What Does Autoflowering Mean?
Long ago, there were three major cannabis strains. Cannabis sativa, cannabis indica and cannabis ruderalis. As more and more interest began to surface in cannabis strains that were high THC, cannabis ruderalis began to fade away in obscurity. For centuries it was ignored as the more famous strains began to rise in fame. This was the case until the 1970s when a group of university students tried to crossbreed ruderalis with an unknown high THC cannabis strain. Sadly, the results were ineffective. It wasn’t until the late 90s that the first official autoflower strain was grown. Now this autoflower has disappeared into the land of obscurity, but that hasn't stopped hundreds of new autoflower strains from cropping up all over the land. What autoflowers are, are cannabis plants that will flower without the need to adjust the amount of light they receive. The term used for normal cannabis plants is called photoperiod. This means that the flowers will switch from vegetative mode into their flowering phase according to sunlight or artificial light. If growing outdoors, this is nearing the fall when there is less light due to shorter days and longer nights. Indoors, this is controlled by light switches. With autoflowers there is no need for any of that, all you have to do is plant them in the ground after quick germination and watch them power through and bloom automatically. They really are the most innovative way to grow cannabis since feminization.
Why Grow Autoflowering Cannabis Plants
There are a lot of reasons why you should grow autoflowering cannabis plants. To start off, these little guys never grow much taller than three feet in height, that's not to say that sometimes they don’t become a little taller. These plants enjoy bushing out more than growing tall. This makes autoflowers the perfect size for squeezing them into grow rooms where you might have some extra room but not enough room for a full-sized plant to go. These plants work well in both vegetative rooms and flower rooms. They won’t steal light because they are often very short so you really can place them nearly anywhere you have a little bit of room in the grow. Another reason why autoflowers grow is that they will grow in nearly any condition. You can plant autoflowers in some of the worst conditions both indoor and outdoor and as long as it has light and water, these plants will grow. While the yields might not be breaking any records, they will still produce buds. They make some of the best styles of seeds to grow when you are first starting out as they are very forgiving. Thanks to the ruderalis cross these plants have built-in mold and mildew resistance, making them one of the best choices for outdoor growing. If you have never had the chance to grow an autoflower strain before, now has never been a better time. Now you can grow all sorts of strains that have been turned auto.
Laura's Favorite Autoflowering Strains
Laura loves her autoflowering cannabis, she loves them so much she decided to make a list of her favorite strains to help you out if you might be a touch overwhelmed. Now, many of us are familiar with the dessert strains that are becoming ever popular across the nation thanks to their heavy-hitting effects and tasty buds, which is why Laura's 1st Pick: Autoflowering Gelato is number one. This autoflower is an indica-leaning hybrid and has a fantastic 20% THC. The yields you can harvest off these plants are also quite spectacular for an autoflower. Indoors you are able to crop down 500 grams per square meter while outdoors you will be able to receive 300 grams per plant. Laura's 2nd Pick: Autoflowering Purple Sunset, this indica hybrid strain brings out the relaxing sensation of watching a sunset on a warm summer's night. This beautiful flower has up to 22% THC which makes it a great choice for users who are just starting their journey into cannabis and with it being an autoflower makes it a perfect choice for novice growers. Laura's 3rd Pick: Autoflowering Gorilla Glue 4 is a good one. Gorilla Glue 4 took the cannabis world by storm when it first came out being a nicely balanced hybrid with an impressive THC content of 24%. Its yields are amazing for an autoflower with 500 grams per square meter and when grown outdoors a normal yield can get up to 300 grams per plant. GG4 is also known as an easy-to-grow strain. You can’t go wrong with Laura's Autoflower picks.
How To Grow Autoflower Plants
Growing autoflower plants is pretty much as easy as it can get when it comes to cultivating cannabis. If you are choosing to grow cannabis outdoors, then autoflowers might be your new preferred way to grow. With autoflowers, you can plant them nearly anywhere outdoors and they will grow into nicely produced plants that will be able to squeeze in any unused spaces. While these wonderful plants might not need light to go into flowering, they still require water, and it never hurts to give them a bit of natural fertilizer so they can grow big and strong. The magic of autoflower cannabis truly knows no bounds. While autoflower strains can grow anywhere, if you want to grow super potent autoflower plants then a little love and care will always go a long way. While they aren’t light-dependent for switching into flowering mode, they are still plants and will require light to be able to photosynthesize. So making sure your autoflowers get a lot of light is just as important as regular plants, the color of the light should be coolish as that's where most of the nutrients for vegetative plants live. After the autoflower has automatically shifted into the flowering phase you can always change the light to warmer tones. This will still help the autoflowers gather nutrients for better bud formation. Autoflowers normally finish their flowering quicker than other plants so once plants have entered their flowering phase be sure to watch the trichomes for when the right time to harvest them comes.
Can You Grow Autoflower Plants Outdoors?
