Growing from Seeds, or Growing from Clones?

The pros and cons of starting with seeds or purchasing clones for your cannabis grow.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to fashion and style: the one that says ‘follow the trends,’ and the one that says ‘set them.’

Some wear the latest fabrics and colors that appeared on yesterday’s runway, others were in their basements the week before, snipping, stitching, and sewing together their latest jaw-dropper. It’s the follower and the doer mentality.

Either way, those in fashion industry are wearing something awesome, and catching people’s attention. In the cannabis industry, there is a similar dichotomy in the grow rooms. Should you start from a seed, or should you purchase clones for your cannabis grow?

Here are some pros and cons of both.

Pros

Cons

Clones

Significantly shorter grow times
Higher likelihood of female plants
Guaranteed quality and output

No taproot, fibrous root system only
Can’t store them like seeds
Having large numbers of clones represent a legal risk
Less customizable to your grow operation than seeds
May carry pesticide or fungicide residue
May carry disease, insects, or viruses
May have difficulty taking root, impacting final product

Seeds

Larger genetic diversity to tap into
Produce stable taproots
Easy to store
Can select a seed to suit your grow operation
Fresh, clean start to your grow

Much longer growing times
Accidental growth of male plants
Easy to lose
Requires a deeper understanding of your grow operation

There are many ups and downs to both methods of starting your grow.

If you want the fastest output possible, then starting from clones is the way to go.

The same would be said if you’re attempting to start a grow that will have a guaranteed output.

While seeds give you a start that is clean and fully customizable, it’s also possible–though unlikely–that your first grow could be entirely made up of males.

In that case, you would lose a significant amount of time on your grow, but that small chance of that happening could be outweighed by the fact that a successful grow will mean stable plants with strong taproots for developing into the healthiest plants possible.

Conclusion

You have to weigh your options: do you follow the doer who has already started from scratch for you?

Or you do get your hands in the dirt, grow your own plants, and set your own style in your cannabis grow?