Growing marijuana has never been more accessible, especially when you have autoflower seeds at your disposal. These seeds offer excellent yields in brief periods, making them a coveted commodity for cultivators who like to roll with various strains in a single year.
Autoflower seeds are the byproduct of continuous tampering handled by many cultivators to improve marijuana cultivars. They retain all the properties of the original strain as well the effects. You can appreciate the main difference with other seed variants during their growth.
Take a moment to read this complete guide about autoflower seeds. We’re going to explain the traits that make these choices of seeds so unique. By the time you’re finished, you’ll know everything you need to buy autoflower seeds and grow them properly by your means.
What are autoflower seeds?
Simply put, autoflower seeds are the ones able to carry on with their natural development without relying on fixed lighting schedules. The resulting cannabis plants still offer top-quality marijuana keeping the same yield rate as their regular or feminized counterparts.
One of the key ingredients in autoflower seeds is the ruderalis genetics. These speed up the flowering stage of the plants while keeping their unique properties intact. Smoking autoflowering marijuana hits your senses just like regular or feminized plants.
Autoflower seeds are an excellent option for experienced growers who want to enjoy more than one harvest a year. Novices may have a hard time if they make a mistake—there’s no time to fix errors.
Working with autoflower seeds is best suited for indoor cultivators since controlled environments serve them best. There are many places where you can find autoflower marijuana seeds for sale, but you can cut the search short and learn more about it with Homegrown Cannabis Co.
Regular seeds vs. autoflower
There are notable differences between autoflower seeds and their regular counterparts. The first one is pollination. Regular seeds grow male flowers containing pollen sacks. These sacks release their content on your feminized flowers to produce new seeds.
If your primary intent is to smoke cannabis, you want to avoid pollination at all costs. Autoflower seeds turn into feminized plants with no presence of males, increasing your yields and the overall quality of the buds. Read more about: la senorita
Timing is another factor favoring autoflower cannabis seeds. You can be ready to harvest your autoflower garden in three months at most. Regular seeds take up to seven months.
Autoflower seeds are guaranteed to have good development without fixed lighting schedules. There are no guarantees of a successful harvest with regular seeds if you don’t meet the strain’s conditions.
Feminized seeds vs. autoflowering
Autoflower seeds and feminized seeds have one unique trait linking them together: their genetics. Just like feminized seeds, autoflowering seeds grow feminized plants thanks to their genetic make-up. There’s no male presence on them, which increases their yields on both types.
There are no more coincidences between these seeds after this. Feminized seeds are easier to care for, and they tend to be more forgiving with any mistakes made by the gardener during their growth.
Autoflowering seeds are a bit more delicate. They require controlled environments to thrive, and any mistakes can ruin your garden. On the other hand, timing sides with autoflower seeds since they grow faster than their feminized counterparts and don’t need you to change the light schedule.
How are autoflower seeds made?
The creation of high-yielding autoflower seeds was done by adding ruderalis genes to different strains. Ruderalis is a landrace marijuana plant that originated in Eastern Europe. It’s the key ingredient able to speed up the growth of autoflowering seeds.
Ruderalis is used to pollinate a feminized plant creating a brand new hybrid. The strain optimizes the development of autoflower marijuana plants with little exposure to light. It also limits the size of the resulting plants, making them shorter and more resilient to adverse conditions.
How to germinate autoflower cannabis seeds
If you’re ready to start your garden, you need to begin by germinating autoflower seeds. These variants don’t require special treatment to get them to sprout. Keep in mind they’re very delicate, so treat them with care.
Before handling your autoflower marijuana seeds, get a set of tweezers and latex gloves to avoid touching them directly. The following are some of the most popular methods of germination:
With water
You can germinate autoflower seeds using only pH-neutral or sterile water. Although the process is a bit risky, it pays off big time if you’re on a budget or need fast results.
Just take a clean glass and pour some water up to halfway. Take your seeds one by one and pop them inside the glass. If you see any floating, pick them out. Let your autoflower seeds sit in the glass for 24 hours before starting to check on them.
After this period, you can check your autoflower seeds for taproots breaking the shell of the seeds, and then move them to your setup of choice. All seeds floating on the glass have their shells sealed shut, and they’ll likely won’t germinate.
With soil
Another common germination method for autoflower seeds is to sow them directly into the soil. This proven method is already used with many plants worldwide based on efficiency rate alone. The only downside is how long it takes.
Germinating autoflower seeds in soil requires you punch a hole three inches deep in rich-nutrient soil and cover your seeds. You’ll see results in approximately ten days when a little sprout begins popping out of the ground. Be mindful of irrigation; the seed needs water to germinate.
