Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds
Home growing cannabis enthusiasts can choose from various types of cannabis seeds, one being autoflower weed seeds. This kind of cannabis seed is one of the quickest and easiest weed seeds to grow, making it a popular choice amongst novice growers to slowly dive into the art of cannabis cultivation. Autoflowering cannabis seeds are a hit in the cannabis community because autoflower cannabis plants can harvest in as little as eight to ten
weeks after sprouting! The name auto flower speaks to the species ability to automatically flower regardless of its light cycle, or how much sunlight and darkness it has been exposed to. Autoflower seeds are pretty easy to get your hands on but you will need some pretty high quality seeds to set the standard in your grow garden. Be sure you are purchasing from our EF420 website where we sell high quality products to our thousands of customers that trust us to deliver directly to their door safe and sound. The benefits of working with autoflowering cannabis seeds are hard to beat and you should know exactly how to best utilize this type of cannabis seed to get as much yield as you can. Safe to say it is a good idea to add a few different autoflowering cannabis seeds to cart and give it a go, in one month’s time you might just become the next cannabis cultivator extraordinaire!
Why use autoflowering cannabis seeds?
If you are intrigued by the process of growing cannabis but always thought it was too difficult to attempt, autoflowering cannabis seeds were especially made for you. Autoflower cannabis seeds come from the cannabis ruderalis plant, and are known for being a pretty resilient plant species in having to evolve over time to adapt to harsh weather conditions. Native to parts of Asia and Central/Eastern Europe, the cannabis ruderalis plant had to learn quickly how to survive in low levels of light, cold temperatures, strong winds, and so on. Almost completely removing different stressors that involve growing a plant, autoflower seeds give growers so many perks when it comes to growing it as compared to a regular or feminized seed. Autoflower cannabis seeds are some of the newest generation of cannabis seeds available on the market today and should be the most attractive type of seed to beginner growers especially.
Pros and cons of autoflower cannabis seeds
There are upsides and downsides when it comes to using any type of cannabis seed, but autoflowering cannabis seeds have several benefits that other types of weed seeds cannot offer. The perfect type of cannabis seed will truly depend on your situation, specifically regarding: indoor or outdoor setup, how wide the grow space will be, how many weeks/months you have to grow cannabis, etc. Not every seed is one size fits all, but with autoflower seeds you can at least try to find the perfect seed for your home growing situation.
Autoflower seeds offer quick harvest times
A lot of us do not have the stamina to go several months waiting for our cannabis plants to harvest, and until auto flower seeds popped up on the scene in the home growing game, there wasn’t much of an option. Compared to having to wait at least four months for cannabis plants to become mature and harvest, autoflower weed seeds are a serious game changer when it cuts growth cycle times by more than half. It can typically take auto flower seeds around eight to ten weeks to fully harvest after germination, so about two or two and a half months if you play your cards right. Photoperiod seeds that take several months to grow and harvest depend on their light cycle schedule, or the amount of sunlight and darkness the plant will receive. Auto flower seeds have become so popular amongst cannabis home growers thanks to a significantly shorter life span, allowing users to grow more and at a much quicker pace than they would with feminized seeds. Even those who do not have the greenest of thumbs will still be able to keep an autoflower seed alive just long enough for them to do their thing by themselves, which makes this the perfect plant to get for someone who has lost all hope in becoming a plant parent.
High CBD content in autoflowering weed seeds
Autoflower seeds have a fair amount of CBD in comparison to other photoperiod type strains. With the presence of CBD, the mix of both cannabinoids creates a very functional high and a big reason why many are drawn to auto flower seeds is because of the nicely balanced effect that autoflowering seeds can produce. While some prefer more of the psychoactive ingredient for a more potent effect on the mind and body, autoflower weed seeds offer a steady high that can hype you up for the day or wind you down for a night in.
