Growing Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds [Guide]

Do you desperately want a cannabis garden but don’t have the time to dedicate? If so, autoflowering seeds are potentially the answer to your prayers! These unique strains flower automatically rather than waiting for a specific lighting cycle. Generally speaking, your plants will begin flowering after a vegetative stage of just 2-4 weeks.

The autoflowering phenomenon has only gained traction in recent years. Strains of this nature include Cannabis ruderalis genetics, a species of marijuana first described by D. E. Janischewsky, a Russian botanist, in 1924. When you cross ruderalis genetics with indica or sativa varieties, you get plants that grow and flower without intervention.

This guide outlines everything you need to know about autoflowering cannabis seeds. This includes tips on growing them, pros and cons, and five of the best strains on the market.

Autoflowering Cannabis: What Is It?

With regular ‘photoperiod’ marijuana plants, an outdoor grower must rely on the seasons. Meanwhile, an indoor grower must change their lighting cycle. For instance, to force your plants to enter the flowering stage, you need to create a 12/12 light cycle. The change in light duration lets the plants think winter is coming, and it starts flowering accordingly.

As the name suggests, autoflowering marijuana strains flower automatically rather than waiting for a specific light cycle. These plants produce buds when they are ready, which means there is no reason to mess with your lighting.

While the yield and potency of photoperiod weed remain higher, the gap is closing. As breeding techniques become more advanced, it is now possible to produce autoflowering marijuana strains with significantly increased levels of THC.  They also produce far bigger yields.

For example, strains such as Amnesia Haze Automatic produce up to 14 ounces of bud per square meter planted. Royal Gorilla Automatic contains up to 20% THC. With fewer disadvantages than ever before, it is no wonder that ‘auto’ plants are becoming increasingly popular.

It takes as little as eight weeks from seed to harvest. Therefore, you can enjoy several batches of autoflowering plants each year. While they were traditionally small and squat, even that aspect is changing. Auto Sweet Soma seeds can produce plants that grow as high as 155cm, for example! You can still get small plants such as Royal Jack Automatic that seldom grows taller than 80cm if you wish.

Your Exclusive Autoflower Grow Guide

When using auto-flowering cannabis seeds, make sure your plants have as much support as possible throughout the process. Ideally, you will begin your autoflower grow indoors with artificial lights you can control. This tactic reduces the likelihood of error and increases the possibility of a strong start.

Autoflowering Marijuana Seeds

Proper germination is pivotal to the healthy development of your autoflower marijuana plants. You can go down the traditional route of using soil or try a container with a growing medium. The paper towel method is probably the easiest way to germinate your autoflower seeds.

After your seeds begin to sprout, the next step involves transplanting them. Ideally, you will only do so once because autoflowering seeds are susceptible to transplanting shock.

Transplanting auto-flowering seeds is more complicated than their photoperiod brethren. However, it is a myth to suggest it is impossible to do so more than once successfully. You can re-pot an autoflower if you are extremely careful. If you need to transplant your autos to a larger pot, make sure they end up in the same soilless growing medium or soil as before. Also, complete the process before their dark period when their growing medium is dry.

Avoid Early Cuttings with Autoflowering Marijuana Strains

We don’t recommend taking cuttings during the early growth stages of auto-flowering weed. The plant will autoflower at a specific point. Therefore, the age of the cutting will merge with the age of the parent plant. This means they will flower at the same time. If you grow a cutting of an auto-flowering plant, the final version is significantly smaller than the parent when it reaches the flowering stage.

Training Your Autoflowering Weed

It is best to complete the training process during the vegetative stage. It is essential to act fast because this stage is only a couple of weeks long in autos. We recommend using a low-stress training (LST) method, such as pulling the plants down sideways to help boost upwards growth. When they start flowering, prune them for up to a week into the flowering stage and do NOT top them.

You shouldn’t prune an auto-flowering plant in the same way as its traditional counterpart. First and foremost, all pruning should begin early in the life cycle, or else you risk hindering its growth.

