A family member is encouraging me to go the cloning route next time. I’ve read where seeds have better genetics, higher yield and develop a tap root for better performance over clones. Thoughts?
I personally prefer seeds, only because unless I'm real familiar with the mother plant of a clone there is to much risk of bringing something in my tent that I dont want (ie. Pest, disease, bad genes). Now I know you should quarantine clones before you introduce them into your system, but unfortunately I'm kinda tight on space and dont have the luxury of lots of extra room. But if you know the mother plant and trust it then a) you dont have to wait for germination, b) You are almost guaranteed to have the same results as the mother and c) You can get cuttings from the motherplant for quite along time .The last time I used clones I got 2 from a friend who had 12 in total. My 2 grew in a tent with perfect conditions and for some reason they both hermied. My friend on the other hand grew the other 10 outside and they turned out ok? So I dunno.? Thats why I say you kinda have to try for yourself and see what works best for you.
I could type for 15 minutes comparing the two. All in all, both routes take you to the same destination. Many growers start from seed and then clone their keeper phenos so they don't have to buy seeds all the time - therefore saving money. Let me break down your points... "seeds have better genetics" - False. That statement doesn't really make sense since you can take a clone from a plant that was started from seed. Are you saying the clone won't be as good as it's mother? I'd say false."[seeds result in] higher yield" - False. We know yield depends on a variety of factors - genetics, lighting, environment, nutrition, and how long you veg for.
"[seeds] develop a tap root for better performance over clones" - If you plant a seed and cut a clone on the same day, the seed could grow faster than the clone, but it really depends on the technique used to root the clone. A method like aeroponics you can root clones in like 5-7 days. One could argue that the taproot from a seed will develop a larger root structure but I don't know that there is much truth to that. That's my take on it. I'd love to hear other opinions.
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I personally prefer seeds, only because unless I'm real familiar with the mother plant of a clone there is to much risk of bringing something in my tent that I dont want (ie. Pest, disease, bad genes). Now I know you should quarantine clones before you introduce them into your system, but unfortunately I'm kinda tight on space and dont have the luxury of lots of extra room. But if you know the mother plant and trust it then a) you dont have to wait for germination, b) You are almost guaranteed to have the same results as the mother and c) You can get cuttings from the motherplant for quite along time .The last time I used clones I got 2 from a friend who had 12 in total. My 2 grew in a tent with perfect conditions and for some reason they both hermied. My friend on the other hand grew the other 10 outside and they turned out ok? So I dunno.? Thats why I say you kinda have to try for yourself and see what works best for you.
I agree with Mr.G. They both have what I would say are equal pros and cons.
Thanks for your detailed response @Mr. Grow It
I think I’ll try cloning a few babes this next grow.
I could type for 15 minutes comparing the two. All in all, both routes take you to the same destination. Many growers start from seed and then clone their keeper phenos so they don't have to buy seeds all the time - therefore saving money. Let me break down your points... "seeds have better genetics" - False. That statement doesn't really make sense since you can take a clone from a plant that was started from seed. Are you saying the clone won't be as good as it's mother? I'd say false. "[seeds result in] higher yield" - False. We know yield depends on a variety of factors - genetics, lighting, environment, nutrition, and how long you veg for.
"[seeds] develop a tap root for better performance over clones" - If you plant a seed and cut a clone on the same day, the seed could grow faster than the clone, but it really depends on the technique used to root the clone. A method like aeroponics you can root clones in like 5-7 days. One could argue that the taproot from a seed will develop a larger root structure but I don't know that there is much truth to that. That's my take on it. I'd love to hear other opinions.