Autoflower seeds produce lower yields
It is important to note that while autoflower seeds are excellent plants for low maintenance growers, it does come with the downside of not producing as much yield as a photoperiod seed would. The quicker a cannabis plant grows, there will not be much time to grow to its full potential without the time and extra nutrients to do so. Similar to sativa plants, autoflower seeds grow pretty short, stocky and thick with the advantage that its full growth cycle is typically shorter than indica seeds.
Perpetual harvests, but no recovery time
Most autoflower weed seeds are the gift that keeps on giving once it starts to grow, since it can grow any time of the year without much maintenance like you would need to with photoperiod feminized cannabis seeds. Perpetual harvests occur when a grower can continuously germinate autoflowering cannabis seeds and time it so that each growth cycle starts when the previous plant starts to harvest. This allows growers to be in continuous supply and never have to worry about lower yields anyway since perpetual harvests are in constant flow and produce cannabis like clockwork. The downside to autoflower seeds having a quick growth cycle and ability to perpetually harvest all year long, is that auto flower seeds will not have any time to recover in the way that photoperiod feminized seeds do with a slower growth cycle. Growers can very easily make costly errors when working with autoflower weed seeds because anything that can affect the growth process will not have enough time to bounce back the way photoperiod cannabis seeds can with the extra several weeks to mend any damage or mistreatment to the plant.
Working with autoflowering cannabis seeds comes with advantages and disadvantages depending on a grower’s experience, growth space, growth techniques, and so on. While auto flower seeds can grow very quickly and often in half the amount of time as feminized photoperiod cannabis seeds, they will not produce as much yield as a photoperiod seed would. But who needs a lot of yield when autoflower seeds can continuously produce for you in as little as two month’s time. Autoflower seeds are an excellent choice for those that would like the combination of CBD to get a functional and sustainable high going.
Why are autoflowering cannabis seeds so resilient?
The background history with auto flower seeds is an excellent example of adaptation and evolution. The cannabis ruderalis plant is a ruderal species that grows in areas that have been disturbed and then left alone, and over time the species grew resilient through harsh winters in Russia, Central and East Europe, and parts of Asia. Growing anything in these climates during the harsh winter months is difficult but auto flower seeds really showed out and proved how durable they can be and adapt when necessary. Today, auto flower seeds can be found online and in stores but previously the cannabis ruderalis plant was known as wild cannabis and was not as easily accessible if not naturally growing in your region. Shortened growth cycles with autoflower weed seeds allow even novice home growers the chance to grow their own cannabis, and no matter the season so you can pick up a hobby growing autoflower seeds any time of the year.
What to choose? Compare our cannabis seed strains!
If you are indecisive with your life choices and don’t have a clue about what type of auto flower seeds you need to kickstart that hobby as a home grower, you have come to the right place! We think all of our cannabis seed collections are stellar thanks to our team fully vetting each brand and batch received to ensure nothing but high quality products, but there are a few auto flower seeds that stand out from the crowd. Choose from classic strains to give that extra nostalgic feeling that comes with a home grown high, or go with a completely new strain you’ve never heard of before for a unique and organic experience. The options are endless when it comes to choosing a cannabis strain, especially with the various types of strains like photoperiod feminized and auto flower seeds. While each have upsides and downsides when using cannabis seed strains to grow at home, it is a fantastic user-friendly way to dip your toes into learning how to cultivate your own weed.
