Female. Male. Mother I've read like 4 articles all with diff info. I think some confuse mother and female and that's my issue. Can anyone tell me what I would want to grow and why? What are the pro's/con's on each?
A female plant is what you want to grow. A mother is a female plant that you take clones off of. Any female plant can be a mother. A male plant is a pest in your garden. They don't produce much THC and pollinate your crop. If you find one kill it unless you want harsh, seed-filled weed.
You flower them. 12/12 light cycle as apposed to 18/6. A mother is just a female that you intentionally keep in veg to take clones from as azzgrassman said.
You can clip as many times as you want. Just let her grow new branches. You can technically keep the mother alive 3 to 4 years, but the clones produce weaker bud every generation.
As long as you keep a mother plant in at least 18 hours of light you can continually take cuttings from it. Once it flowers rooting success rates go down. I'd advise growing from seed and avoiding taking cuttings or making clones until you're a more confident grower. When you start out its always best to keep it simple.