There are two different methods for growing at home, either from the beginning of the process with seeds or taking a shortcut and using clippings from another plant known as clones.
Cannabis Seeds
With seeds, there are two kinds: feminized or auto-flowering. Feminized seeds are specially treated to grow into female plants, which grow flowers whereas male plants grow seeds. Auto-flowering plants enter the flowering stage after a certain number of weeks regardless of the light/dark cycle and are more useful for indoor growing. A four-pack of seeds from the OCS will cost you about $40.
Many experienced growers who honour the tradition of growing cannabis believe that starting from seeds is the “right” and “pure” way to cultivate. Most home growers typically begin growing with seeds, mostly because they are more accessible and legal in most countries.
Cannabis Clones
Clones aren’t currently being (legally) sold in the Canadian market. If you have a friend who started growing their seeds a few months before you, you can ask them to give you some clippings and attempt to grow them. Cannabis plants don’t like their roots being disturbed, so be sure to transport and transplant the clone as gently as possible.
Some growers choose clones because they typically reach harvest time quicker. Growing with seeds is a longer process as it takes a few weeks for your germinated seed to turn into a mature seedling. However, many growers find starting from seed irreplaceably satisfying.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference and availability. For the most part, beginners will have an easier time (and also likely see better results) by starting from seed rather than from a clone. Make sure to source high-quality seeds (or clones) from trusted legal sources and have fun growing at home!
