Seeds vs. Clones Panel: 17 Quick Hits — MJBizCon 2024

From L to R: Ben Owens, Paul Valenzuela, Dan Nelson (Credit: Jim Berry)

Last week, I had the pleasure of moderating the Seeds vs. Clones panel at the 13th Annual MJBizCon, joined by Paul Valenzuela (Clone Coach) & Dan Nelson (Happy Valley Genetics).

We covered a wide range of topics in a short time, but these are the sticking points I’ve been chewing on ever since:

1. The Seed vs Clone Bell Curve — Seeds work great for small situations (hobby grows, pheno hunts), and large situations (when planting with farm equipment), but that middle area is the Goldilocks zone for clones
2. Access to CLEAN genetics — seeds or clones — is the biggest determining factor.
3. Scale is what makes things difficult, whether it’s 1000 clones or 1000 seeds.
4. Like clones, seed source is the limitation — how were they made, how was parental selection done, were parents tested, was all of this correctly shared with the grower/purchaser
5. Facility Decision on seeds vs clones comes down to clean access, propagation skill, and cultivation strategy
6. Timeline is about the same for seed/clone for production; changes if factoring in mothering and hunting time
7. You will notice a different vigor from seed.
8. #1 risk growing from seed is pollination — growers losing crop…