Autoflowers grow incredibly well outdoors because not only is it less expensive, but you're also more likely to get a nicer bud with some wicked cannabis allure. Most professional cannabis gardeners would have laughed at the idea of cultivating autoflowers outside a few years ago. It was simply unable to compete with photoperiod marijuana strains. There was no equal for the output, potency, or scent. As we learned more and more about the power of autoflower strains we found these strains can readily fight with their photoperiod cousins, thanks to the efforts of weed breeders and scientists. Autoflowers grow amazingly outdoors. They have a strong mold and mildew resistance. Autoflowers, like photoperiod marijuana strains, thrive in direct sunshine.
Outdoors, autoflowers require a minimum of 10 hours of direct sunshine each day, but 16 hours per day assures exceptional harvests and strength. Depending on where you live, the usual planting season lasts from April until late July. If you reside in a cold environment, wait until after the last freeze, which is generally in May or later. Also, avoid rainy months. This is simple for those who reside in places with optimal year-round temperatures. You can plant whenever it is convenient for you. One of the best reasons to choose to grow your autoflowering plants outdoors is how easy it is. Once your plants have been germinated you can just plop them into the soil and watch as they resiliently grow without regard to the conditions of where they were planted.
Breeding Autoflower Cannabis Plants
If you want to breed autoflowering cannabis, you will need some ruderalis genetics. If you aren’t in the know, ruderalis is a strain of cannabis that is closer to hemp than the sativa and indica that most know. There are a lot of positive benefits to using ruderalis genetics when breeding. The major reason why breeders decide to introduce ruderalis genetics to a strain is to create what is called an autoflower. Once the ruderalis genetics have been bred into the strain, this will make offspring of the two strains automatically enter the flowering phase without the need to trigger the switchover with lights. To start your autoflower breeding experience you will first need to obtain a fair amount of regular seeds. You will need to purchase regular seeds because if you purchase feminized seeds, you won’t be able to grow a male. Once you have the regular cannabis seeds of your favorite strain planted, you will want to plant ruderalis as well. Once the plants have grown to maturity, there isn’t much else to do but wait for mother nature to work her magic. This means that the males will need to pollinate the females with the help of bees and wind. However, if you really wanted to you can sort through the plants as they grow and eliminate the weaker plants. This will ensure that when the seeds you harvest are as strong as they can be.
Can Autoflowering Plants Be Male?
When you are purchasing your seeds, always make sure to see if the variety of seeds you are buying is the style you want. You can purchase feminized autoflower cannabis strains or regular autoflowering cannabis strains. Male autoflower plants are typically a menace to any marijuana farmer, and they hate talking about them. These male plants pose a major risk to seedless marijuana blooms, and males are often removed shortly after displaying their sex. But on the other hand, male plants might be valuable if you want to generate seeds or establish new strains. Regular autoflowering marijuana seeds will yield plants with a 50% chance of being males or females. Autoflowering cannabis reveals its sex 2 to 3 weeks after emerging from seed, with male plants displaying their sex somewhat earlier than females. Males are typically taller, have fewer leaves, and their branches are further apart. However, none of these characteristics are always satisfied, and males can exist. Many cultivators enjoy the aspect of sexing their plants as it allows them to get up close and personal with their crops. It also allows new users to learn the finer aspects of cannabis growing. If you are hoping to grow male autoflower cannabis seeds you will need to purchase regular seeds. While male cannabis plants might seem useless unless you are hoping to breed, the leaves and stalks still contain many positive cannabinoids and can be utilized in many ways. Male cannabis plants present some of the highest quality fiber you can use in making hemp clothing.
Possible Cons Of Growing Autoflower Plants
While the benefits of autoflowers may look appealing, there are numerous serious drawbacks that must be addressed. If you've grown indica or sativa seeds before, make sure you understand how they differ from autoflowers. Not all farming strategies that are effective for photoperiodic crops are likewise effective for autos. Lower yields are viewed as a negative but are offset by the number of crops that may be generated each year. Autoflowers produce as much as they can during their short life cycle. Because of their small size, they are unable to grow as large as photoperiodic strains. It Is impossible to correct errors while growing because autoflowers develop quickly and are time-sensitive, any flaws that arise may be difficult to rectify without jeopardizing development and yields. Autoflowers, while simple to grow, require the right circumstances to thrive. The cost of lighting increases with autoflowering plants that are typically cultivated with 18 hours of light every day for the duration of their life cycle. They can even develop under 24 hours of light, which is not optimal if one is attempting to save money on power. Obviously, this would not be an issue outside. Training is not handled well. Extremely stressful training procedures like trimming, shriveling, or capping can have a significant impact on yields since the plant does not have sufficient time to recuperate, resulting in poor growth. Low-stress approaches may be used with autoflowers, but they must be used with caution. Cloning can be dangerous. Clones are identical copies of their mothers. If a clone is obtained from an autoflowering plant, it will be at the identical phase as the mother, which means it will not recognize the need to restart its cycle.
