Mother Plants ( I Know Very Little)

[Cabbage72]

I need some advice on mother plants, I know a little but there is still a lot of "grey" area that I haven't wrapped my mind around. So here are the specifics that I am doing/going to do. I moved to a larger grow area and I now have a 4x4x6 grow room that I can dedicate to a "mother box " with a 4" air intake 1 400 watt hps with reflector a large oscillating fan for air movement and 75 to 80 degree temperature stability. What I want to do is use this to keep mothers and clones , seed starts ect. It would all be on an 18 on photoperiod . My concern is the mothers . I've NEVER grown moms and Ive got a couple super bad ass strains that I would like to eventually fill my bigger grow area with. Right now they are in 1 gallon nursery pots and are about 22 days old, have been pinched a couple times and are going to become beastly. How long should I keep them in the 1 gallon pots? Should I up pot to a 3 gallon pot eventually? How big is a nice size to start taking cuttings? I want to eventually get them to where I can get 5-8 cuttings per plant every 3 weeks or so. The floor area of my box will be the area dedicated for the moms and there are shelves for the clones,seedlings and new cuttings. Any advice on any of this would be appreciated.

 

[LI grows]

I prefer not keeping mothers. I can take 2-4 clones from the lower branch of a clone then flip. Eventually i have too many. Seems efficient to keep a lot of smaller plant than a few larger.
I like 4"-5" cuts, but you can go a little smaller or larger.

 

[hawkman]

Mother plant's take special care meaning a different nutrient use . what nutrients are you using ? Alway's take clones from the middle of plant (because they will be the strongest and healthiest) and take clones from branches that are at least 12 inches in length - and leave at least one node (on clone) before taking your 45 degree's angle cut (another words have one node on clone cut)

 

[Sunbaked]

I'm with both posts. when you top a clone......you just make another clone. I just took a tray of clones from a friends grow. his are 2 weeks into flower. He was lollypoping lower limbs .That is my favorite clones. When you take small buds for clones ,they reveg into bushes. flower the moms and keep small clones. Every time you top one ,you have a new clone.

 

[hawkman]

You take clones in the veg stage. as early after the plant has 5 nodes - but really longer veg is required for "killer" clones also a good root stimulator is a necessity (Great White, ect)