In starting with your own cannabis venture, there is an important decision that you need to make. Do you want to start out using feminized seeds or using clones? This is the very first thing to consider in growing your cannabis plant. Growing feminized seeds and growing cannabis through cloning has its own pros and cons that will help you weigh on where are you going to invest your time and effort that may lead to a successful or failed harvest.
Growing From Cannabis Clones
A clone is a cutting from a mature cannabis plant that can be replanted and grown that will produce high-quality buds. In choosing for a mother plant, it is important to ensure that it is a healthy and quality strain. It may seem an easy task to grow a clone because it has been partially developed but it can actually be complicated because it may be susceptible to different plant diseases especially if the mother plant has health issues. A freshly cut cannabis clone needs to receive extra care because it is sensitive.
Pros of Using Clones
You would know what kind of strain to expect.
t shortens the entire lifecycle making it a good choice for growing indoors.
It is applicable for bulk planting where you don’t have to follow all procedures from germination to harvest phase.
You can exactly copy the characteristics of your preferred cannabis plant.
Cons of Using Clones
The lifespan of a cannabis clone is shorter because it is more vulnerable to different diseases and pest infestations.
How to Clone a Cannabis Plant
In cannabis cloning, you will be needing:
A healthy mother cannabis plant
Sharp scissors
Rooting Gel
Step 1: Select a mother plant
It is advisable to choose a cannabis plant that is still in the vegetative stage. It is best to choose a mother plant that is fast flowering, vigorous growing, potent and has a product characteristic. Also makes sure that the mother plant is healthy to avoid transmittal of plant diseases.
Step 2: Cut a branch
With the use of sharp scissors, cut the healthy branch from the mother plant. Make sure to keep the whole branch area clean. It is advisable to take branches at the bottom to increase the airflow within the mother plant and lower branches are recommended for cloning because it tends to root well as it matures.
Step 3: Size the removed branches
It is advisable to keep the clone at least 10cm by removing excess stem and leaves. After trimming it, soak the branch in the rooting gel to sanitize the open wound.
Step 4: Make the transplant
Make use of a regular pot with moist soil and make a small hole just enough to fit the cloned branch and gently press the soil around the branch gently.
Growing From Feminized Seeds
Growing from cannabis seeds is the natural way of planting feminized cannabis plant that is more applicable to inexperienced growers because they tend to observe and follow it’s life phases. If you would use feminized seeds, you can be sure to get only female offspring that is bud producing.
Pros of Using Feminized Cannabis Seed Growing
Feminized cannabis seed produces tap root which better supports the absorption of water and nutrients.
It is easy to acquire because you can buy at a reliable store or make your own seeds.
You won’t inherit any problem from its genetics such as plant diseases and pest infestations.
You can store feminized cannabis seeds for a longer period of time.
Cons of Using Feminized Cannabis Seeds
Not all seeds in one batch will have a 100% germinate rate.
You may need to follow all the growing procedures from germination to harvest that takes a longer time.
Steps in Creating Feminized Seeds
Step 1: The use of Colloidal silver, Gibberellic Acid (GA3) and Silver Thiosulfate (STS).
There are ways on how to acquire for colloidal silver, through purchasing a colloidal silver kit or through making your own. While Gibberellic Acid (GA3) and Silver Thiosulfate (STS) can be acquired through purchasing it but these two compounds are not always available.
Step 2: Spray the bud sites
The targeted area of the cannabis plant should be drenched in the solution for about 10-18 days in a row. In this process, the ethylene production is inhibited that is needed in producing this solution. It is advisable to apply this solution 1-2 days before switching into the flowering phase.
To be able to induce the flowering phase, you may need to change the light schedule into a 12/12 light schedule just ensure that your plant is 5-6 weeks old. You need to keep spraying until the pollen sacs open up.
Step 3: Harvest your feminized pollen
If you notice that the pollen sacs are starting to crack and look like they are about to open up, then it means that your pollen is ready to be harvested. Make sure to gently and carefully remove all the pollen sacs. Let it dry for a week and place it into a resealable bag. Shake the bag so that the pollen would spill out.
Step 4: pollinate another female plant
Using the feminized seeds that you have collected, use it to pollinate another female plant that has been 2-3 weeks flowering. It is recommended to pollinate a different female plant that had been starting to bud to increase the likelihood that you will have a high number of seeds to be produced.
Step 5: Wait to harvest the seeds
After 6 weeks you should be able to see that the calyxes on the buds of your female plant will be swollen and fat. If it starts to burst out, then it is the perfect time to harvest it.
Final Words
Growing in cannabis with the use of feminized seeds or clones has its own advantages and disadvantages. Whatever kind of cannabis-type you would want to start with, as long as you have sufficient knowledge on how to properly take good care of it then for sure you will have a successful grow.