| Linked name of the product | Blend |
Flavor |
Indoor/Outdoor | Season of the year (for summer, for winter, etc.) | Storage method | Level (for beginners, etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Dream Autoflower Seeds | Sativa Dominant Hybrid (Blueberry x Haze) | Citrus, floral, earthy | Indoor or Outdoors | Perfect for any season | Keep autoflower seeds stored in a sealed container and in a cool, dry place | Autoflowering is for beginner to expert level growers |
| Bruce Banner Autoflower Seeds | Sativa Dominant Hybrid (Strawberry Diesel x OG Kush) | Fruity and earthy | Indoor or Outdoors | Perfect for any season | Keep autoflower seeds stored in a sealed container and in a cool, dry place | Autoflowering is for beginner to expert level growers |
| Girl Scout Cookies Autoflower Seeds | Indica Dominant Hybrid (Durban Poison x OG Kush) | Minty, chocolate, pungent skunk profile | Indoor or Outdoors | Perfect for any season | Keep autoflower seeds stored in a sealed container and in a cool, dry place | Autoflowering is for beginner to expert level growers |
| Durban Poison Autoflower Seeds | Sativa | Candied lemons | Indoor or Outdoors | Perfect for any season | Keep autoflower seeds stored in a sealed container and in a cool, dry place | Autoflowering is for beginner to expert level growers |
| Gorilla Glue 4 Autoflower Seeds | Sativa Dominant Hybrid | Coffee, chocolate | Indoor or Outdoors | Perfect for any season | Keep autoflower seeds stored in a sealed container and in a cool, dry place | Autoflowering is for beginner to expert level growers |
Autoflowering cannabis seeds vs Regular cannabis seeds
If you haven’t already figured this out by now, autoflowering cannabis seeds are much different than other cannabis seeds available to home growing enthusiasts. Although you might prefer a certain cannabis seed over the other, getting a grasp on the different types of cannabis seeds gives home growers a better look into the science behind the magic. So what are the key differences between auto flowering cannabis seeds and regular cannabis seeds?
Regular cannabis seeds produce male plants too
When Rexx Life Raj said, “All that I’m asking is that you help me find the beauty in the madness” our stoner minds instantly take us to the joy of working with regular cannabis seeds and the chaos that comes with it as well. Since regular cannabis seeds are 100% natural with no curated genetics, there is a 50/50 chance of producing male and female plants. For growers that are experienced on a comfortable level of confidence to breed their own strains, regular cannabis seeds is the best choice because having a mix of male and female plants is the quickest way to start cross-breeding strains. Autoflower seeds do not produce male plants or seeds, meaning they would not be able to create a new strain with the male pollen needed to pollinate the female plant.
Autoflowering seeds have a higher germination success rate
Not only are auto flower seeds resilient and can get through (most) extreme climates and weather conditions, since autoflower plants do not produce male seeds, the grower has a much higher success rate in planting female seeds to move on to the flowering stage. When working with autoflowering seeds, growers never have to worry or think twice if they mistook a male seed for a female seed (it is a common mistake with regular cannabis seeds).
Autoflowering cannabis seed vs feminized cannabis seeds
Sometimes, there are many different ways of maximizing yield or encouraging extra growth and this is all thanks to feminized cannabis seeds. The name is exactly what it suggests, cannabis seeds that are only female so only flowering plants will come from feminized seeds. But how is it possible to only produce feminized seeds and female plants when everyone knows the male is needed to successfully breed? Cannabis growers figured out a way to get female plants to produce pollen, whether by stopping ethylene chemical levels that encourages female plants to produce sacs, or completely done by Mother Nature where unfertilized cannabis plants can sometimes morphe itself to produce feminized seeds if there is a very deep desire to adapt and procreate. Feminized cannabis seeds have the ability to produce “female pollen”, which is the female version of a pollen sac used to fertilize female flower plants and reproduce.
Feminized seeds can only grow female plants
Knowing how to work with feminized seeds are important because they are what produces feminized plants to continue reproduction of cannabis seeds. While feminized plants were not created with cannabis plants originally, the technique was already widely popular within the agricultural community. In earlier times, feminized seeds used to be much more expensive than regular or even autoflower seeds. Now, home growers have a wide range of options to see what works best for them and their growth space.
Feminized seeds grow similar to regular cannabis seeds
Autoflower seeds definitely hold a reputation for growing fairly quickly and in half the amount of time as regular cannabis seeds. Feminized cannabis seeds have a growth cycle similar to regular cannabis seeds, where you can take more time in caring for feminized plants in the vegetation stage than you would with any kind of auto flower seeds. Feminized seeds give growers the option of having the best of both worlds, combining the upsides of regular seeds (longer grow time to get bigger and nurture) with the convenience similar to auto flower seeds in knowing that the seeds you germinate will only produce female plants.
