Cannabis seeds vs clones – which one should i buy? There are many potential factors to consider when growing cannabis. One question you may have is whether you should start your grow from seed or from clone. Each option has its own set of pros and cons just like anything in life. To help you make the right choice on whether or not you should get cannabis seeds or clones, we made this guide that explains the pros and cons for both options and also explains what option is best for certain situations.

Seeds are a reliable method for growing Cannabis and are relatively easy to find. Clones, on the other hand, are fast, efficient, and exactly like their mother plant which can be ideal for growers who are looking to grow phenotypes of specific strains. For example, the strain “Peanut butter breath” has phenotypes that smell exactly like peanut butter. However, it can be quite rare to discover this phenotype and often will require a phenohunt in order to find the exact pheno when grown from seed. This means that more packs of seeds will be needed if you are set on obtaining this pheno. Sometimes, clones can be the cheaper and less time consuming option in cases like this.

Clones

Clones are cuttings from a mature mother marijuana plant that can be grown out and WILL Look identical to the mother plant. A clone is a genetic copy of the parent plant, which can either be good or bad. 

Since they are exactly the same as the parent plant, they will inherit all of the features and characteristics that the parent plant had/has. That means, if the parent plant had health issues, the cloned plant would also have problems from the start.

For that reason, clones should come from strong, healthy plants that are free from pests, bacteria, or any disease. Most Breeders and vendors on Seed Canary will often have their parent plants tested for diseases such as HPLVD AKA “Hop latent viroid” before clones are sold. It’s also a good idea to learn about a clones parent plant’s lineage. That way, you know the potential yield, height, and flowering time. 

You can also ensure you are creating the ideal environment when you know your clone’s strain. When selecting your cutting, inspect the roots. Clones do not have a taproot. They develop secondary roots, which are also known as a fibrous root system. A clone with a well-developed root system is more likely to survive. 

Pros of Growing Clones

Here are the pros and cons of growing marijuana from a clone. 

You Know What You are Getting

Since a clone is a genetic match to the mother plant, you can pick out which plants you want to clone. By selecting a healthy mature plant, you avoid passing some of the parent’s defects and health issues onto the new cloned plant. Farmers usually pick the healthiest and highest-yielding plants. 

Saves Time

When you use clones to grow your Cannabis, you save time that you would have otherwise used waiting for the seeds to germinate and sprout. Although some growers let their clones’ root system develop before planting them, you can also root your cutting directly and wait for it to grow.

Faster Growth

Clones have a head start since they don’t need to germinate. Since they are cuttings from a mature plant and have an established root system, they will grow faster. This also means you will harvest sooner.

Always Females

Your plant’s gender is guaranteed. Clones are cuttings taken from a female Cannabis plant, making them an identical copy of the parent plant. As long as the mother is female, marijuana growers have no chance of getting a male plant, which is a possibility with seeds.  

More Harvests

A cloned marijuana plant matures faster. This is because the clone skips the germination and seedling stage of a plant life cycle, allowing you to get in more harvests per year which can be great for most growers. If you are growing your clones outdoors, you will be able to get several extra harvests per year before winter. However, if you are an indoor grower, you can expect to harvest year-round.

Cheaper

When you have a reliable mother plant, you have a constant source of clones. Creating clones from a single plant is a lot cheaper than buying seeds every few months. A single plant can produce multiple clones, and that clone can create more clones.

Cons of Growing Clones

May Be Hard to Find

Finding reliable, healthy, and high-yielding clones may be a challenge for some growers. However it doesn’t need to be challenging! Seed Canary is one of the few places where breeders sell clones online, making it easier for you to obtain clones.

It’s Harder to Grow Clones

Clones are fragile and should be handled with care. Freshly cut clones must be handled carefully and are sensitive to light and nutrients. If cloned incorrectly, your plants might die or remain in shock for a long time, rendering them useless.

Mother’s Must be Strong

Clones have to work a little harder at the beginning, so they must come from a strong plant. If you use a clone from a mother plant that was not well established, your new plants may experience stunted growth, shock, or death. 

Clones have many benefits, but marijuana plants are most often grown from seeds. This is the easiest and most natural method.

Cannabis Seeds

This is simply the easiest and most natural method. 

Seeds are Easier to Grow

You can easily obtain cannabis seeds online from seedbanks or from us, Seed Canary. This makes it easy to find a wide variety of marijuana strains, as well as purchase feminized seeds. Feminized seeds remove the risk of seeds being male. 

Plants grown from seed tend to be easier to grow, with sturdier root systems and branches. Healthier plants tend to produce higher yields. Seeds are also a good value. You can store seeds for years or fertilize your plants for an endless supply of marijuana seeds. 

Of course, there is a chance that some of the seeds will not germinate, especially if they weren’t stored properly. Seeds can also take longer to grow, meaning you cannot grow as many per year. 

Seeds are produced by the process of pollination. When pollen from male cannabis plants reaches a female plant, her flowers will include seeds. The seeds are harvested from the flowers and used for growing new plants. 

Unlike a clone, each seed is genetically different. That means you will have a variety of marijuana plants with varying susceptibility to pests and diseases. If one plant doesn’t perform well, another seed may do better.

Seeds are nature’s way of encouraging genetic diversity. Each seed represents a cross between a male and a female cannabis plant instead of a single plant. Seeds may be created at random, or carefully bred by growers.  

Advantages of Growing Seeds

• Marijuana plants grown from seed have a taproot, which provides the plant with more support as it grows.
• Compared to clones, which are limited to the available mature plants in your area, there are many varieties of seeds to choose from, either online or in stores.  
• Seeds can be stored for a long time (as long as the temperatures are right). Clones must be used, or they will die.
• Seeds wont carry pests or disease like how clones potentially could.

Disadvantages of Growing Seeds

• Seeds are delicate while germinating and can be crushed easily. It takes some practice to get used to handling germinated seeds. 
• For the first six weeks, the grower will likely need to pay more attention to their plants than with clones. They will need to determine the sex of their plants and remove any males if they intend to grow from non-feminized seeds.  
• Unlike clones, seeds take time to germinate and reach the same height as cloned plants.
• Germinating marijuana seeds may be tricky if you are new to it. 

Which to Choose?

Now that you have read the pros & cons to both options, it is now up to you to decide on which method is best for your future grow. However, you can easily purchase BOTH Cannabis seeds & clones from Seed Canary.