Cloning is a shortcut to growing the perfect cannabis plant, but is it better than planting seeds? This debate is popular in the growing community, and we’re here to settle the score!
There are advantages to planting cannabis seeds that you can’t get when using clones. And these advantages are enough to make it the preferred method for growers worldwide.
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What is cloning?
Did you grow the perfect cannabis plant with an excellent yield and quality? Cloning is a process of creating an exact copy of the plant so you can have two or more. It’s done by trimming a branch from the ‘mother plant’ and replanting it to grow new roots and become a new plant.
Cloning is a cannabis growing method that can speed up the grow time of the new plant.
6 Reasons Why Growers Prefer Planting Seeds
Planting cannabis seeds has its advantages compared to using clones. Here are a few reasons why growers prefer them for their indoor cannabis growing:
- Perfecting growing skills
Planting cannabis seeds takes longer to grow a plant compared to planting a clone. The reason is because a clone skips the early stages of germinating and seeding. When it’s planted, you’re already at the growth stage.
The early stages of the cannabis seed life cycle are the most delicate. It requires careful attention to providing just the right amount of water to germinate. Also, care for the roots in the seedling stage.
Planting seeds lets you experience the entire growing cycle. It’s especially appreciated for hobbyists and those with a knack for growing.
- Better quality control
An advantage to planting seeds instead of clones is that you can ensure quality control for the health of the plant. Clones contain all the characteristics of the mother plant. If a clone was cut from a plant with pesticides or insects, it will contain the same. One faulty clone can infect your entire home grow setup. Starting with a cannabis seed is like a blank canvas.
- Stronger Genetics
This one is debatable. Many growers say that mother plants always have stronger genes than clones. Imagine making photocopies of a picture several times. The first copy would be nearly identical to the original, with only a small quality loss. Now, take the copy and make a copy, then a copy of that one. Every time, there is a small loss of quality that can result in significant differences after enough copies. The same is seen with cloning plants—though some may experience different results.
To produce plants with the strongest genes, planting seeds yields the best results.
- Gene and Pheno-hunting
Planting seeds has more variety when growing a particular strain for its genetics. Every seed may grow slightly differently, even with the same strain. It allows you to breed plants that have your desired genetics. Clones are exact replicas of the mother plants. You won’t get any variety when planting clones.
- Better for beginners
Are you just starting the journey into at-home cannabis cultivation? Planting seeds is recommended if you’re new to growing.
Cloning plants is an advanced method of growing that requires precise cuts from a healthy mother. It takes experience to seek out quality trimmings that can still produce a new plant after cut.
- Accessibility
Cannabis seeds are much easier to obtain than trimmings for clones. Browse our collection of cannabis seeds to find a range of strains to grow at home. Finding a clone is more challenging—and even more challenging than finding trimmings from a quality plant.
Seeds are easier to store and ship worldwide. Clone trimmings must be cared for after being cut to remain usable.
When should you clone plants?
There are advantages and disadvantages to cloning a cannabis plant versus planting seeds. Knowing when you should clone a plant will help you decide if you fall into the category where it’s preferred. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
You already have experience with growing cannabis at home – cloning is a slightly different process of growing cannabis than planting seeds. You must understand the basics of growing before attempting the cloning process.
You want an exact plant copy – many growers like the experimental nature of planting seeds since they can each grow slightly different. If you already have the perfect plant, then cloning can be an option.
Which method produces better plants?
Planting seeds has several advantages for the growing process. However, which yields better results when it’s time to harvest the plant? As a general rule of green thumb, the more successful you are at each stage of the growing process, the better quality of cannabis your plant will produce.
Planting seeds gives more control over each stage to ensure your seed gets exactly what it needs to thrive with your growing setup. As you master your growing techniques, you will yield incredible results, starting with a cannabis seed. Learn more about the differences between cloning vs. seeds.