How to grow autoflowers?
Learning how to grow autoflower weed seeds has a much easier learning curve as compared to growing regular cannabis seeds. The information required to grow other types of seeds is something that is probably learned best in real time and actually growing a weed seed, but with autoflower seeds they are pretty straight forward and literally anyone with internet can learn how to do this. Even if you have a black thumb, learning how to grow autoflowers might convince you that not all hope is lost. Since the life cycle of an autoflower seed is pretty short, all you need to do is follow week by week to understand what you should pay attention to without overwhelming yourself with too much information.
Week 1: Germination Stage
Whether using the paper towel method or potting method, the germination stage is the first and most important because it will determine the quality of life of the seed. It is recommended to produce a humid and dark environment during the germination phase so that it can properly sprout, or you can always pot it directly into the pot of soil to avoid transplant shock. Remember to bury the seed tipped end downwards as this is where the sprouting and seedling phase will occur. Humidity should be at least 70% and should germinate anywhere between one to three days, sometimes up to a few weeks with other types of cannabis seeds.
Week 2: Seedling Stage
After photosynthesis occurs, a seedling should emerge and it is time to continue giving light source to the autoflowering seeds. Providing additional nutrients for the seedlings without overdoing it so that it can slowly continue consuming nutrients early on. Make sure the potting soil used during this entire process contains perlite, vermiculture, peat moss, nitrogen, and other additional stuff like fungi and compost to make the soil full of plant food that the seedling would love to move in to and call home.
Week 3 - 4: Vegetation Stage
This part of the growth cycle involves watering everyday and feeding the plant with nutrients about twice a week, but it is best to feed intuitively by checking in on the plant daily to monitor its condition. You should see a decently sized plant, at least six inches of growth, and well on its way to flowering! Humidity can be reduced to about 50% and watering about half a liter per auto flower plant every day. This stage is important because it shows the plant that it chose a good home to thrive in and you are ready to help it grow and produce high quality buds.
Week 5 - 6: Flowering Stage
This is where the exciting stuff starts to happen. Increasing water in week 5 and just a bit more in week 6 will help with encouraging its growth to fully bloom. You will see sticky buds start to appear but this is just the beginning to a long few weeks of waiting for final yields. This is the part where you can start to kick back and relax, and know that your efforts are about to pay off in a few weeks!
Week 7: Check on plants, maintenance week
There is not much to do during this week, but still an important week to be part of. Similarly to preparing a mother for birth the week prior to her due date, nothing will really happen the week before but it is best to have the downtime before the chaos begins. Monitoring the cannabis plants and making sure they are free of insects, well fed and watered will make all the difference in harvest quality later on.
Week 8 - 9: Defoliate and flush of toxins
This is the time where you start to give water and only water to the plants from here on out. Flushing or flooding the plant with water will help to remove unwanted chemicals that we don’t want your plant to soak up. Defoliating means to trim the small fan leaves so that the buds can get extra sunlight and limit the risk of mold development. Remember not to flood the plant too much but do it at least once then make an assessment in the next week or two regarding the condition of the plant.
Week 10 - 12: Harvest Stage
While this is a loose estimate, some auto flowering cannabis plants can take up to 15 weeks to fully harvest and you do not want to rush this process as it directly affects the quality of the buds. No matter how long it takes, be proud of yourself for getting to this stage and know you are well on your way to enjoying your own supply! There are other tips and tricks to know about when harvesting and preparing buds to be smoke ready, but when it comes to the harvest stage in a plant cycle there is not much you can do but facilitate a healthy and happy environment for the cannabis plants to become ready to harvest.
Learning how to grow autoflower is not difficult but it is important to pay attention to the condition of each plant so they can get the best care possible. Depending on the cannabis seed strain, certain auto flower weed seeds can take up to 15 weeks and that just means they need extra time to mature and come full term. Growing auto flowers can be a great hobby to have because the ability to perpetually harvest allows home growing enthusiasts to produce their own supply and never have to step foot in a dispensary unless they want variety.
