The Difference Between Seed & Clone Cannabis Yields

[MackMurder]

For the reader....this is only my experience and my opinions. Albeit under my circumstances and some articles around the web I think its safe to say its pretty concrete.

First let's start with the science
Plants from seed grow a tap root. This tap root is massive and reaches down further than a clones roots and it has a bigger mainframe for nutrient gathering which equals bigger yeild.

If you want yeild get a high yielding strain obviously, but also if you want yeild grow from seed not clone. Again my opinion.

From clone you have more control over what phenotype you grow and your plants veg faster.
But then it begs the question does growing a plant a week faster from clone equal more grows which equal more yiled in the end than a plant from seed over the course of a year. Short answer no. My yeilds were cut in half.
I've had 5 grows indoor.
All 5 grows grown from seed. Never any clones.
With seeds plants i always average between 3 and 4 ounces per plant

My 4th grow was sweet zombie, gorilla skittlz, critical orange punch, and critical kush.
I kept 4 mothers.
One of each strain.
Cut around 25 clones and 21 rooted.

- From seed on the 4th grow I averaged 3.68 ounces per plant.
Thats 3 week veg 8 week flower.

-From clone on the 5th grow on the same plants i averaged 1.90 ounces per plant.
Thats 3 week veg 8 week flower

Thats a 1.78 ounce per plant loss.
I used the same lights. The same parameters literally the same plants.
The only thing that change was I went from general hydroponics nutes to remo nutes but I had zero deficiencies or nute burn on either grow as I dont over feed my plants and remo has won a shit ton of awards so that wasn't the reason for my yeild cut in half.
Again let me reiterate that. My yeild was cut in half growing clones Instead of seeds.

If your only growing a small amount of plants. Or can only get 1 or 2 grows in a year. Id personally suggest growing seed.
Again up to you. Not trying to change anyone's mind.
If you like clones dope. If you like seeds dope.
Just some info if your trying to decide between the 2

Anyone else experience the same results or the opposite even?

 

[BeanTownFan420]

Seed plants always yield more because they have larger root systems. I prefer seeds they are easy and less likely to carry over issues like bugs from clones.

 

[MackMurder]

Seed plants always yield more because they have larger root systems. I prefer seeds they are easy and less likely to carry over issues like bugs from clones.

I guess I was a bit taken back by the huge difference in yeild. Mans learns something new everyday

 

[TysonOG]

Certain types of aggressive training like mainlining really require seed plants because clones grow their nodes unevenly. I prefer seed but haven't done a pheno hunt yet.

 

[Dan Dark]

For the reader....this is only my experience and my opinions. Albeit under my circumstances and some articles around the web I think its safe to say its pretty concrete.

First let's start with the science
Plants from seed grow a tap root. This tap root is massive and reaches down further than a clones roots and it has a bigger mainframe for nutrient gathering which equals bigger yeild.

If you want yeild get a high yielding strain obviously, but also if you want yeild grow from seed not clone. Again my opinion.

From clone you have more control over what phenotype you grow and your plants veg faster.
But then it begs the question does growing a plant a week faster from clone equal more grows which equal more yiled in the end than a plant from seed over the course of a year. Short answer no. My yeilds were cut in half.
I've had 5 grows indoor.
All 5 grows grown from seed. Never any clones.
With seeds plants i always average between 3 and 4 ounces per plant

My 4th grow was sweet zombie, gorilla skittlz, critical orange punch, and critical kush.
I kept 4 mothers.
One of each strain.
Cut around 25 clones and 21 rooted.

- From seed on the 4th grow I averaged 3.68 ounces per plant.
Thats 3 week veg 8 week flower.

-From clone on the 5th grow on the same plants i averaged 1.90 ounces per plant.
Thats 3 week veg 8 week flower

Thats a 1.78 ounce per plant loss.
I used the same lights. The same parameters literally the same plants.
The only thing that change was I went from general hydroponics nutes to remo nutes but I had zero deficiencies or nute burn on either grow as I dont over feed my plants and remo has won a shit ton of awards so that wasn't the reason for my yeild cut in half.
Again let me reiterate that. My yeild was cut in half growing clones Instead of seeds.

If your only growing a small amount of plants. Or can only get 1 or 2 grows in a year. Id personally suggest growing seed.
Again up to you. Not trying to change anyone's mind.
If you like clones dope. If you like seeds dope.
Just some info if your trying to decide between the 2

Anyone else experience the same results or the opposite even?

