# How long will it take to grow a mother plant from seed to rooting 10 clones?



## Hackerman (May 5, 2014)

OK, here is the plan.

I got some seeds from Attitude but, only a few.

The strain is Barney's Farm Critical Kush. I plan to plant 2 or 3 seeds. Probably 3, in case one doesn't germinate.

I will grow these 3 in a 400w MH tent. 7 gallon pots (Rubbermaid wastebaskets) on a 20/4 cycle (Or would 24/7 be better?)

I will top them all as soon as possible. And, again after they split. The idea is to make it provide clones so I want them as bushy as possible.

When they are ready, I'll take clones and root them. When the clones are ready, they go to the main room for a little vegging and then to flower.

Here is my timeclock...... 

I just put some plants in the main room to flower. Last time, this strain took 16 weeks to mature. I need to time my mother plant growth time plus my clone rooting time to match the time when I am harvesting the other crop.

So, how long will it take for the mother plant to grow from seed large enough to take 8 or 10 clones. Plus, the time it takes the clones to root and be ready to transplant.

My experience is moot here since I have been growing the same strain for so long. These new strains do everything much quicker, it seems.

I am thinking from seed to first topping is at least 4 weeks. Then another 2 weeks to the second topping. Then 6 or 8 more weeks until I can grab 8 or 10 clones from each. 

Then, 3 more weeks for the clones to root (in the clone closet). Then 2 more weeks in 4" pots (probably in the 400w tent).

Finally, I can transplant these to 2 gallon buckets and put them in the main room (either for more vegging or to flower. Whatever is best at that point).

So, the way I figure it's going to be about 19 weeks until I am ready. Plenty of time for this 16 week strain to mature.

I'll bet I'm way off. 

Anyone familiar with this strain and how fast it grows?

As always, thank you.


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## Hackerman (May 5, 2014)

I am doing a little reading on the strain (and the strains it came from) and I have a question. Here is what Attitude says...

_Developed by the Barney&#8217;s Farm team. An unusual blend of fine genetics. Critical Kush is a blending of  the famous Critical Mass with OG Kush. This is a powerful and extremely vigourous indica plant, yielding huge amounts of beautiful stoney  kush. *Flowers in just 8 weeks indoors*, and grows medium height with great flower-to-leaf ratio. Take pleasure in it's sticky feel, aromatic sent, crystal-covered buds and knockout-stoney high. The kush taste is unmistakable, and the yield per plant phenomenal. This new hybrid  is a significant advance in modern marijuana breeding. It's Indica-dominant nature makes it ideal for  relaxation, pain relief, and late night smoking._

When they say, "Flowers in just 8 weeks indoors", does that mean the buds mature in 8 weeks after going to a 12/12 cycle?


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## Locked (May 5, 2014)

Hackerman said:


> When they say, "Flowers in just 8 weeks indoors", does that mean the buds mature in 8 weeks after going to a 12/12 cycle?



Yes that is what they mean but be warned that most breeders seem to oversell the speed of their flower times. When I see a breeder say 8 I figure it's really 9. I don't know if they count from the first formation of a bud but I always start count after the flip.


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## Hackerman (May 5, 2014)

Thanks. 8 or 9 weeks would be great. Compared to the 12 to 16 that I'm used to, this will be like the wink of an eye. LOL

What do you think of my time estimates in the first post (if I may ask)?

Thanks again


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## Locked (May 5, 2014)

Hackerman said:


> Thanks. 8 or 9 weeks would be great. Compared to the 12 to 16 that I'm used to, this will be like the wink of an eye. LOL
> 
> What do you think of my time estimates in the first post (if I may ask)?
> 
> Thanks again





I will do 24/0 over any other light schedule in veg, hands down. MJ does not need a dark period and will grow constantly. You will speed up your veg time and reduce stretch IMO. 

Are these Fem beans? Are you hoping for females or are the odds stacked in your favor? 
If you know you are dealing with a female and don't have to wait for sex to show you could take cuts fairly early provided you get some robust growth. 
Clones can take anywhere from 5-7 days to root to 2-3 weeks, seems strain and even pheno dependent in some cases.  My Larry OG cut can take up to 21 days to show roots.


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## MR1 (May 5, 2014)

Hackerman, I have grown Critical Kush a few times, I don't remember it taking longer than 8 weeks.


