Monster cropping cannabis how-to guide

Monster cropping is the technique of taking clones (AKA cuttings) from a flowering cannabis plant and re-vegging them. Cannabis that has been re-vegged, either as a plant or a cutting, will show increased bushy growth with additional bloom points and side branching. This helps increase final yields. As a result monster cropping is a popular cultivation technique used by many.

What is monster cropping and what does it do?

Monster cropping is a cannabis cultivation technique which has gained popularity in recent years. However it’s worth stating that cannabis monster cropping is perhaps not yet quite as popular as other growth techniques such as SCROG, topping, lolly-popping, LST, super cropping etc.

When monster cropping cannabis the cuttings are usually taken when the plant is around 2-3 weeks into flowering. One advantage of monster cropping is that you don’t need to maintain a separate veg room to maintain a mother plant from which to take cuttings, you simply take the cuttings from a flowering female.

If you have ever re-vegged a cannabis plant you may have noticed the unusually lavish foliage which comes from them – with plenty of leaves, new branches, new bloom points etc. The main reason for cannabis monster cropping is to carry that verdant growth vigour and allow it to enhance the future growth (and yield) of the cuttings taken from the flowering ‘mother’ plant.

How much does monster cropping improve yields?

As with other cannabis cultivation techniques such as SCROG, much of the gains will depend on other factors such as genetics, grow conditions, grower skill levels etc. Many of the monster cropping fans will claim yield gains of around 10-20% – though this will vary tremendously from grower to grower.

Is monster cropping cannabis worth it?

It all depends on your current approach to cultivation, your grow room set-up and your yield requirements. If one of your friends offers you some monster-cropped cuttings from a killer plant you shouldn’t feel daunted by the offer. For many growers the easiest way to grow your own is by starting with some cannabis seeds, germinating and growing them in the normal way.

But for other growers monster cropping cannabis is an approach that fits their needs and allows them to take vigorous cuttings from a flowering plant allowing a convenient crop of new plants. Many cannabis monster croppers love the additional yields and energised growth which comes from monster cropped cannabis cuttings.

Pros and Cons of monster cropping cannabis

As with any other cannabis growth technique there are pros and cons which will have slightly different appeals to growers of different types. Note everyone uses grow techniques when cultivating cannabis.

Some people only grow from autoflowering cannabis seeds or photoperiod feminised seeds without any kind of cultivation techniques. In a world of increasingly sophisticated cannabis grow methods/theories it’s worth remembering that cannabis seeds grow perfectly well without any human intervention at all!

But if cannabis monster cropping sounds like it could have applicable benefits in your grow situation then the following list of pros and cons is worth careful consideration

Pros of cannabis monster cropping

• Improved yields. The precise yield improvement depends on numerous variables, but many of those that routinely grow monster cropped cannabis insist that the yield benefits are worth the effort and time

• Save money on cannabis seeds. No need to open a pack of cannabis seeds if you can get some cuttings from a high quality flowering female.

• Convenient clone production from flowering females. If you (or a friend) wants to take cuttings from a female that is already in bloom then it is possible without the need to revert her back to veg growth.

• Monster cropping cannabis works well with other grow methods. Anyone that has mastered the art of SCROG may well find that complementing SCROG and monster cropping can produce some impressive results. Likewise other growth techniques such as topping, LST, super-cropping etc can all amplify the benefits of cannabis monster cropping. If this sounds interesting please refer to the expert guides further below, which give pro-tips on super cropping, SOG, SCROG, LST etc.

Cons of cannabis monster cropping

• Cannabis monster cropping isn’t of any benefit when growing autoflower seeds. If you took some cuttings from an autoflower in bloom and wanted to re-veg them it would be impossible.

• Not all the cuttings will be viable. Even experienced cannabis monster croppers won’t be surprised to see 10-20% of the cuttings die.

• Cannabis monster cropping takes time and effort. If you get some cuttings from a monster cropped cannabis plant you may want to re-veg them for a few weeks/months before considering bloom. All this takes time and, depending on your grow situation, it could simply be faster to grow some fast blooming autoflower seeds or some fast flowering photoperiod feminised seeds.

Monster cropping cannabis how-to guide

Monster cropping cannabis is straightforward enough. Just like taking normal cuttings, you will need a sharp blade which is cleaned each time before use (ensuring a sterile cut). You will also need to ensure that your mother plant is a high quality specimen. There’s no point wasting months of your time monster cropping sub-standard cannabis genetics – grow the best cannabis genetics you can get.

Remember your grow room is one area of your life where compromise isn’t necessary! The following step-by-step tips will help you get the best results from cannabis monster cropping.

