WHAT IS MONSTER CROPPING?
Monster cropping cannabis is a training technique that involves taking clones from flowering plants and reverting them to the vegetative stage. The result is a bushy plant with multiple branches and explosive growth. This technique can help you maximize your yields, save space and time, and avoid keeping mother plants.
In this blog post, we will explain how monster cropping affects cannabis growth, how to do it step by step indoors and outdoors, and what the pros and cons of this method are.
WHAT DOES MONSTER CROPPING DO TO YOUR PLANTS?
When you take a cutting from a flowering plant of cannabis and root it, the clone will have the same genetic age as the mother plant. This means that it will try to continue flowering, even if you put it under an 18/6 or 24/0 light schedule. However, after a few weeks, the clone will realize that it is not the right time to flower and will revert to the vegetative stage. This process is called re-vegging or revegetation.
Re-vegging causes some changes in the morphology and physiology of the plant. The most noticeable change is that the plant will start to grow single-fingered or distorted leaves with smooth edges. These leaves are different from the normal serrated cannabis leaves and are a sign that the plant is re-vegging.
Another change is that the plant will develop multiple branches from every node, creating a bushy and dense structure. These branches will grow rapidly and vigorously, thanks to the high levels of auxins (plant hormones) in the plant. Auxins are responsible for cell elongation and differentiation, and they are produced in higher amounts in flowering plants than in vegetative plants. By taking clones from flowering plants, you are transferring these auxins to the clones, giving them a boost of growth.
The final change that monster cropping does to cannabis is that it increases the number and size of buds. Since the plant has more branches, it will have more bud sites and more colas. Moreover, since the plant has experienced flowering once, it will be more mature and ready to flower again when you switch back to the 12/12 light schedule. This means that it will flower faster and produce bigger buds than a normal clone.
IS MONSTER CROPPING CANNABIS WORTH IT?
Monster grow cannabis has many advantages, but also some disadvantages. Here are some of them to consider:
Advantages of Monster Cropping:
• No need to maintain mother plants and continuous harvests:
One of the main benefits of monster cropping cannabis is that you can have continuous harvests without keeping mother plants. Mother plants are vegetative plants that you keep for cloning purposes. They require space, time, and resources to maintain, and they can be a hassle if you have limited room or if you want to grow different strains. With monster-cropping, you can take clones from your flowering plants at any time and start a new cycle of growth. This way, you can have perpetual harvests with minimal downtime.
• Maximise yields:
Another advantage of monster cropping cannabis is that you can maximize your yields by creating bushy plants with multiple colas. Monster-cropped plants have more bud sites than normal plants, which means more buds and more weight at harvest time. Moreover, monster-cropped plants flower faster than normal clones, which means shorter flowering times and quicker turnover.
• Complements other training techniques:
Monster cropping can also complement other training techniques such as topping, fimming, low-stress training (LST), or super cropping. These techniques aim to create a more even canopy of buds by manipulating the growth of the plant. By combining them with monster-cropping, you can create even more branches and bud sites, further increasing your yields and efficiency.
Disadvantages of Monster Cropping:
• Doesn’t work with autoflowers:
One of the drawbacks of monster cropping cannabis is that it doesn’t work with autoflowering cannabis strains. Autoflowers have a fixed life cycle and do not depend on light cycles to switch from veg to flower. Therefore, they cannot be reverted to the vegetative stage once they start flowering. If you want to try monster-cropping, you will need to use photoperiod strains that respond to changes in light hours.
• Not all cuttings will be successful:
Another disadvantage of monster cropping cannabis is that not all cuttings will be successful. Taking clones from flowering plants can be tricky, as they are more stressed and less likely to root than clones from vegetative plants. You will need to provide optimal conditions for your cuttings, such as humidity, temperature, light, and nutrients, to increase their chances of survival. You may also need to use rooting hormones or gels to stimulate root growth.
