Talk about Mother...

[2RedEyes]

I’m interested in learning how to keep a mother...I only grow maybe 4 or 5 plants at a time but it would be nice to keep a favorite close at hand and repeatable...The same issue applies to keeping a mother, lack of space...But could one be kept more like a house plant, maybe sitting by a sunny window or something...
I’m sure there are minimum light exposure requirements just to keep it from flowering...
Any experienced mother keepers here bout’s?

 

[oldfogey8]

I think you need to keep a mother under more than 12 hours of light. My house plants would not get that much light during the winter. That being said, would not hurt to give it a try. Maybe supplement daylight with a cfl or 2...

 

[2RedEyes]

Yes I could add a cfl easily if that would do...I would just like to keep it out in a room instead of hidden in a tent somewhere...
Thanks of8...

 

[2RedEyes]

I’ll probably need to automate it’s care somehow as well, otherwise I’ll no doubt kill it...

 

[oldfogey8]

I found a site with some info on keeping a mother plant that said 3-5 years is not an unachievable goal and some can live 20 years. I am pasting the link below. It has some useful info and probably some not so useful info. I have a 20 plus year old poinsettia plant. They are supposed to be an annual like cannabis. I just have kept it like any of my other houseplants. I don’t force it to flower(turn red) and it seems quite happy.

https://www.alchimiaweb.com/blogen/keep-cannabis-mother-plants/

 

[thegloman]

If you're just wanting to keep it around for future grows you could just keep several small clones going. Less light needs and less space. When one gets large just reclone and dump the big one.
Just a thought.

 

[umbra]

That's pretty much how I do it. I don't have space that is tall to dedicate to a Mom, so before I flower a plant, I will take cuts and root them. I normally take 5 to 10 cuts then flower the plant, which was my Mom. After some vegging, as the clones fill out while the Mom is flowering, and as the space gets crowded, I cull the weaker ones giving space for the strongest, healthiest of the cuts. By the time the Mom is done flowering, I'll pick take cuts from the healthiest clones and trim up the next Mom to flower. I just do it on a much larger scale.

 

[Locked]

When I used to keep a Mom I would keep her as small as possible when I was shut down for Summer and periodically take cuts from her. Once I had a cut that looked healthy and happy I would put the Mom down and the cut would become the new Mom. I could usually get through Summer having to do this 2 maybe 3 times.

 

[2RedEyes]

So take a clones just before flower, root while the old mother is flowering, veg the clones then repeat...

 

[HerbWatcher]

Hey what's up 2RedEyes ? You know you will have to give your mother at least 18 hours of light so she does not flower. So I don't think the window thing will work.
I keep 4 mothers in like a 4x5x4 area. I'm using t12 fluorescents to keep the growth slow. I take 40 clones off of one every 2 weeks, then the next and so on. If they do get to tall I either tie them down or super crop them. Just keep a good eye on her so she doesn't get bugs or something. It's very easy, just keep them in veg. Good luck bro.

 

[thegloman]

I have had good luck with just a mini CFL for my clones. They don't need much light till they start growing. Just keep em small.

 

[2RedEyes]

I’m gonna do this mostly as an experiment to learn...I start a new grow when the current grow is harvested so every 4 months or so indoors...and then I probably only need 4 or 5 cuttings...So a mother will probably have a lot of free time to produce...I have a room where I keep my guitars, amps and other fun guy stuff...I have a desk in there and a small deep freeze where I ferment my beer...I’m planning to park a suitable mother in there on a small table with maybe a cfl or even an led bulb hanging overheadmaybe some kind of shade or reflector directing light on the plant 18/6 or 16/8...I guess you would feed light nutes most of the time huh...

 

[umbra]

yep

 

[stinkyattic]

I keep moms for up to a year, constantly hacking them back for clones but also just pruning if they get scraggly. Come springtime, I choose a nicely branched established clone to be the replacement, and give ol scruffy mcscruff face to a friend who does outdoor. It's a good trade for a six pack of lawnmower beer, since I haven't got the cajones to grow outdoors at mi casa, and my lawn probably needs to be mowed by then anyways. Win win.

 

[Keef]

I don't keep mothers - I cloned a white widow from clones for 4 - 1/2 years- 2 grow areas and a constant grow I just make sure I keep a live piece in veg and I'm good !-- I got lazy and the bugs took W.W. from me or I would still be running that girl - I'm have to get me some more W.W. --
Right now though I'm working with what I got -- I got a revegged - The White -x Nepal Indica from seed I got from Umbra then I bred it to " Waldo" a Black Berry Snow Lotus male I had !- I'm cutting on her already -She a jewel I ran her for a couple years there-- she do everything easy and kicks like a mule -- That will be my first crop at the new place !- Oh I started a chit load of seed too !- Get my harem rebuilt in one shot ! -

 

[oldfogey8]

Hey 2RE-I am getting ready to flip my plants in a week or so. I want to keep a Mimosa mother but want to use as little light as possible. Did you wind up keeping a mother or are you just cloning and flowering out the moms? I am hoping I can keep a plant happy but semi-dormant wit a 2 bulb t5. Think that will work?

 

[stinkyattic]

Hi Fogey! In my experience a 2foot, 4bulb t5 is more what you're looking for, then you just LST the bejeezus out of your mother plant to flatten it, and maintain her at the maximum light distance to stay content until you need cuts. Which still isn't far.
My experience keeping mothers is that you'll want to take cuts periodically since you have to prune anyway, and they do eventually get old and tired and the soil goes sour, and any time you see a cloned offspring looking healthier and more vigorous than mom, update!

 

[oldfogey8]

Just looked at my most recent attempt/batch of clones and there are 8 and they still look healthy so I may not need to keep a mother. I can’t justify buying another fixture right now though I am sure you are right about the 4 bulb 2 foot t5. I have a 2 bulb 4 ft and a 4 bulb 4 ft neither of which will bend enough to morph into a (working) 4 bulb 2ft fixture... . Thx for the suggestion.