FAQ
How much do autoflower seeds yield?
You’d be surprised at how much autoflowering cannabis seeds can actually yield, even if an auto flower plant is smaller in size. Generally, autoflower weed seeds will produce smaller plants that won’t grow as much flower as regular seeds can, but on average one auto flower plant can produce between one to two ounces of flower. Compared to regular cannabis seeds that can produce several ounces at a time, auto flower seeds might not yield as many buds as you dreamed of. However, because auto flower seeds have the ability to perpetually harvest, there is no reason a home grower should be running out of weed if they are continuously germinating new auto flower seeds to begin its growth cycle. Autoflower seeds only take between 8-10 weeks to fully flower and show yields, so growers don’t have much time in between growth cycles which helps most growers to stay on track in keeping bud production at an all-time high. There are some autoflowering cannabis seeds that claim to have the highest yield for autoflower strains, and while this can be true, most of auto flower seed success comes from prepping its surrounding conditions properly for optimal growth. The number one reason for an auto flower seed to produce low yields is the amount of stress it has been exposed to. Similar to humans, auto flower seeds don’t like to experience high stress situations like being repotted several times. Auto flower seeds will experience stress during transplant shock, so it is best to grow auto flower seeds straight from the container so that the seeds feel comfortable in growing properly. Avoiding other training methods like topping or SCROG techniques will help an autoflower seed to produce higher yields, and this is because autoflowers have such a short life span it only makes sense to leave it and do its thing without attempting to stunt its growth.
How much light do autoflowering seeds need?
Autoflowering cannabis seeds love the sunlight!While auto flower seeds can grow even in the toughest conditions with very light sunlight, autoflower weed seeds do love direct sunlight whenever possible. Depending on the strain growing, most growers will research accordingly to see the range of daylight hours their autoflower seeds should be exposed to. Best case scenario, auto flower seeds can get up to 18-24 hours of light a day if it is lucky! The four most common light schedules are as follows, so if a full 24 hours of light is not possible then try one of these to keep your autoflower plant on track. Growers follow a daylight/darkness ratio, like 24/0, 20/4, 18/6, and 12/12. While regular cannabis seeds and feminized cannabis seeds are considered photoperiod seeds and absolutely rely on their light cycles, autoflower seeds can have much more leniency with its light schedules and accommodate to its surrounding environment. Autoflower seeds have the incredible ability to flourish even without much sunlight, so other factors like overwatering or other high stress contributors would be the reason for its demise over its light cycle. Since auto flower seeds do not so much rely on sunlight this makes it easier for home growers to create their auto flower weed seed space pretty much anywhere!
What soil should I use for autoflowering seeds?
Plants can be pretty needy but when you start to speak its language and understand what each seed needs, you’d be pleasantly surprised at how quickly any kind of seed can grow. Autoflowering seeds, like any other type of seed, have specific soil mixture ratios that will help the seeds to be its best and grow in its most prime condition. Depending on the growth space and environment, pH levels, fertilizers, etc. there are a lot of factors that go into knowing what is the best kind of soil for autoflower seeds. Using soil that is most helpful to autoflower seeds can actually increase yields exponentially as this sets up each seed for success with the best nutrients possible.
Organic soil is always an excellent way to feed your plant, but using additives to organic soil will only help with a plant’s success. Now, the trick is to know what kind of additives to throw in with organic soil, as different nutrients assist with full growth and maturing terpene profiles. The best ratios for autoflowering cannabis soil is to try the following: equal parts of peat moss/coco peat/coir, perlite, and compost. This might all sound extremely confusing but there are good reasons as to why organic soil must be upgraded with these extras. There are pros and cons using any type of additives in soil, and depending on the type of autoflower seed you’re growing it will make a big difference in results. For instance, coco fiber is pretty cheap and easy to use and its sole purpose is to hold water better for the plant while increasing aeration. However, to find a high quality coco fiber can be difficult. Coco peat is made from the husks of coconuts and coco coir is made from the fibers, and both help plants retain water. Perlite also increases aeration and helps to keep the plant’s pH balance, which will help increase soil fertility.