Best Lighting & Climate for Autoflowering Marijuana Plants

With autos, you are allowing plants to flower when they should be in the vegetative growth stage. This means you can autoflower rather late in the season (September) or very early (March). Please note that the plants can only grow with adequate warmth. Exposure to excessive levels of moisture could result in rot.

We recommend growing autoflowering plants indoors if possible. Ideally, your plants will grow in a room with a temperature of 68-77 degrees Fahrenheit with 50-70% humidity.

Plants with ruderalis genetics are tougher than those without but still require light to produce food for themselves. Many autoflower growers still believe that providing light 24/7 is best for their plants. This process enables them to absorb CO2 during the photosynthesis process continually. Ruderalis plants grew for a long time in the northern hemisphere. In that situation, they were exposed to 24 hours of light a day on occasion.

24-hour lighting will result in fast initial growth. However, it usually slows down after a few weeks because the plant is without adequate rest. The 18/6 schedule offers a delicate balance of plenty of light with ample rest. You also save money on your energy bill! For instance, in one month, using an 18/6 schedule against a 24/0 schedule saves you 180 hours’ worth of light!

The 20/4 schedule is potentially a happy medium. However, the 18/6 option is the most sensible because your plants need a few hours of darkness each day for specific metabolic processes. Whatever additional yield you attain from constant lighting is more than offset by the increase in your lighting bill!

Feeding Your Autoflowering Plants

The latest generation of auto-flowering plants are more prominent than their predecessors and produce a bigger yield. As a result, they need more nutrients than their first-gen counterparts. Even so, on average, an auto-flowering plant still requires fewer nutrients than photoperiod plants. Make sure you water them for the first two weeks as they begin to grow.

There is no need to add nutrients during this period. By week three, you can begin adding nutrients and increase the feeding rate weekly. Remember, the vegetative stage is short, so you need less nitrogen. Light feeding is ideal unless you notice a nutrient deficiency. You’ll need to alter the nutrients once the plant hits the flowering stage.

Harvesting Autoflowering Marijuana Plants

The best method of harvesting auto-flowering plants is to take the colas and allow the lower buds to become denser before harvest. As these plants grow so quickly, they usually don’t have time to develop a canopy. As a result, you need to keep the buds that are lower down on the plant. These days, it isn’t unusual to find automatics that produce up to 22 ounces per square meter.

Since you can grow 4-5 batches a year, it adds up to a lot of buds! We also recommend preparing the next crop as you are harvesting. Pop seeds before you collect your existing plants to ensure your garden is continually producing. The fact is, you don’t need to worry about changing lighting because your plants automatically flower!

Curing & Storing Autoflower Weed Strains

Many of the same drying, curing, and storing rules apply with auto-flowering cannabis plants. You can dry your buds by hanging them upside down for a few days. Store them in airtight containers but ensure there is a bit of space in each jar. Initially, open the jars once a day for a few minutes.

After a week, opening the jars once every 2-3 days will suffice. Your bud is ready for use once there is only a small amount of moisture left. Transport your weed to a sealed container and use it within a few months.

Where to Find Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds

It is relatively easy to buy autoflowering seeds online. There is an increasing number of reputable websites that sell them. Alternatively, you can find them in a local dispensary, but purchasing the best autoflower seeds is a challenge at first.

When making the decision, ask yourself the following questions:

• What level of THCand CBD are you looking for?
• Do you have a preferred taste and aroma?
• What kind of growing conditions will you plant the seeds in?

It is also crucial to purchase feminized seeds. Otherwise, around half of your crop will consist of male plants, which could ruin everything. If you have a small grow room, purchase an indica strain because they usually grow smaller. If you have a larger space, buy sativa autoflower strains. They are typically bigger and provide a higher yield.

Now, let’s take a look at five autoflowering strains worth considering for your cannabis garden.

