Growing weed in your basement or backyard might sound like a great idea, especially if you’ve been using marijuana for some time with regularity. After all, it may seem like a way to save money, and if you’ve got a green thumb or love to keep a thriving garden, an interesting new hobby.
But there are some things to know about growing marijuana, and one common question both new and experienced growers want to know is, “Should I grow from cannabis seeds or from a clone?”
This article will explore:
- The legal considerations of growing marijuana in Canada
- The difference between clones and seeds
- The pros and cons of growing from clones
- The pros and cons of growing from seeds
- Best practices of growing marijuana
Is Growing Marijuana Legal in Canada?
In the fall of 2018, it became legal to buy and use recreational marijuana in Canada. We all did a dance of joy, grabbed our lighters, and collectively inhaled in celebration. However, the legalization of weed in Canada didn’t open up a free market for the growth or sale of cannabis.
Yes, it’s legal to purchase pot, but it must be bought from government cannabis stores or approved retailers and can’t be sold on the street or even from friend to friend.
In the spirit of good old government regulation, the spirit of this law has been passed down and implemented on growers as well.
Yes, it’s legal to grow weed, but only enough for personal consumption. You can grow up to four cannabis plants in a household at a time, and you must use regulated seeds to do so. You also can’t sell your cannabis or grow it on behalf of another person.
If you’re going to grow cannabis at home, make sure you brush up on the laws so you don’t end up with any legal issues.
Please note: While the federal government of Canada has legalized growing marijuana at home, not all provinces allow this practice, and rules vary around the country.
Here are the provincial laws as of this publishing:
Alberta
- Legal age: 18
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
British Columbia
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
Manitoba
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: No home cultivation
New Brunswick
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
Northwest Territories
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
Nova Scotia
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
Nunavut
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
Ontario
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
Prince Edward Island
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
Quebec
- Legal age: 21
- Grow law: No home cultivation
Saskatchewan
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
Yukon
- Legal age: 19
- Grow law: 4 plant limit
*Before you use or grow marijuana, please verify you are complying with current laws in your jurisdiction.
What’s the Difference Between Clones and Seeds?
If you decide to grow a cannabis garden, there are a few ways to go about it. One question you’ll want to ask is whether you should use clones or seeds.
Cannabis Seeds – You likely know that a seed is a plant’s method of reproduction; we place seeds in a growing medium and they have the ability to sprout and become a brand new plant. Most seeds for sale will be feminized seeds with a near certain chance of being a female plant, this chance, however, is never 100%.
Cannabis Clone – A clone is the same thing as a cutting; we can take a piece of a mature cannabis plant and place it in a growing medium to encourage it to become a full plant which is an exact genetic copy of it’s mother plant. This ensures that a clone of a strong female plant will grow into another female plant with similar bud characteristics.
Where Can I Get Cannabis Seeds or Seedlings?
In Canada, cannabis seeds must be purchased from a legal dispensary. If you live in a province where home-grown cannabis plants are illegal, you won’t be able to buy seeds or seedlings in a dispensary. Often cannabis seeds are in short supply and they are not always easy to get. You may not be able to choose from a wide variety of seed types, but likely there are at least 3 or 4 available to purchase.
Depending on the retailer, you may be able to have seeds sent directly to your home. In other cases, you’ll need to go to a dispensary to buy them. However, as more and more people become familiar and interested in growing from their own seeds or seedlings, the more options will be available, and with more regularity.
Seedlings are not currently available for purchase in Canada so, in order to grow clones, you must first grow a plant from seed and then create your own clones from cuttings of your best plants.
How to Grow Marijuana From Seed
Most growers will agree that growing a cannabis plant, whether it is from a seed, a seedling, or a cloned plant isn’t overly difficult. However, there are certain procedures you can take that will help ensure you grow vital, healthy plants of good quality.
There are plenty of experienced growers who begin with seeds and can teach you the step-by-step process. Here are our best tips and takeaways from our experiences:
- Always germinate seeds before planting. To speed up germination, soak your seeds in a small bowl with lukewarm water and set it in a warm, dark spot for 12-24 hours. This allows the seed to soak up the water and begin to germinate. This loosen the shell and makes it easier for the taproot to emerge. When your seeds sink to the bottom, they’re ready to plant! But if it doesn’t sink, that’s ok too. Try to plant before your tap root emerges. If you do see the little tail root coming out of the seed, be very gentle with the seed as you plant it.
- Get some pH test strips for your soil. Your plant needs a pH of 6.0 (give or take 0.3) to grow most optimally. We recommend this product to help manage your plant’s pH.
- Purchase cannabis soil for your specific climate. You need to choose your soil depending on how dry or humid your air is, or if you’re growing indoors or outside, so do your research about soil type for your area.
- Check to see if your soil comes infused with cannabis nutrients. If not, you’ll want to add them to your soil mix.
- Resist the urge to overwater your cannabis plants. Cannabis grows naturally outdoors and doesn’t need a lot of water. If the top 3-4cm of soil is dry, give your plant a bit of water.
How To Grow Weed From Clones
Plants grown from clones or cuttings can often produce the fastest yield of cannabis and this method is a favourite among experienced growers. Here are a few of our best tips for growing healthy, thriving weed from clones.
- Make sure you begin with a healthy parent plant (mother plant). If your plant has any issues with diseases or pests, you’ll carry those problems over to your new plant. Healthy clones, however, should produce very healthy plants.
- Make sure you’re cutting your clones from a mature plant.
- Try to take your cutting from the lower part of the plant. Cuttings from closer to the root will grow faster than those from near to the top.
- Very quickly place your cutting into water to prevent air from getting into the root.
- Remove larger leaves from the top of the clone to prevent the plant from focusing on converting energy from light while it should be focused on creating new roots.
- Gently roll the base of your cutting in some rooting hormone to encourage new root growth.
- Plant your clone in a moistened starter cube of the growing medium of your choice to encourage healthy root development.
- Transfer the new growing plant into a larger growing medium as necessary.
Things to Look For In a Healthy Parent Plant
Make sure you take your cuttings from a healthy plant. This means it should have no signs of pests like chewed leaves or roots. The flowers should be large and vibrant in their respective colours. Any new buds should be large and healthy looking, and the plant should have no signs of rot.
If you have a healthy mother plant, you can continue to use it for cloning over and over again. Select your very best plant and keep it thriving and you’ll always have exceptional quality cannabis growing in your own home.
Conclusion: Cannabis Clones vs. Seeds
Both cannabis seeds and clones can produce excellent weed depending on your goals and preferences. If you want to grow a parent plant for future cloning, begin with seeds. Seeds also allow a grower to grow multiple plants of different strains at once whereas clones will all be exact genetic copies of the mother plant. If you’ve grown yourself an incredible plant and want to replicate the results, this might be an excellent time to try cloning.