What is the optimal temperature and humidity to grow autoflowers?
Cannabis plants go through different stages during the growth cycle, from germination, to seedling, to vegetative to flowering. At these points in its growth cycle, it is important to have optimal humidity and temperatures to put the autoflower plant in the best environment possible. After the germination phase and into the seedling stage, an autoflower seed has not established a root system which helps the plant to absorb water. This creates a huge need for high humidity so that the plant can absorb water through its own leaves. Holding humidity temperatures between 60% and 70% during the seedling stage, then slowly decreasing humidity levels by 5% each week when going into the vegetation phase. As the auto flower seeds move later into their growth cycle, humidity levels will be casually lower but still staying well above 40% up until the flowering period. During the flowering period, humidity levels will need to be lowered significantly and reduced to less than 50% humidity. At the end of its growth cycle, humidity levels should be around 30% to 40% to fully maximize yield potential. Autoflowers can also grow in less than ideal environments that lack a lot of humidity or there is none in the winter, and so on. Autoflowering cannabis seeds are highly adaptable and while these cannabis seeds appreciate light and humidity, it will still be able to grow without it.
What kind of nutrients do autoflowers require?
If you have some kind of planting experience, there are always recommendations when it comes to NPK ratios, or nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). This usually occurs during the vegetative stage, as there is naturally the right amount of nutrients (especially Nitrogen) if you are planting with premium soil. Depending on the strain, it is important to know what ratios to give your plant baby so that it can grow in the way it was intended to. Autoflowering seeds make it much easier on home growers in the sense that their growth cycle is so short that they don’t necessarily need as much tending to as other types of seeds. It is best to add the right amount of nutrients when first planting the seeds so that it can grow correctly right from the start, and for auto flower seeds any kind of premium soil should have the proper NPK ratios it needs for a successful growth.
Depending on the type of autoflowering cannabis seeds you’re working with, you can research specifically what additional nutrients the seeds might require or respond to, but if you are a lazy plant parent or just trying this out for the first time as a trial and error experiment, give any kind of premium soil that your local shop recommends and if you’re feeling chatty you can always ask them if they know about growing autoflowering cannabis seeds so they can give you tips and tricks specifically for the region you reside.
What kind of water is necessary for autoflowers?
Water is something most people don’t think about as we have all kinds of water sources available at our disposal. But when you are trying to grow autoflower weed seeds, it does make a difference to pay attention to the type of water the auto flower seeds will consume. The three most important factors in the entire home growing journey of any plant is water, light, and air. If using contaminated water, of course the plant or individual consuming that water will be affected with whatever contaminants are present. It is best to always make sure that a clean water source is used and you can even step it up a few levels by using distilled water for auto flower seeds to thrive. Especially since autoflower weed seeds have such a short life cycle, feeding autoflower plants distilled water will assist with nutrient absorption and gives you much more control over the plant’s nutrition. Distilled water also helps in reducing any chance of bacteria appearing from water sources that you might not even know has contaminants. Depending on where you live, some tap water sources have an improper pH balance and are full of unwanted heavy metals and minerals (or lack of) that distilled water can take care of seamlessly. Autoflower plants are pretty easy to water since they are small and manageable, so using distilled water jugs might work a lot easier than using the hose with running tap water.
What is the way to germinate autoflower seeds?
There are a few ways to germinate autoflowering cannabis seeds, but sometimes you just need to simplify a process that does not need to be complicated. Although there are several methods to germinating a seed, there are certain methods that might prove to work better than others, and if you are interested in experimenting those different methods it might be fun to try two methods at the same time with separate seeds from the same batch of seeds so you know the seed quality is the same. The first easy method is the wet paper towel method, and the second is planting directly into the soil. Both are easy and do not require additional germination kids or other setups that can add up in cost.
