Monster Cropping

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What Monster Cropping Is

Monster cropping is the practice of taking cuttings from a cannabis plant already switched to a 12/12 flowering photoperiod, rooting those cuttings, and returning them to a vegetative light schedule (typically 18/6 or 24/0). The plant then reverts from flowering back to vegetative growth—a process called re-vegetation or 'reveg' Strong evidence^[1][2].

During reveg, the plant produces characteristic abnormal growth: single-bladed leaves, twisted or smooth-edged foliage, and multiple new growth tips emerging from former bud sites. This unusual morphology is temporary and resolves once the plant fully returns to vegetative development Strong evidence^[3]. The 'monster' in the name refers to the dense, multi-headed branching structure that eventually emerges—not to size or potency.

The underlying biology is straightforward: cannabis is photoperiod-sensitive, and reversing the light cycle from 12/12 back to long days pushes the plant's hormonal state back toward vegetative growth Strong evidence^[1][2].

Why Growers Use It

Growers cite three main practical reasons:

1. Rescuing a phenotype discovered late in flower. If you find a keeper plant after flip and didn't take clones beforehand, monster cropping is a direct way to preserve that genetic line Strong evidence.
2. Bushier structure with many natural branch points. Revegged clones tend to develop multiple growth tips without requiring as much manual topping Anecdote.
3. Integrating cloning into a perpetual harvest. Taking clones from flowering plants means mothers-in-waiting are ready without dedicating separate space to a mother room Anecdote.

What the technique does not reliably do: increase potency, alter cannabinoid profile, or produce measurably higher total yields per watt than a well-trained standard clone. Those claims circulate in grow communities but lack controlled evidence No data. Treat yield-boost and potency claims as unverified folklore.

When to Start

The practical window in grower practice is week 2 to week 3 of 12/12, after pistils have clearly formed but before the plant commits energy to dense bud development Anecdote^[3].

Timing matters:

• Too early (week 1): the plant hasn't fully shifted hormones; cuttings root slowly and may not show characteristic reveg branching.
• Too late (week 4+): cuttings are resin-heavy and developing calyxes root very slowly, often fail to establish, and extend your timeline significantly.

Where to cut: Take cuttings from lower branches that receive less light. These tend to be less committed to flowering and typically revert faster than upper-canopy material Anecdote.

How to Do It, Step by Step

1. Select a donor plant in week 2–3 of flower. Choose a healthy, pest-free phenotype you've already decided is worth keeping.
2. Pick lower branches with at least two nodes and a growing tip. Avoid branches with heavy pistil formation.
3. Cut at a 45° angle with a sterile blade, just below a node. Aim for cuttings 10–15 cm long.
4. Strip lower leaves completely and trim remaining fan leaves in half to reduce transpiration stress.
5. Apply rooting hormone: dip the cut end into an IBA-based gel or powder (the standard for cannabis cuttings) Strong evidence^[4].
6. Insert into medium: use pre-moistened rockwool, peat plugs, or an aeroponic cloner. Ensure the stem sits firmly in contact with moisture Strong evidence^[4].
7. Set up the rooting environment: place under a humidity dome at 70–80% relative humidity, 22–25 °C, with low-intensity light on an 18/6 or 24/0 schedule. Fluorescent or dimmed LED works well.
8. Wait for roots: rooting typically takes 10–21 days—noticeably longer than vegetative clones (7–14 days) due to the flowering hormonal state Anecdote.
9. Expect unusual leaf morphology: new leaves will emerge single-bladed, twisted, or smooth-edged. This is normal reveg morphology and will resolve as the plant fully transitions to vegetative growth Strong evidence^[2].
10. Veg as normal for 3–6 more weeks until the plant produces standard serrated, multi-bladed leaves. Only then is it ready to flip back to flower or be used as a mother plant.

Common Mistakes

• Taking cuttings too late in flower. Resin-loaded, hardened stems resist rooting. Prioritize weeks 2–3; avoid week 4 onward.
• Underestimating the timeline. Monster cropping adds significant time compared to standard clones: revegging a cuttings takes 3–6 weeks before the plant is ready to flower again. If you're on a tight schedule, factor this in Anecdote.
• Flipping to flower before full reveg. If leaves are still single-bladed or abnormal, the plant isn't hormonally stable. Flowering a half-revegged plant produces inconsistent, often sparse buds Anecdote.
• Assuming higher yield. No controlled study supports yield gains from monster cropping vs. standard clones. You may develop more bud sites per plant, but total yield depends on canopy management, light intensity, nutrient schedule, and genetics—not the cloning method No data^[4].
• Neglecting sterilization. Flowering tissue is more prone to fungal infection—particularly Botrytis—than vegetative tissue Strong evidence^[5]. Use sterile blades, clean tools, and maintain a clean rooting environment.

Related Techniques

Monster cropping sits within a family of training and propagation methods that aim to increase bud sites and canopy uniformity:

• Topping — removing the main apex to force two main colas.
• FIMing — a partial top that can produce 4+ new tips from one site.
• Low-stress training — bending branches to flatten the canopy without cutting.
• Mainlining / manifolding — a symmetrical topping schedule to build a balanced manifold of equal-strength colas.
• Re-vegetation — the underlying biological process monster cropping exploits; also used to extend the life of finished plants or clone from mothers.

When to choose monster cropping: If your goal is simply 'more bud sites on a compact plant,' topping combined with LST achieves that faster and with higher success rate. Monster cropping is most valuable when you need to rescue a phenotype discovered mid-flower or when integrating cloning into a perpetual harvest cycle with limited mother-plant space.

Sources

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