I am having a very different experience. My first three plants were all Sativa grown from seed. I took clones and have about 30 clones now in process from the mother's. With my Sativa I think the clones have grown at least 3-4 weeks faster than the seedlings. I also have better success with clones over seeds.

My first harvest from the seed grown plants was REALLY good IMHO; about 300 grams per plant - just under 900 g's total. Now the clones come on with more buds, denser and with a monster veg cycle of almost 3 months with lots of forming this time around; followed by up to 11 weeks in flower (my equatorial Sativa's seem to take forever to come to fruition!). I can already see I'll be getting 2-3x my last harvest - want to help with all the trim? I'll bring home brew!

Now I am growing some Indica dominant strains and hope to use the same methods to get 100's of plants from my crop of mother's now in seed.

BTW, I saw a single auto-flower plant pic here that some grower has used a technique called quad-lining. He claims to have gotten over a pound from the plant and the pics were compelling as anything I have seen. Worth a look!

 

[Dan Dark]

Seed plants always yield more because they have larger root systems. I prefer seeds they are easy and less likely to carry over issues like bugs from clones.

I can't tell if my seeded plants have larger root systems or not because they are all root bound in my 5 gal pots at harvest. Your comment caused me to buy some 7 and 10 gal fabric pots to experiment with. I have some auto beans to pop in a few weeks, I'll send ya some pics.

I have a tough time with seeds, my best sprout is about 50% germination to plant (and getting better). In clones I seem to get very good success and my harvests have been bigger and faster. Maybe it's a phenotype thing?

 

[MackMurder]

I am having a very different experience. My first three plants were all Sativa grown from seed. I took clones and have about 30 clones now in process from the mother's. With my Sativa I think the clones have grown at least 3-4 weeks faster than the seedlings. I also have better success with clones over seeds.

My first harvest from the seed grown plants was REALLY good IMHO; about 300 grams per plant - just under 900 g's total. Now the clones come on with more buds, denser and with a monster veg cycle of almost 3 months with lots of forming this time around; followed by up to 11 weeks in flower (my equatorial Sativa's seem to take forever to come to fruition!). I can already see I'll be getting 2-3x my last harvest - want to help with all the trim? I'll bring home brew!

Now I am growing some Indica dominant strains and hope to use the same methods to get 100's of plants from my crop of mother's now in seed.

Thats a really good harvest for 3 plants from seed.
And wow my dude 3 months is a loong ass veg those plants must be huge. Me I'm a 4 week veg 8 week flower kind of guy. I try to get 4 full grows in a year

I have a tough time with seeds, my best sprout is about 50% germination to plant (and getting better). In clones I seem to get very good success and my harvests have been bigger and faster. Maybe it's a phenotype thing?

I had around 75% germination rate with seeds before an old timer taught me how to get near to 100%

Put em in water for 2 days until you see them crack open and the tail JUST START to come out. At that point plant them About 2 or 3 mm deep or 1/8th of an inch. Just with a touch of dirt over them. (I use peat plugs sometimes the rapid routers the tail cant find a path and the root cant travel down so it pushes the seedling up and it falls over)
But dirt in a lil cup would work too as long as you don't over water)

Most people do the paper towel method. The problem with this is the tail is aloud to grow too much out of the seed. Even the smallest improper bit of handling of that seed and tail or too much pressure on the sensitive tail with kill that seed.

Alot of seed germination tutorials say start with the water then move to paper towel the to plant. This is where things get worse. More handling..equals more chance to damage the delicate seedling.

My current grow I had 29 seeds. 2 didn't open but they were freebies from a breeder that has a bad name and the other 1 that didn't pop was from a good breeder it was just a big old black seed. Some seeds just don't pop, but the other 26 that did open all made it to healthy seedling stage even tho there was 4 runts out of the group that took a week longer tha others.

 

[Enjoil]

I can't tell if my seeded plants have larger root systems or not because they are all root bound in my 5 gal pots at harvest. Your comment caused me to buy some 7 and 10 gal fabric pots to experiment with. I have some auto beans to pop in a few weeks, I'll send ya some pics.

I have a tough time with seeds, my best sprout is about 50% germination to plant (and getting better). In clones I seem to get very good success and my harvests have been bigger and faster. Maybe it's a phenotype thing?

Sorry this is off topic, they need make it where we can send pics in private, or make it easier. Here’s his work and yeah bro, dude is awesome! He will work with you, just tell him what you want...