Five Awesome Autoflowering Strains

1 – Amnesia Haze Auto

Amnesia Haze Automatic combines 30% ruderalis, 20% indica, and 50% sativa genetics. It is a nice option if you want a sativa-dominant strain that doesn’t take forever to flower. By the standards of autoflowering strains, it is a large plant that can reach 120cm in height.

What interests growers is the fact that it can grow from seed to harvest in just ten weeks! In the past, autoflowering strains were fairly weak, but Amnesia Haze Automatic contains up to 18% THC. Its yield is up to 14 ounces per square meter planted, which isn’t a million miles behind many photoperiod strains.

Apparently, it is a crossbreed between The Bomb, Ultra Haze, Champagne Haze, and a few other popular strains. Users claim that it offers a nice sweet and spicy taste. Also, it offers an uplifting cerebral high that can be used to manage the symptoms of depression and perhaps boost your appetite.

2 – White Widow Auto

This autoflowering option is a new cross of White Widow, which is widely regarded as one of the finest strains around. It looks just like its photoperiod counterpart with wide dark green leaves and glistening trichomes. While it has many traits that made its traditional version so popular, the auto version has a total crop time of under 85 days!

The buds provide users with an indica effect, and its woody, intense aroma and taste combine beautifully with a hint of lemon. White Widow Automatic has been bred for several years to ensure genetic stability. The plant can grow to 100cm, although it is more likely to hit 50cm. The overall yield is up to 9 ounces per square meter, although some growers claim they have attained a yield of 16 ounces.

White Widow Automatic is potent, with a THC content of 15-20%, and is often used to help with pain, insomnia, stress, and nausea. For best results, grow it under 24/7 light as much as you can. It is 20% ruderalis, 40% indica, and 40% sativa.

3 – Quick One Auto

Quick One Auto’s creators didn’t take too long to decide the name of this autoflowering strain! It was one of the first members of the Royal Queen Seeds collection and is a cross of Northern Lights, Ruderalis, and The Williams Wonder. It contains 30% ruderalis, 60% indica, and 10% sativa genetics.

When Quick One was released, it was among the fastest-growing strains ever. While there are even quicker growing autos these days, Quick One is still lightning with a total grow time of around 8-9 weeks. However, you may want to give it an extra week for a more mature final plant.

Its yield can reach a decent 12 ounces per meter square indoors but is just 6-7 ounces outdoors. It offers a fresh, herbal aroma with a pleasant taste that has citrus notes. Quick One won’t grow much taller than 50cm, making it ideal if you’re stuck for space. Its THC content of 13% is low by today’s standards, but it is still a good smoke for novices.

4 – Easy Bud Auto

Easy Bud Auto isn’t a household name, which is a great shame. As you can probably guess, it is among the easiest autoflowering strains to grow. Therefore, beginners should be casting their eyes toward it. It is a durable plant, and there are few growing conditions where it won’t provide at least a few grams of high-quality buds.

It was created by breeding an indica-dominant hybrid (possibly White Indica) with an unknown ruderalis plant. It has 30% ruderalis, 55% indica, and 15% sativa genetics. Royal Queen Seeds created it, and its total growing time is 8-9 weeks, whether you grow it indoors or outdoors.

Its height ranges from 40-70cm and works best when using organic nutrients and soil as your growing medium. It doesn’t require many nutrients and thrives under most light sources. It can provide up to four ounces of bud in optimal growing conditions. With a THC content of 12%, it won’t provide a devastatingly potent high, but it is an easygoing smoke that offers decent body intoxication.

5 – Royal Jack Auto

This autoflowering strain is a cross of Jack Herer and a Ruderalis plant. It is named after the legendary activist who wrote The Emperor Wears No Clothes. The strain’s genetic makeup is 30% Ruderalis, 30% Indica, and 40% Sativa. With a total growing time of around nine weeks, you could benefit from several harvests per year if you are motivated.

