Cannabis Clone Quality Checklist: How to Inspect Clones Before You Buy
Use this cannabis clone quality checklist to inspect roots, leaves, stems, pests, and labels. Spot red flags like root rot, mildew, and viroid risk before you buy.
How to pick healthy cannabis clones
Pick a clone that has green flat leaves, a firm stem, white roots, and no insects or mold. Check all four items in person before you pay. A clone that fails one check can pass mites, powdery mildew, or hop latent viroid to every plant in your room.
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1. Read the leaves
Leaves on a rooted clone sit flat and point up. Color runs from medium green to dark green, based on strain. Pass on these signs:
- Yellow tips or yellow tissue between veins
- Brown or black spots, holes, or chewed edges
- Leaves that curl down like a claw, a sign of too much nitrogen or root stress
- A shiny, sticky film on the top leaf surface, which is honeydew from aphids or whiteflies
- White powder on the leaf surface or stem
A clone with 3 to 5 sets of true leaves can handle transplant. Smaller cuts need more time in the dome.
2. Turn the leaf over
Pests live on the underside. Use a 10x loupe or a phone macro lens. Two-spotted spider mites measure about 0.4 mm, so you need glass to see them. Look for:
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- Fine webbing at the stem and leaf base
- Moving specks and round clear eggs
- Thrips: thin black droppings and silver streaks
- Fungus gnat adults on the media surface
Mites hatch in 3 days at 80 F (27 C). One female can lay 100 eggs. A tray that shows two mites is a risk for the whole crop.
3. Check the stem and node spacing
The stem holds the plant upright with no support. A soft, dark, or pinched stem at the soil line points to damping off or stem rot. Node spacing of 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) is normal for a rooted cutting under 18/6 light. Long gaps mean low light or a stretched mother plant.
4. Pull the cube or pot
Slide the plant out. Roots should be white or cream and hold the media together. Brown, mushy roots point to pythium root rot. Roots that circle the bottom drain holes mean the clone sat in the tray for weeks.
5. Ask about the mother plant and lab tests
A mother kept for 6 months or more carries a higher pest load and virus load than a young one. Ask the seller for:
- Age of the mother plant
- Hop latent viroid (HLVd) test results
- Pesticide and microbial test results from a state lab
- Room temperature and light schedule
Hop latent viroid spreads through cutting tools and clones. Infected plants can look normal for months, then show stunted growth and small buds. There is no cure. Buy from a seller who tests mothers and keeps records.
6. Check the seller and the price
Retail clones in the US run about $10 to $30 each. Licensed nurseries in states with medical or adult-use programs track plants from seed to sale. Ask for the plant tag or batch number. A seller with no tag, no test sheet, and no address is a hard pass.
7. Quarantine for 14 days
Keep new clones in a separate room or tent for 14 days. Use new gloves and a clean blade for each plant. Watch for mites, mold, and odd growth. Treat pests before the plants enter the main room.
Red flags
- Roots brown or black
- Leaves wet or wilted in the tray
- Powdery white patches on leaves or stems
- No strain name and no batch number
- Seller refuses to let you see the root ball