Page 17 - Griffin Gazette Issue 3 - 2021
P. 17
WHAT TYPES OF QUESTIONS WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE
DO PEOPLE TYPICALLY HAVE BETWEEN SEED AND CLONE
ABOUT CANNABIS AND HEMP PRODUCTION?
PRODUCTION?
Cannabis growers often talk about
People generally want to know a couple “clones”, which we don’t hear about
of different things. First, people want to as much in the production of other
understand how cannabis and hemp crops. Clones are cuttings, vegetatively
production is structured. They’ve heard propagated, and all are genetically
of “flowering” and “vegetative” stages, identical. This can be both an advantage
but what does that mean? People will and disadvantage. A big advantage here
also ask questions about what cannabis would be that commercial growers can
propagation and harvest or yield looks achieve consistency in their product.
like. A few other commons topics are Consistency is much needed when
pest control, as well as plant nutrition and it comes to commercial production.
understanding equipment needs. However, a disadvantage would be
that genetically identical plants tend to
be susceptible to the same types of
WHAT GROWTH STAGES problems such as disease or nutritional
DO HEMP AND CANNABIS sensitivities. Seeds, on the other hand,
GO THROUGH DURING are often not genetically identical when
PRODUCTION?
it comes to cannabis. Growers will often
use seeds for “pheno hunting”, when
they are searching for new varieties of
Growers start at the clone or seedling
interest. Other crops have undergone
stage, where they nurture young plants in
years-long breeding programs
large numbers and smaller spaces. The
specifically to stabilize genetics for
crop then moves to the vegetative stage,
seed production; the cannabis industry
where growth is focused on leave and
has not yet reached that point in
branching development under a long-
development.
day photo period of 16 or more hours.
The final growth stage is flowering, when
growers “flip” to a 12-hour photo period
and initiate flower production.
GRIFFIN GAZETTE 2021 | 17