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## Hackerman (May 5, 2014)

@Hamster: Yes, they are fem seeds.

@MR1: Thanks


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## Rosebud (May 6, 2014)

To get ten clones from the mother, i would say you could do that by 8 weeks in veg. I use the bottoms for clones, not the tops... and inside the plant.   Green mojo for the grow!  Glad your here.


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## Hackerman (May 6, 2014)

Thanks RB. They say bottom clippings root better than the tops. Not sure why but I also take mine from the bottom.

I think I am going to get this grow started. What I don't want to happen, is what happened last time. I had clones that were way overgrown and the plants in the main room were not finished yet. So, I ended up with a bunch of stretchy clones.

I need to ready the pots and the tent. I'll put seeds in the ground this weekend.

Thanks again for the input, all.


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## orangesunshine (May 6, 2014)

Hackerman said:


> Thanks RB. They say bottom clippings root better than the tops. Not sure why but I also take mine from the bottom.
> 
> I think I am going to get this grow started. What I don't want to happen, is what happened last time. I had clones that were way overgrown and the plants in the main room were not finished yet. So, I ended up with a bunch of stretchy clones.
> 
> ...



they say to take the lowers for clones IMO because they always receive the least amount of light as light intensity dissipates as it penetrates deeper into the canopy

perpetual harvests are not that difficult---if they be overgrown don't fret u just cut them back---selective pruning of lowers---thinning of heavy bushing and even topping to shape ur plant bonzai style will hold the clones in veg until ur ready to force flower them---knowing how much to cut back will come with experience

some cuts will take longer than others to root---a good rule of thumb is to cut back all ready to go into the flower room and use those cuttings as ur clones and rotation from veg to flower approx every 8-9 weeeks

take the clone cuts at when u are ready to put plants into the flower room---guess i should also include---a tru perpetual garden will not have a designated mother


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## The Hemp Goddess (May 6, 2014)

Any particular reason you want to keep mothers than just taking clones of clones?


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## BenfukD (May 6, 2014)

sounds like they want to have 10 plants at a time.  I would think that with 2 plants going you could take 10 clones from those 2 plants in 6 weeks.  5 from each plant.  than place the Donor in flower.  than say 50% of the clones root.   veg them for 4 weeks take more clips and flower those Donors.  I agree that a perpetual grow doesn't require a Mother plant.  Most people that use Mother plants do SOG .

Ben


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## Hackerman (May 6, 2014)

I don't mind clones of clones. I am starting a new strain so I need to grow the first 2 plants bushy enough to provide the 16 clones I need. After I get those, I will probably flower the mother plants.

I don't see any reason to keep a mother plant. Clones from clones have worked fine for me for many years.


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## zipflip (May 7, 2014)

all things dependant like environment, nutes , lighting, pot size etc etc...  id say a good guess would be if ur good and the particular plant/phenol ur wantin clones off of is a crazy slow vegger or not. ive had plants time to time that just seem like theyre midgets, just grew slow as heck no mantter how many growth stims or hormones id thor at em to try keep everyone on parr as far as size goes within the grow. but like rosebud said tho 8 weeks bare minimum if things are optimal. but to be safe id say 10 weeks . and that way if u dotn succeed til 9 weeks then u wont  be stressin cuz not in time u expected. 

OS<< bout takin lowers...  u ever get a plant that throws it first couple sets of branches and usually funky deformed growth but after bout 2nd set of branches they all fine then on, ??? well ive rooted cuts form a plant that's done this multiple cuts off  and the lowers I took that had this whole triple quadruple nodes thing goin on they actually continued growin on that way all thru flower, but any later cuts from same plant id take that were normal growth to begin with would carry on normal.  
 this has happened to me on 3 occasions wit 3 separate different plants, so I got this habit now not to take the very first two sets of brances off any plant for cuttings, unless its obvious normal top to bottom.
  no idea why this deformed branches thing happens but I get it a lot with feminized seeds. and its always the same thing, firstcouple sets of branches got some sorta defect to em but the plant itself sorta grows outta it after first few sets. JME


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## orangesunshine (May 7, 2014)

hey zip good to see ya---i guess im just lucky---i dont do fem seed---maybe that is why my cuts from lowers dont have that issue---biggest cuts i ever take for cloning are no bigger than 6"


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