Should You Start with Seeds or Clones?

One of the most common points of contention in a new cannabis cultivation facility is whether to grow from a seed or a clone. Having the option to begin as a seed with a unique genetic profile or as a trustworthy clone from a proven mother plant gives beginning and commercial growers much to consider.

Growing clones ensures crop uniformity and consistent genetic expression in various environments, thanks to the presence of a single genetic profile. An experienced cultivator knows how a clone will grow, how the plant’s structure will turn out, and the overall quality of its buds. 

On the other hand, growing from seed provides unmatched plant vigor. It’s also beneficial for breeders developing male plants, with the goal of discovering and creating new cultivars. 

Who wins in the battle between seeds and clones depends on several factors, and each method has plenty of pros and cons.

Growing from seed

Growing plants from seed presents cultivators with an opportunity to bring new genetics into a garden, whether planted outdoors or under grow lights. Starting seeds requires a carefully monitored environment to ensure they sprout and begin life in the best possible way. Getting a strong start provides plants with a vigor that will propel them throughout their lifecycle.

The key to starting seeds is to get them to germinate. This requires a clean environment using distilled or reverse osmosis water. Germinating seeds can be done in a wet paper towel, a bag, or a shot glass with water. After the tap root sprouts, it can be transplanted into a seed-starting soil mix, coco coir plugs, or peat moss plugs. Alternatively, seeds can be directly sown into any one of these media. Once seed germination is done, the real magic begins. 

Paper towel germination method

After the seed sprouts, the first set of cotyledon leaves will appear. These are leaves with rounded edges, unlike the traditional serrated leaves of the cannabis plant. In the next week, the first true set of leaves will appear, and the plant will be ready to transplant into its vegetative environment.

Seeds can be sensitive, and any setbacks can drastically affect the plants’ vigor throughout their life. Stunted seedlings can lead to a lack of uniformity in the garden and significantly impact final yields. The ideal seed starting environment is in low light conditions with high humidity and warm temperatures in the mid-70s.

It is also important not to overwater seeds and seedlings to help prevent root diseases and potentially stunt growth. Using a well-draining grow medium and having good air circulation can help prevent over-saturation. 

Pros growing from seed:

• Improved plant vigor
• Great for home growers or hobbyists
• Large genetic diversity
  • Helps with pest and disease resistance
  • Produces unique plants

Cons growing from seed:

• Plants are not uniform
• Seeds and seedlings are very fragile
• Growth can be stunted if plants are overwatered

Growing from a clone

A clone is a cutting that is taken from a mother plant. A parent plant may be one that has been grown from seed or a clone and has a known genetic expression vetted by cultivators. A clone will have the same genetic makeup as the mother plant, giving a cultivator insight into a plant’s growth traits and the ideal environment for it.

Cutting from a mother plant for cloning

The cutting typically has three to four nodes and is taken from a terminal branch of the mother plant. It’s then dipped in a rooting compound and then placed into a growing medium. The clone is kept in a high-humidity, low-light environment for 10 to 21 days or until a vigorous root system is developed. The clones are then transplanted into the vegetative environment using potting soil or your favorite media. 

Cannabis clones rooting

Clones are fragile and require maintenance and monitoring to ensure they maintain their vigor. In a production setting, clones that are unable to develop a strong root system or exhibit stunted leaf growth should be discarded to maintain even and consistent growth among individual plants. 

Pros:

• Even canopy and growth rates
• Crop predictability 

Cons:

• No genetic diversity can make the crop susceptible to diseases and pests
• Need to take many in case of plant failure

How to pick between seeds and clones

In a production environment, clones are king. Cultivators know what to expect throughout the grow cycle and can create perfect, even canopies. Growers can fine-tune nutrients and environmental parameters for specific genetic expressions to produce a consistent, premium crop.

Cloning cannabis like a pro

Seeds provide genetic diversity in the garden, allowing cultivators to explore new expressions. This may include disease and pest resistance, unique growth patterns, or the production of rare cannabinoids and terpenes.

Whether looking for feminized seeds to create female plants or regular, trusted seed banks like Humboldt Seed Co. have your back. It’s also possible to buy clones online, but they can be more difficult to ship.

Seeds vs. clones: a common cultivation debate

Cannabis seeds and clones both provide their own unique set of benefits and drawbacks, and the choice between the two often depends on the cultivator themselves.

A seed will produce a one-of-a-kind plant, while a clone will produce a duplicate of a mother plant that has a known genetic expression. Finding a high-quality plant requires a grower to start from seed, but keeping that winner around and growing it out for production requires clones.

Cultivators may want to incorporate both in their gardens to increase genetic diversity and keep the cannabis genome from becoming inbred and susceptible to disease and pests. Bottom line: in the seed vs. clone debate, both options are winners.

FAQs

Can you clone autoflower?

Yes, you can clone an autoflower cannabis plant much like any other plant, but there’s a big reason you shouldn’t. Cloning autoflowers is unpopular because of the genetic clock that autos possess. By the time your cloned plant is able to take root, you’ll only have about six weeks for it to finish flowering. That’s not enough time to produce a healthy plant with a desirable yield. 

Do clones produce fewer buds?

No, the number of bud sites is determined by the amount of time a plant is vegged. However, marijuana clones will sometimes require a longer veg time to produce more bud sites.

What are the differences between yield?

Yield is dependent on plant size, budding sites, and genetic expression. Seeds typically produce more vigorous (aka larger) plants. If seeds and cannabis clones are allowed the same amount of veg time, seeds will typically produce a larger yield due to the increased plant size and available budding sites.

How much longer does a seed take vs clone?

Once germinated and sprouted, a seed will be ready to begin the vegetative stage in three to four weeks. After a clone cutting has been taken, it will take two to three weeks for the plant to be ready to enter the veg cycle.

How much faster can you harvest clone vs seed weed?

A clone and a seed can have the same flowering time, but the vegetative cycle can vary. Pot clones will typically have at least two or three sets of nodes when they’re moved into the vegetative phase, while a seedling will only have one or two sets. This means a clone may have a shorter vegetative period to produce the desired number of bud sites before being moved into flower.