• It takes time:
A final downside of cannabis monster cropping is that it takes time. Reverting a flowering plant to the vegetative stage can take several weeks, depending on the strain and the stage of flowering. During this time, the plant may look weird and unhealthy, as it tries to adapt to the new conditions. You will need to be patient and careful with your monster-cropped plants until they recover and start growing normally again.
HOW MUCH DOES MONSTER CROPPING IMPROVE YIELDS?
Monster cropping marijuana can significantly increase your yields by creating more bud sites and filling up your grow space. The exact amount of improvement depends on several factors, such as the strain, the number of clones, the size of your grow room, and the lighting conditions. However, some growers report getting up to 30% more buds from monster-cropped plants than from regular ones.
HOW LONG DOES CROPPING MONSTER TAKE?
Monster cropping cannabis takes longer than regular cloning because you have to wait for the clones to root and then re-veg.
The rooting process can take anywhere from 10 to 21 days, depending on the medium, the temperature, and the humidity.
The re-vegging process can take another 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the strain and the light cycle. During this time, the clones will develop new leaves and branches, while still retaining some of the flowering traits.
HOW TO MONSTER CROPPING STEP BY STEP INDOORS:
And now, let’s get into the practice. Here’s how to monster crop cannabis indoors.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A clean cutting tool (scissors, knife, or scalpel)
- Alcohol wipes (to sanitize your tool)
- A glass or container with water (to keep the clones hydrated)
- Rooting gel (optional, but helpful)
- A growing medium (rockwool cubes, perlite, etc.)
STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR BEST FLOWERING CANNABIS PLANT
The first step is to choose a healthy and vigorous plant that is about 2 to 3 weeks into flowering. This is the ideal time to take cuttings because the plant is still producing hormones that promote rooting and branching. You want to select a plant that has good genetics, strong stems, and plenty of buds.
STEP 2: TAKE CUTTINGS
The next step is to take cuttings from your chosen plant. You can use sharp and sterile scissors or a razor blade to cut off the lower branches that have some buds on them.
Try to make a clean cut at a 45-degree angle, about 5 to 10 cm long. You can take as many cuttings as you want, but make sure you leave enough foliage on the mother plant for her to continue flowering.
STEP 3: ROOT THE CUTTINGS
The third step is to root the cuttings in your preferred medium. You can use soil, coco coir, rockwool, or water. Whatever medium you choose, make sure it is moist and has good drainage and aeration. You can also dip the cut end of the cutting in a rooting hormone or gel to speed up the process.
Then, place the cuttings in small pots or cups and put them under a low-intensity light source, such as a fluorescent lamp or a LED panel. Keep the temperature between 20 and 25°C and the humidity between 70 and 80%. Mist the cuttings daily and water them when needed.
STEP 4: RE-VEG YOUR CLONES
The fourth step is to re-veg your clones once they have developed roots. This means changing the light cycle from 12/12 to 18/6 or 24/0. This will signal the clones to stop flowering and start growing vegetatively again.
You will notice that the clones will produce new leaves that are different from the old ones. They will be smaller, rounder, and sometimes have three or five fingers instead of seven or nine.
This is normal and shows that the clones are adapting to their new environment. You can transplant your clones into bigger pots and give them more light as they grow bigger and bushier.
HOW TO MONSTER CROPPING OUTDOORS PLANT:
Monster cropping cannabis is a technique that allows you to get two harvests in one season by taking advantage of the natural light cycle. You can do this outdoors if you live in a warm and frost-free climate. Here are the steps to follow.
STEP 1: PLANT YOUR SEEDS
You need to plant your seeds in winter when the nights are long enough to trigger flowering in your plants. If you want your clones to grow bigger before flowering, you can use a small light to interrupt the dark period for an hour every night. This will keep your plants in vegging mode until you stop the light.
If you live in a colder climate with frost in winter, you need to start your plants indoors under a vegging light cycle, and then move them outside when the frost is gone. If you do this early enough in the year (by February in most places), your plants will flower again before the days get too long. If it’s still too cold by then, you might lose your plants.
STEP 2: HARVEST YOUR CANNABIS
You can harvest your first crop of buds in early spring, before daylight savings. While you enjoy your stash, around mid-March, the days will start to get longer and your clones will re-veg.