The paper towel method involves wetting two paper towels so that they are damp but not soaking wet. The point of this method is to create a humid environment for the seeds to sense it is time to germinate and sprout, but it will not work well if the seeds drown out before they get a chance at life. Placing one damp towel into a container, place the auto flower seeds on the towel about an inch or two apart depending on how large the container is and how many seeds there are to germinate. Place the second damp towel on top of the seeds so that the damp towels are sandwiching the seeds. Cover the container loosely and place in a cool and dark space, and in just a few days to a couple of weeks the autoflower weed seeds should start to sprout and show signs of success that it is ready to transplant and start its seedling journey!
Another method is to plant directly into the growing medium or pot of soil the seeds will grow in. Doing this avoids transplant shock which can easily happen to autoflower seeds and limit its chances at a successful growth cycle. There are a few tips to planting an autoflowering cannabis seed correctly:
- Plant the autoflower seed with the crown pointing upwards (tipped end down) so that the cotyledons (or leaves) come out of.
- The more moisture and humidity an autoflower seed absorbs, the better. Without drowning the seeds, keeping it well hydrated and damp will ensure a healthy life cycle
- Bury the autoflower seed into the soil at two centimeters deep, as burying too deep might stunt its development and not burying deep enough will cause it to develop a weak stem and stunt the plant’s growth as well.
Do not crowd a pot with too many seeds as multiple root systems do not like to share space and nutrients. The last thing you want is for your autoflower seeds to be fighting with one another for nutrients to stay alive, so having decent space with room to grow is the best way to increase the success of germination. It is important to germinate autoflower weed seeds properly because this will determine the outcome of that seed’s life cycle and ability to produce quality yields.
How long does an autoflower take?
Depending on the autoflower cannabis strain, on average it might take an autoflower between 8 to 10 weeks, sometimes up to 15 weeks to go from seed to harvest. For example, many sativa strains tend to harvest a lot quicker than indica strains, and with hybrid strains there will be a shift in growth cycle because of its plant parents. Auto flower is notoriously known for growing from seed to harvest in half the time as regular or feminized seeds, so even if there are strains that take up to 15 weeks to fully harvest, that same strain as a feminized or regular cannabis seed would take much longer. If you are looking for strains that take the least amount of time to deliver the goods, go for full sativa strains that should harvest in as little as 8 to 10 weeks. If you are fine with taking your time and not constrained by an extra month or two of the home growing process, look for a pure indica autoflowering weed seed that will most likely take longer than the average auto flower seed to fully grow. Sometimes growing autoflower seeds indoors and giving them 24 hours of light can speed up the process, so consider these factors when determining how long your specific autoflower seed might take to grow to full harvest.
Are autoflowering seeds female?
It can get quite confusing if starting out as a beginner home grower and learning the ropes between the different types of cannabis seeds. While there are major differences between autoflowering weed seeds and feminized weed seeds, it is important to understand that autoflowering seeds will always be female thus making them feminized as well. Are you still confused? Probably, but it’s understandable without the proper breakdown.
Feminized seeds will always be female and are feminized because it was made by a female plant with female pollen, thus only able to produce female plants which guarantees flowering and harvest. Feminized seeds are photoperiod seeds and require much different light cycles and additional care with a longer growth cycle than autoflowers, which is where they differ. Autoflowers relate to feminized seeds in the sense that they will only produce female plants as well since autoflowers will always go through a vegetative, flowering and harvest stage as long as they are healthy and not under stress. It is best to remember that only female cannabis plants can produce flowers, which is why most home growing enthusiasts prefer feminized or autoflower seeds over regular cannabis seeds due to the high chances of each batch containing male seeds that won’t grow.
How to grow autoflowering seeds indoors?
