Should I Start with Seeds or Clones?
Should I Start with Seeds or Clones?
Whether you’re considering starting your first cannabis garden or simply wish to grow a plant or two, there’s no “right” method to choose. Each form of cultivation has its own set of benefits and ultimately, it’s up your personal preferences and grow space to determine which is best for you.
Starting a plant from seed or purchasing a cutting isn’t any different than when choosing vegetables to plant. With seeds you have more control from the beginning but with the seedling you get a head start with an established plant.
Regardless of whether you choose cannabis clones or seeds, it’s important that they come from reputable sources. A proper start with either seeds or clones will show its results in the development of resinous, happy plants!
Seeds
Seeds are readily available both online and at your local dispensary. They’re easy to get but they do have some drawbacks. Unless you purchase feminized seeds, you’ll need to sex your plants to find the females. While hardly a detriment, growing from seeds will result in a crop with a lot of variation; your plants will likely differ in size, color, shape, flavor and potency.
Advantages:
- Easy to procure: seeds are affordable and plentiful.
- Lifecycle control: you’re in control of every factor from your plant’s inception.
- Increased vigor: plants grown from seed develop a strong tap root versus the fibrous root system of a clone.
- Variations mean staggered harvesting times: not all plants will develop at the same pace.
- Can be stored long term: stored properly, seeds can last for decades.
Clones
Clones may be harder to come by depending on where you live. You can purchase clones from dispensaries that carry them or if you’re lucky enough to know someone with a great cannabis plant, they may let you take a cutting.
Advantages:
- Shorter time to yield: since the seeds have already sprouted into plants, they will be harvest-ready sooner.
- Consistency in terms of appearance, potency and yield: clones are identical twins whereas seeds are more like regular siblings. All clones will develop identically, from potency and flavor to yield.
- Identical growth cycles: all your plants will develop at the same pace and can be harvested at the same time.