Royal Jack Auto shouldn’t grow any taller than 80cm, and its yield is around 4-5 ounces per plant. Overall, with a THC content of around 16%, this autoflowering option provides you with a relatively potent, Sativa-dominant high that could boost your level of creativity. Users are also rewarded with a fresh and peppery scent from what is a very satisfying smoke.

The Pros and Cons of Growing Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds

By now, it probably seems like a no-brainer to grow auto-flowering marijuana any chance you get. However, some disadvantages come along with the host of benefits that autoflower strains provide. Here is a brief list of the pros and cons of autoflower marijuana vs. regular marijuana.

Pros of Autoflower Marijuana Strains

Greater Variety

The shorter growing season means you have a higher level of autoflowering varieties. Imagine having the opportunity to grow five different strains in a single season! Multiple harvests are especially useful if you enjoy the growing process and are keen to sample as many marijuana types as possible.

Uncomplicated Setup

If you grow marijuana the traditional way, you’ll typically require a specific grow room and a separate flowering room. With autoflowering weed, you only need a single space. If you have several rooms, you can time your growing to guarantee a harvest every few weeks.

If you grow in a typical manner, you have to ensure your grow room has light-proof sealing. It is a disaster if this gets breached. In contrast, a light leakage has no discernible impact on the flowering stage of your autoflower marijuana.

Durability

As autos contain ruderalis genes, they are more robust than other marijuana plants. Remember, they are based on plants that could grow in harsh Russian weather conditions. A typical cannabis plant will have its flowering and growth phases interrupted if there is a power outage. This fact could play havoc with their growth cycle. You don’t have this problem with an autoflowering plant.

Fast Blooming

There are auto strains with a flowering time of just five weeks! Add in a 2-4-week vegetative stage, and you could theoretically grow a strain from seed to harvest in only seven weeks. Bubble Kush Auto, for example, is ready to collect 7-8 weeks after sprouting. Therefore, you can enjoy multiple harvests each year.

Stealth Growing

While varieties of autoflowering strains are getting bigger, you can still find versions that grow to about 40-50cm. Consequently, you can plant them in a closet, tent, or even on a balcony! You could also hide such a plant in a remote field if the grass is tall enough! Also, autos don’t require a ‘support system’ to hold up long branches that could bend or break as the buds get larger.

No Messing About with Lighting

There is no need to change your light cycle to a 12-12 schedule. Therefore, you can keep a consistent lighting schedule all year round if you wish. With this possibility in mind, you can grow auto-flowering plants at different stages in the same room!

Cons of Autoflower Marijuana Strains

Smaller Yield

The gap between the yield of autos and photoperiod plants has fallen exponentially. At this stage, some auto varieties produce more buds than low-yielding photoperiod plants! However, on average, an autoflowering strain produces less. For instance, Super Critical provides up to 800 grams per square meter. The autoflowering version manages up to 650 grams.

You could argue that autoflowering strains are less efficient than photoperiod cannabis as they require around the same amount of light. However, there isn’t a huge difference anymore, and the convenience offered by autos makes any additional cost worth it.

Lower Potency

Once again, this is becoming less of a problem. For example, Royal Gorilla’s THC content is up to 25%, while the auto version’s THC is 20%. While the photoperiod version is still stronger, the gap is no longer the chasm it once was.

Final Thoughts on Autoflowering Cannabis Strains

The process of using auto-flowering marijuana plants is becoming increasingly popular. It is a technique that enables you to harvest from a seedling within eight weeks. Also, you only need a relatively small space to begin. They are more robust than their photoperiod rivals. Significant improvements in the development process mean that these plants are also producing more potent marijuana along with higher yields.

The number of reasons not to try autoflowering marijuana strains is decreasing by the year. Perhaps you haven’t got enough time on your hands to devote to a photoperiod strain. Alternatively, you like the idea of growing several types of cannabis each year. Whatever your reason, autos are likely the future of marijuana growing.