After the 2018 United States farm bill has been legislated, a lot of agricultural opportunities have been opened. Consequently, this 2018 farm bill law prompted several farming businesses and homeowners to get hemp licenses.
Since then, many farming practices have been brought to light. One of these is hemp cloning. Having said that, many professionals are still arguing whether seed or clones are the best among hemp farmers and cultivators.
To make things clear, here are some heads-up on the differences between hemp clones and seeds, as well as how to buy hemp clones.
Clones vs. Seeds
Hemp clones are produced faster, typically within six to eight weeks timeframe, which is faster than hemp seeds. Cultivating and producing hemp clones are more cost-effective than those of seeds, as well. Germinating or seedling seeds will cost you more.
Also, hemp clones are from female hemp plants. Female hemp is the only gender that contains CBD and THC, and a clone is always the same gender as its mother plant from which it was cut. Therefore, all the desirable attributes of female hemp can be inherited by the hemp clones.
Gender
Pollen-producing
males are worthlessthey dont contain THC and CBD. As mentioned, only female
hemp has these two phytocannabinoids.
When plants are pollinated, they could produce both male and female seeds. This
gives farmers a 50-50% chance of getting feminized seeds. By contrast, one way
to guarantee that your crops will be feminine is through cloning.
Female hemp clones with the same genetic traits will have the same development process if you plant them in the same environmentwhich is good if you want to have consistency. Although feminized seeds tend to be more costly than regular seeds, there will be assured in the consistency and quality of your end products if you have raised them well enough.
Growth
Cloning is done by cutting a stem from a plant that is able to grow and produce buds. It might be simple, but in reality, it can be hard to maintain as it is more prone to diseases and fungus. Although it has all the good genetic traits of the mother plant, it could also inherit all the conditions of the plant it is cloned from.
Also, finding a mother plant that is healthy and viable to get a clone from can be pretty difficult. If you manage to find one, you need to ask specific questions to the owner of the mother plant like does it have any diseases that you should be aware of, or are there any pests that plagued it before?
So why should you choose hemp clones? If the mother plant is already further in the development stage, getting a yield sooner will be expected. Whats more, if you want an easier profit from farming hemp, a good hemp clone can cut off the development process by a month, resulting in faster production.
What to Look Out for When Buying Hemp Clones
Not all hemp clones for sale can be of the same quality, even if they are of the same mother plant. There are things you have to look out for before purchasing hemp clones. This is the checklist that can serve as your guide to buying hemp clones:
- Try to check the root system of the clone. They should be stringy and spiky, which depends on their length and abundance.
- Try to avoid hemp clones with stumpy or scant roots, especially ones with yellow roots.
- Avoid any plant that has any signs of nutrient burn or root rot under any circumstances.
- Check the soil where the clones are cultivated. See if there is no mold, mildew, or any bugs that are crawling around.
- Always check the stalk. There could be bugs that are present that can cause future problems for the clones.
- Also check every single leaf of the clone. Look over its undersides as pests tend to hide under them.
- Try to see if any webs are lying around. They mean that there are spider mites present.
- See if any discoloration is present in the leaves, stalks, or any part of the plant. All leaves should be green and vibrant in color.
Takeaway
Starting your business will be tough, especially if you dont know what you are doing. If you are thinking of starting your very own hemp business, knowing why you should buy hemp clones over seeds, its benefits, and kind of clone to look for is extremely important. The hemp business is steadily growing these days, and with the right skills and expertise, you will have an advantage among your competitors.