Advantages and Disadvantages of Growing Cannabis from Seeds or Clones

Advantages and Disadvantages of Growing Cannabis from Seeds or Clones

Seeds or Clones - The Advantages and Disadvantages of Growing by Seeds or Clones from CannabisNet on Vimeo.

When you’re thinking of growing your own cannabis you have a major decision to make – will you source your plants from clones or from seeds? This has been the topic of much debate amongst growers, with both sides having their own opinion, but when it comes to growing from seeds there are some big advantages. In this article, we look at the differences between growing from clone and growing from seed, the advantages and the potential issues you might encounter along the way.

First, we need to look at the difference between both types of growing.

Growing Plants From Clones

Clones are cuttings from mature cannabis plants which can then be planted and grown to produce bud. While it might sound easier to raise plants from clones which are already part developed, it’s often harder than growing the seeds from scratch, especially if you’re new to growing, since many of the problems raised when growing from clones require an expert hand to resolve them.

Transplanting failures are common and keeping young clones in good health can be challenging. Clones are also tricky to find and buying them online can be risky since shipping clones is traumatic for the plant and they are often unhealthy when you finally receive them. Sometimes commercially sold plants have been treated with fungicides or pesticides, which then become transferred to the clone. The only real benefits are that the plant has already developed further than a seed and therefore would yield its harvest earlier and that the genetics of the clone are more stable than some seeds on the market being that it is an exact copy of the mother plant.

Seeds V Clones

When you grow from seeds instead of clones, you will find that the plants are usually stronger and simpler to grow. The reason for this is because marijuana plants grown from seed develop tap roots. Tap roots grow down vertically from the seed, serving as the heart of the root system for the plant. Tap roots firmly anchor the plant into the ground, extending into the soil to find nutrients. This can naturally help the plant to stay healthy and strong while also making it tougher and more capable of dealing with inclement conditions, especially if grown outside. Conversely, clones cannot develop a tap root. Instead they have fibrous root systems, which produce weak plants which are not firmly anchored into the ground and cannot penetrate so deeply into the soil to find water and nutrients. Creating clones is also stressful for the plant and this can have an effect on its development and yield.

What are the other benefits of seeds over clones?

Better yields – every grower is keen to produce the biggest harvest possible and seeds give you the best chance of maximizing your grow.
No bugs or pest – cannabis growers are often worried about bugs and pests which can infect their plants’ health and harvest. Since pests are often passed to the clones from the mother plants and this means that the plant can sometimes die or, even worse, infect the others in your grow space. On the other hand, diseases and bugs cannot attack a seed or thrive in one. This means that when you grow plants from seeds you can have complete confidence your garden won’t have any pests or diseases introduced to it.
More choice – another advantage to growing from seed is that you have much more choice with countless strains and varieties to pick from. When you choose to grow from a clone, your selection is much more limited unless you have an abundance of clones sold nearby.

Growing from Seed

Cannabis is an annual plant and isn’t genetically engineered to stay flowering and active for an extended period, if you grow from a clone, it could already be aging and therefore produce fewer buds than a plant grown from a seed. While growing cannabis plants from clones was popular at one time, seeds have become the choice for growers who are concerned with quality.

While germination from seed is pretty easy even for an inexperienced grower, you need to make sure you’re choosing a stable strain to get the best quality final product. Feminized seeds are a great choice since you can be confident all your plants will produce flower, while auto flowering seeds are also a good choice for newbie growers since they will bloom quickly – often in as little as 2-4 weeks.

Purchasing Seeds

At present, the law varies regarding cannabis growing between different US states and that means choosing a reliable online site where you can buy your seeds. One of the problems that you may encounter, however, comes in the form of legal issues which may arise when crossing state lines due to the variations in state legislations. While some people choose to order their seeds from overseas, this too can be fraught with difficulties since there is always the risk of custom seizures even in legal states where the sale and purchase of seeds is OK. This is due to the federal laws not currently matching state laws. Many sites will offer some sort of insurance that covers resends in case of this, others include it as part of the shipping costs so make sure you find out about this before committing to a purchase. It would suck to spend all that money on seeds and shipping only for some customs officer to get their hands on your seeds and confiscate them.

Cost of Buying Seeds

Growing cannabis plants from seed gives you the option of choosing from an almost endless selection of strains and varieties. Whatever effect you are hoping to achieve from your harvest, you will find a strain at a quality seedbank to suit your requirements, and whether you want auto-flowering, feminized or standard seeds, you’ll be spoiled for choice. You can also save money on your cannabis seeds purchase by using a promo code website such as Your Weed Coupons. Places like this help to reduce the cost of your order by finding the discount codes from top seedbanks such as Seedsman and many others. This way you can ensure you get a good price on your purchase.

So whether you are a new grower or have years of experience check out whether seeds are the right for you.