the "new" moms and take another set off of the original. Result, same as the day you adopted her.

[Betterhaff]

So is genetic drift going to be brought up in this discussion?

[Lester Beans]

I don't know what you want to label it as but a plant of cannabis going from clone to clone to clone...etc will often show signs of weakening. Some strains don't. I know this from experience so call it what you will, but it does happen.