STEP 3: SECOND GROWING SEASON
Your clones will grow bigger and stronger during the summer, and then flower again as the days get shorter in fall. You can harvest them at the usual time and celebrate your second crop of the season!
CAN I COMBINE MONSTER CROPPING WITH OTHER TRAINING TECHNIQUES?
Yes, you can combine monster cropping with other training techniques such as topping, fimming, LST (low-stress training), HST (high-stress training), SCROG (screen of green), or SOG (sea of green).
These techniques can help you shape your plants, control their height, expose more bud sites to light, and increase your yields even further.
However, be careful not to overdo it and stress your plants too much. Remember that monster-cropped plants are already stressed from being cloned and re-vegged, so they need some extra care and attention.
SHOULD YOU TRY MONSTER CROPPING YOUR CANNABIS PLANTS?
Monster-cropping is not for everyone. It is a high-stress technique that can cause mutations and slow down the growth of your clones. It also takes longer than regular cloning, as you have to wait for the clones to revert back to veg and recover from the stress.
However, if you are looking for a way to produce dense and bushy plants with lots of bud sites, monster-cropping can be a great option. It can help you save space and energy by eliminating the need for a mother plant, and it can also enhance the aroma and potency of your buds by stimulating the production of terpenes.
If you decide to try it, make sure you follow the steps in this guide carefully and provide your clones with optimal conditions. You should also monitor them closely for signs of stress or disease, and prune them regularly to maintain their shape and airflow.
With some practice and patience, you can master this technique and enjoy its benefits.
Monster Cropping Cannabis - FAQs
The monster-crop technique is a method of growing marijuana plants that involves taking clones from flowering plants and reverting them to vegetative growth. This results in bushy plants with multiple branches and increased yields.
Monster-cropping is a technique that involves taking cuttings from plant cannabis that is already flowering and reverting them back to the vegetative stage. This causes the clones to grow very bushy and produce more buds than normal. Monster-cropping can increase yields and potency of your cannabis plants.
You can take clones from a monster-cropped plant, but you need to be careful about the timing and the conditions. The best time to take clones is when the plant has been in the flowering stage for about 3 weeks and has started to show pistils. The clones should be kept in a humid environment with low light intensity until they root. Once they root, they can be transplanted to a bigger pot and grown under a normal light cycle.
Monster cropping weed plants is not recommended for beginner growers, as it requires more skill and patience than regular cloning. Monster-cropping can also stress the plants and increase the risk of hermaphroditism, pests, and diseases. Therefore, you should only try it if you have some experience with cloning and flowering plants of cannabis.
Not all cannabis strains are suitable for monster-cropping. Generally, foto-period strains are more adaptable to this method than autoflowering. Foto period strains depend on the light cycle to trigger flowering, so they can be easily manipulated to return to the vegetative stage by increasing the light hours.
Autoflowering, on the other hand, has a fixed life cycle and will flower regardless of the light cycle, so they cannot be reverted to the vegetative stage once they start flowering. Therefore, if you want to try monster-cropping, you should choose foto period strains that are resilient and vigorous.
Monster-cropping is a technique of cloning plants of cannabis that are already flowering. This way, the clones will have multiple branches and produce more buds than normal clones. Monster-cropping can increase the yield and efficiency of a grow room.
Monster cropping cannabis is not suitable for autoflowering strains, as they cannot be re-vegged once they start flowering. Therefore, you cannot monster-crop autoflowers strains. If you want to try monster-cropping, you need to use photoperiod strains that can handle the stress of cloning and revegetation.
Some of the best strains for monster-cropping are those that are vigorous, resilient, and have a long flowering time, such as Royal AK, Blue Gelato, Chocolate Haze, Critical Kush, and Gorilla Cookies.
The right time to start is when the mother plant is about 3 to 4 weeks into flowering, or when it has developed visible buds with white pistils. This ensures that the clones have enough hormones to root and survive the stress of re-vegging. This technique works for outdoor plants too.
