THG,
You are absolutely right -- rooting a cutting is cloning regardless of when it is done. If the plant has started flowering, then once the clone roots, it will go through the reveg thing because it is a mature flowered plant not new pre-flower plant.
In fact if the mother/donor plant is sexually mature, you could throw if directly into flower just as soon as it was growing enough to support flowering, even if it was 2" high -- but of course that small a plant isn't going ot yield much more than one small bud.
To reveg the mother instead of cloning her and revegging the clones, try leaving about 1/3 of the lower part of the plant alone during harvest, including the bud because the buds will actually be were the first new growth will appear, expect some weird scraggly leaves at first, and use the same nutes that you originally vegged her on. Also use the same veg light cycle that you used on her originally even if it wasn't 24/7, unless you just want ot change your light cycle, but do NOT reveg her under 24/7 and once she is growing try to cut her back to say 16/8 or 18/6 because she will think it is flower time again..
Personally, if I really want to keep the plant, I do both, clone & reveg it as well as revegging the mother.
Good luck.
Good smoking.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