Indoor monster cropping cannabis step-by-step

There are three main steps involved when monster cropping cannabis.

Stage 1 – Identify the cuttings.

You should be absolutely confident that your blooming female is of high quality and worthy of the time and effort required for cannabis monster cropping. Select the areas of the plant that you will take cuttings from, often this is done after 2-3 weeks of bloom. Lower more established branches may find it easier to produce roots. Make a diagonal cut (greater surface area for water uptake) around half a centimetre below the node. Remember that not all the cuttings will live so take a few extra.

Stage 2 – Wait for the cuttings to root.

As soon as you make the cutting (with a sharp, clean razor or similar) pop the cutting in water to prevent an air bubble forming which would block future nutrient uptake and kill the cutting. Use of hormone rooting powder or gel will greatly increase chance of rapid rooting.

Stage 3 – Re-veg the cuttings.

Using 18-24 hours of daily light you need to re-veg the cuttings. Over a few weeks they develop a healthy root system and more foliage as they grow vegetatively. Often this will be done (initially at least) under lower powered lights in a humid environment (since the root system isn’t fully developed).

Once your monster cropped cannabis clones are ready they can be re-introduced to bloom conditions. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the process of watching your monster cropped plants deliver!

Outdoor monster cropping cannabis step-by-step

Outdoor cannabis monster cropping only makes sense for those in a warm climate with a particularly long growing season. If you live in e.g. Northern Europe the short growing season makes outdoor monster cropping impossible.

In order to grow monster cropped cannabis in a hot climate, you need to germinate your photoperiod feminised cannabis seeds while daylight hours are still short eg in winter. This causes the plants to grow and bloom without a veg phase. It is during this time that cuttings can be taken.

These cuttings can be grown outdoors, usually with a light that can come on to interrupt the dark nights. This will encourage your cannabis monster cropped cuttings to grow vegetatively rather than going straight into bloom. Then, later in summer as daylight hours naturally shorten your ‘cuttings’ will bloom. With any luck you will get superior yields and larger plant growth/harvests.

Monster cropping and screen of green (SCROG)

Many of those experienced in cannabis monster cropping often find that the strains that do well  in a SCROG also grow well with monster cropping, with some exceptions. When it comes to combining the SCROG technique with monster cropping some caution is advised with strains that have very strong, sturdy branches. This includes many Indica dominant strains as these tend to snap a little more easily.

Sativa dominant hybrids and full hybrids work better with the monster crop technique, their branches allow easy bending in a SCROG. A pro-tip is to always be careful with young plants and new shoots, since these branches lack the sturdiness of older branches and can even break off if you’re not careful.

Many of those that invest their time and effort into cannabis monster cropping find that the best way to take advantage of the extra growth vigour is to use the SCROG grow method to deliver the heaviest harvests.

Most cannabis strains can be used for monster cropping. However if you’re growing the clones in a SCROG set-up you may prefer to use some strains that particularly suit the SCROG method.

Cannabis monster cropping vs other grow methods

Is cannabis monster cropping worth it and does it fulfil a valuable role in your particular grow set-up? For some growers monster cropping is a useful way to take cuttings from a flowering female plant. In reality many growers have slightly different grow rooms and different preferences when it comes to maximising quality/quantity from their grow. With so many different ways of growing cannabis seeds there are, unsurprisingly, plenty of different grow methods to consider. Some of the main ones are listed below.

Cannabis grow methods suit different people according to their own particular grow room set up and circumstances. If this review of cannabis monster cropping has been useful it may also be worth checking out and comparing these other popular grow methods/styles (below) which could be useful ways to improve the harvests from your grow room.

Cannabis super cropping

A useful technique to tame vertical growth on your plants and position your blooms in a horizontal growth position

Cannabis SOG vs Cannabis SCROG method

Two of the more popular grow techniques are SOG (Sea Of Green) and SCROG (SCReen Of Green). Read more about them in our expert guides with pro-tips.

Cannabis defoliation

Avoid the pitfalls of incorrectly defoliating your cannabis plants. Learn the correct ways to remove unwanted foliage from your plants and you will benefit from heavier harvests.

Topping cannabis

A popular grow technique is to remove the growing tip of a plant to reduce vertical growth potential and replace it with a bushier growth pattern.

Cannabis low stress training

Gently tying down branches to maximise light illumination and subsequent yields is another popular growth method. Read all you need to know in our expert guide below.

Don’t be afraid to try cannabis monster cropping

It may not be one of the most popular grow techniques and it may not suit all growers. But fans of monster cropping cannabis are convinced by the effectiveness and results. Now you know a little more about monster cropping it may be something you can try when the opportunity arises.

Good luck and enjoy growing!