How to keep everything under the same tent?

[ozenthusiast]

Hello,
new grower here just starting up.
I've read about cloning plants and how important it is but I can't figure out how to do so with only one tent

it seems like taking a cutting off a plant needs to be done during the vegetative stage
it seems like switching to 12/12 light cycle forces the plant into flowering stage

so how do I take a cutting, make a clone, and put that clone in my grow tent if it will flower when I switch to 12/12 to get buds from my main plants?

the goal of that clone is to replace the main plants after harvesting but it defeats the purpose if they all flower at the same time (and I won't be able to take a clone from them after that either)

no matter how I look at it, it seems like there are no ways to keep everything under one setup.

I can't afford 2 setups (tent+fan+carbon filter+lights) and even if I could I don't have the space so a second setup isn't an option for me.

am I missing something?

 

[Robert Celt]

Good morning Oz and welcome to

You are right, you need 2 grow spaces to veg clones and flower mothers at the same time, as soon as you put a clone under the same light as your flowering mothers, it will start to flower as well.

 

[jojo677]

Cuttings can be taken at any time (including during flowering), but your chances of them rooting and living is much better while in vegetative growth. Some people have clones plants that are 4-6 weeks into flowering, but some of them take 3 weeks to root/recover!

Yes, you will need two grow spaces to support your clones, as they need a different light schedule than your flowering plants. Fortunately, plants in vegetative growth need less room and don't smell as much, so you may be able to get by with another small setup. Often you can keep plants alive under minimal light, and slow their growth.

 

[AKgramma]

I divided my grow space into 2 vertical 36" tall chambers using a shelf. it doesn't matter what it's made of, as you are going to light-proof the upper chamber so you can install a second timer. At one time, I was using the top chamber for clones at 16/8 and the lower chamber for flower at 12/12.

And I have not had any problem cloning while in early to mid flower. It just takes a bit longer for the clones to switch gears and think about growing roots instead of flowers. Other than that, there is no difference in HOW you clone.

 

[Cannabliss89]

You need two grow spaces, doesn't mean you need to buy a whole new tent setup though. If I were you I would just setup a CFL in a closet or something, doesn't even need to be in a closet, you could even have it next to your tent as long as light doesn't leak in. Having a veg area is easier cuz you don't have to worry about light proofing and smell as much, you just gotta be creative with it.

 

[ozenthusiast]

thanks for your replies everyone. I live in a small studio in an appartment complex building so I don't have space for a second setup and I'm very worried about smell tipping off neighbours. I wouldn't grow anything unless it was near a fan+carbon filter.

after looking into this I realized that even if I managed to put everything under one setup I would have issues during the drying process because it needs to happen in a dark place. I wouldn't be able to dry the buds in that tent for a week (to reduce odors) if there are new plants in need of light in there as well.

I would absolutely need 2 setups for any sort of cloning then, at least I can stop thinking about it now. this is probably for the best either way because I can limit my setup to 2 or 3 plants without being worried clones would put me into commercial quantities numbers if something went wrong.

how many plants do you reckon I should fit in a 35" x 20" x 63" (90cmx50cmx160cm)?

these would be indica and hybrids

 

[AKgramma]

thanks for your replies everyone. I live in a small studio in an appartment complex building so I don't have space for a second setup and I'm very worried about smell tipping off neighbours. I wouldn't grow anything unless it was near a fan+carbon filter.

after looking into this I realized that even if I managed to put everything under one setup I would have issues during the drying process because it needs to happen in a dark place. I wouldn't be able to dry the buds in that tent for a week (to reduce odors) if there are new plants in need of light in there as well.

I would absolutely need 2 setups for any sort of cloning then, at least I can stop thinking about it now. this is probably for the best either way because I can limit my setup to 2 or 3 plants without being worried clones would put me into commercial quantities numbers if something went wrong.

how many plants do you reckon I should fit in a 35" x 20" x 63" (90cmx50cmx160cm)?

these would be indica and hybrids

You can dry in an open cardboard box, or paper lunch bags, under your bed or in the utility closet for a couple days, then put the open box into the freezer for 9 - 14 days. After that, you can put the buds into their jars with a humidipac and place the jars in the back, bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Some people put the buds right in the freezer to eliminate ANY odors, because the first day or two of drying can be quite stinky!

In your set up, with a shelf installed at 36" from the bottom, you can fit 8 mature plants, or many more juveniles. (I have the same dimensions for one of my wire-shelf set-ups) If you are growing tall and skinny, leave out the shelf. You can still get 8 in there.

 

[ozenthusiast]

You can dry in an open cardboard box, or paper lunch bags, under your bed or in the utility closet for a couple days, then put the open box into the freezer for 9 - 14 days. After that, you can put the buds into their jars with a humidipac and place the jars in the back, bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Some people put the buds right in the freezer to eliminate ANY odors, because the first day or two of drying can be quite stinky!

thanks for the tip! I'm several months away from my first harvest (my seeds haven't germinated yet) but I'll keep that in mind when the time comes!

In your set up, with a shelf installed at 36" from the bottom

I don't know how to set this up in a tent as they are no solid frames for it. maybe with pvc pipes and hangers but that would require an extra set of lights and it would create light leak during flowering stages wouldn't it?

you can fit 8 mature plants, or many more juveniles. (I have the same dimensions for one of my wire-shelf set-ups) If you are growing tall and skinny, leave out the shelf. You can still get 8 in there.

wow 8 plants??? I thought 3 was already pushing it for that space! I assume you mean the plant would be put into flowering stage pretty fast then? how long would they stay vegetative with 8 plants? any recommendation on pot sizes?

Appreciate your hindsight!
cheers!

 

[jojo677]

Personally I would only grow 2 plants in that space, and 3 is probably pushing it. If you did 8 plants, they would be a bit crowded, even if you kept them very small. Just my opinion though. If you go with 2-3 plants, you probably want to use around 3 gallon containers, depending on how large you'd like your plant to get and how much height you have to work with. Bigger roots give bigger fruits, so the bigger the container, the better.

 

[AKgramma]

I think jojo677's advice is better than mine. Although there is PHYSICALLY enough space for 8 3-gallon pots, you'll get a better yield with 3 or 4 5-gallon storage bins (they are shorter than 5 gallon utility buckets). The roots can spread out, and from my experience, they fill out very quickly!

Addendum: Yes, creating a second chamber means that you would need a second set of CFLs and a separate timer. I am constantly moving around my plants, depending on their space and lighting needs, between the two chambers plus a closet I use mostly for flower, but when I'm out of mature plants, it also doubled as a veg chamber.