I always start with a plant I've already taken to harvest. Pick the best performer, the plant that best represents the strain, one that had the smell/flavor/effects you like, or the one that grew best. (each one of these is a different category of traits that you will have to determine for yourself)
From there, I prepare a smaller pot. Usually a two gallon one that roses come in.

When the plant(s) are all chopped, and all bud material is removed, (but leaving some leaves attached to promote photosynthesis) I then flush them well with properly ph'd water, and put 'em into veg, 18/6. I never use 24/0 lighting schedule. First ting you'll want from these bonsai's are the roots to start working again. If no roots grow, no no foliar growth will occur.

Takes about a week to start seeing new growth. Shoots (clones) can be harvested off of her in about three to four weeks. (time-adjusted for newbies...takes me about two and a half weeks)

Depending on your needs, your lighting angles and your growspace, you can either remove all the clones from around the outside of the mother (making your mother a tall-skinny stovepipe shaped plant, or remove the clones from the top/center of her, making a bowl-shaped canopy. (I prefer the bowl)

I have kept a mom for almost a year. But I don't strive to keep mom's any set ammount of time. Usually I'll take a few grow-cycles worth of clones, over a few month period...then flower her with the others.

I think I like straight re-vegging better, tho. No need to wait for clones to root. I have re-vegged individual plants over 7 or 8 grow/harvest cycles, with no strain degredation. I could go longer, but I have a dozen or so base-strains I play with. so when I tire of the two I'm currently playing with, I'll pick another couple strains, and start all over.
Quote Originally Posted by genuine
If you read the bonsai thread, that guy is genius and cuts the roots down to an 8x8 soil container and small plant. He's got all the info you want on that post...which I'm too lazy to find the link to , but it's under advanced techniques.
Likely I'm not the genius, but I do have a bonsai and a re-veg thread in my signature that may be helpful...:jointsmile: