Your production starts from certified seed, every cycle, without exception. This regulatory constraint is not merely administrative: it changes the nature of your batch, and therefore the way you manage it. This step covers how starting a crop actually works within that framework, and the variability you have to learn to steer rather than endure.
What a mandatory start from seed changes
A crop grown from clones starts with a genetically identical batch: same vigour, same speed, same maturity date. Everything that follows can be managed uniformly, because the plants are uniform.
A batch grown from seed is not uniform. Even within a certified variety, individuals differ: some emerge faster, grow taller, flower earlier. This spread is normal and expected; it is how a population behaves, not a flaw in your management.
The practical consequence runs through the rest of the course. You will not be managing an average plant, you will be managing a population with its extremes: the luminaires are set from the tallest plants, the containers are sized from the most vigorous, and the harvest is planned around the spread of maturity dates.
