Selecting champion phenotype

Hello growers,
I have flowering to finish, and then Im in search of keeper plant for mother. I have some questions about what characteristcs are you looking for in veg? Lets say i planted 10 plants and they are ready to go in flower, do you take clones from all 10 and then wait for final results or do you left one most vigourous plant in veg? General question how to decide what plant from 10 is champion without knowing the flower quality and yield?

in an ideal world yes, you take them from plants in growth, and they would then go into a 18=24 hr light cycle and the plants you took them from willgo into flower. then when fully flowered you then dry them and sample the smoke fronm them, and you will know if the plant is a good one or not so strong
thats for plant smoke strength.
the other is chooseing a pheno from a single strain, within the seeds will grow plants that look differant to one another, you then choose one that has the atributes your looking for.#
but yes you must take cuttings b4 flowering if you dont want to reveg her
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