One of the main deciding factors when home growers are working with autoflowering weed seeds is its ability to grow successfully indoors. You don’t need an entire room to grow auto flower seeds (if you want to, that's up to you but it’s not a requirement), so finding space in your current living area shouldn’t be something to stress over. The biggest difference between growing indoors vs outdoors are various elements that can be controlled inside, like the lighting, temperature, protection from insects and bugs, etc. The process for knowing how to grow autoflowering seeds indoors involves knowing the steps of the auto flower seeds life cycle and letting them do its thing. The life cycle of a cannabis seed is:
- Week 1: Germination phase
- Week 2: Seedling phase
- Week 3 - 4: Vegetation phase
- Week 5 - 6: Flowering phase
- Week 7: Maintain plant environment, monitor nutrient levels
- Week 8 - 9: Defoliate and flush with water to clear out any chemicals
- Week 10 - 12: Harvest phase!
If you are a beginner home grower, this might seem daunting to you but with more research and a few tutorial videos you will be well on your way to becoming an expert at knowing how to grow autoflowering seeds indoors. Pay attention to week 7 to week 9, where growers must maintain a healthy environment for the plant to continue growing. Sometimes, plants need extra nutrients or additional care so this part of the life cycle is essential in determining the quality of plant yield.
Defoliating and flushing is another important part in preparing the plant for harvest because this is the point in time that home growers stop giving the plant anything else but water. Flushing the water by flooding it with water with literally flushing extra chemicals that the plant should not soak up, and helping to prepare itself for a full bloom without any type of chemicals fighting to contaminate that. Defoliating an auto flower plant helps it to absorb more light and encourage continuous growth so that it can move through to the next phase of harvesting.
How to grow autoflowering seeds outdoors?
Are you trying to take a stab at growing autoflowering seeds outdoors? It is not much more difficult than growing autoflower seeds indoors, but there are certain factors you must be aware of that a typical indoor home grower would not need to pay attention to. Autoflower weed seeds actually prefer direct sunlight, so although growing indoors has its perks in customizing the lighting, there is nothing like some organic vitamin D. The same life cycle applies for growing auto flower seeds outdoors, but consider the following tips so that you can create the best growing environment for your cannabis plant babies outside.
If you are growing autoflowering seeds outdoors, the most ideal time of the year is from mid-summer to late-summer, as this is the prime time growing season and you know there should be plenty of natural light. Making sure the pot(s) that each autoflower seed will grow in has the proper drainage holes at the bottom to help with airflow. Again, it is best to plant once and not transplant an autoflowering seed as it has a good chance of not surviving a second transplant and so on.
Auto flower seeds should take in about 8 hours of sunlight per day, although they can get up to 24 hours of sunlight if you are lucky enough to live somewhere that experiences those long summer days. If exposing auto flower weed seeds to direct sunlight and a lot of it, please be sure to water consistently everyday, without overdoing it and drowning out the plant. The most important time to make sure water levels are sufficient is during the first week of planting, then afterwards it is pretty much all about maintenance. While auto flower seeds might take slightly longer to harvest when growing outdoors, it is nothing to be concerned over and definitely won’t take as long as most photoperiod strains.
When do you harvest autoflowering cannabis plants?
Any time between 8 weeks and 15 weeks is the amount of time it can take for an autoflowering cannabis plant to fully harvest. Depending on the cannabis strain and how well it has been treated throughout its growth cycle, home growers can expect to start the harvest stage in as little as two months from germination. Defoliating is a sign that the harvest stage is about to begin, when you see leaves that should be cut down and removed for extra sunlight to be absorbed. But the harvesting stage doesn’t mean that you can grind some up and roll into a joint right then and there, so paying attention to certain aspects of the flower growth will be a telling sign of when to begin the harvest stage.
Looking at the flowers' trichomes will give home growers an indication on how ready the flowers really are. When trichomes are cloudy, it means that the trichomes are at full maturity and ready for harvest. If clear trichomes are present, trichomes are still maturing and the harvest stage should be delayed until the trichomes become more cloudy. Trichomes are what delivers the potency of cannabis and flavor profiles within a cannabis strain, and the more mature trichomes become the more potent an auto flower plant will be compared to a pre-mature trichome filled flower.