With paper towels
You don’t need too much to germinate your autoflower seeds with paper towels. A few household items are enough to get the job done. Gather the following:
- A plate or a tray
- pH-neutral water
- A spraying bottle
- Two sheets of paper towel
- Your autoflower seeds
Once you have all the items at hand, fill the spraying bottle with the water and get one sheet of paper towel damp. You want the sheet to be moist but not soaking. Otherwise, you risk your autoflower seeds going rotten.
Place the humid sheet on the plate (or tray) and transfer your autoflower seeds from the package to the sheet. Leave an inch of space between them, repeat the spraying process with the second sheet of paper towel, and use it to cover your seeds.
Place the tray in a dark space at room temperature. You get germinated autoflower seeds after 1–5 days. They’re ready to be planted after the seeds break their shells with a small taproot.
Using wool blocks or pellets
Go to the nearest gardening or hardware store and get some wool blocks or pellets. Both items were created with the purpose to germinate. Wool blocks are the top choice if you want to grow indoors. Pellets are perfect for outdoor gardens.
Wool blocks or pellets work similarly. You only need to soak them up with pH-neutral water and insert your autoflower seeds with care into them. Make sure to spray them regularly, and you’ll get germinated seeds in just three days.
How to grow autoflower seeds
Before getting started with your autoflower seeds, you need to do some homework to avoid any issues and check if growing marijuana is legal in your state.
If you have the go-ahead, it’s time to start planting autoflower seeds directly in soil or other setups of your choice.
Working with autoflower seeds is fantastic, with some experience under your belt. These plants have a shorter life cycle, and they’re prone to some vulnerabilities. If something goes wrong, you don’t have long to fix it.
Autoflower seeds thrive in a Mediterranean climate. A warm, dry environment helps their development. Keep a steady temperature of 70–90 °F with relative humidity no higher than 50%.
The vegetative phase of autoflower cannabis seeds in the USA takes two to three weeks, while the flowering stage can take six or seven. They need fixed schedules for irrigation and nutrients, or you risk nute burn.
Autoflower seeds aren’t bound by fixed light schedules to grow, but proper lighting offers better yields. Indoor setups need controlled environments with 18/6 light cycles. You can provide 24 hours of light, but you might burn a hole in your pocket.
6 best autoflower seeds
You can find a lot of cheap autoflower seeds in the USA. All of them have something unique to offer when it comes to taste and flavor. We look at six of the best from three categories.
High yield autoflower seeds in the USA
High-yield autoflower seeds offer a large stash of buds in a short time. The top picks in this category are:
Green Crack autoflower
Green Crack autoflower seeds grow super-charged marijuana to take you to the moon and back in a single toke. With a 17–21% THC content, this strain provides up to 21 oz./m² indoors or 11 oz. of buds per plant outdoors.
Northern Lights x Mazar autoflower
This delicious combination can uplift even the most somber mood. It also helps you relax and chill for a quiet afternoon. With proper care, you can get 18 oz./m² indoors or 21 oz. per plant in the open.
High THC autoflower seeds
High THC autoflower seeds blow your mind with their large content of cannabinoids and the unrelenting high. These are the two best picks for THC autoflower seeds:
Chocolate Thai autoflower
This sweet beauty is a sativa cannabis plant offering a powerful high that eventually leads to enchanting relaxation. This cultivar grows fast at eight weeks after entering the flowering phase and hits your senses with a 21–25% content.
24k Gold autoflower
This is a potent indica strain, able to achieve full development in just nine weeks. This marijuana plant makes you feel inspired, focused, and energized. The strain hits you at full force with its 18–24% THC content.
High CBD autoflower seeds
High CBD content is what many medical marijuana patients look for. These are the two most popular autoflower seeds strains with a high CBD content:
Oregon Peach autoflower
This indica dominant hybrid takes up to eight weeks to fully develop. The overall balanced effect is just a tease to one of the most relaxing body stones you get to experience, thanks to its 8-12% CBD content.
Fruit autoflower
Fruit autoflower seeds offer indica marijuana plants to harvest after seven weeks of flowering. With a 7% CBD content, this weed is designed to help your body feel calm, happy, and relaxed to the point of indulgence.
Where to buy autoflower seeds
Getting autoflower seeds in the USA is easy, thanks to the seed banks you can find online. If you don’t know where to begin, search for a local dispensary—they’ll answer all the questions you have as a newcomer.
With time, you’ll notice dispensaries don’t have an extensive catalog of autoflower cannabis seeds for sale. That’s where the good people at Homegrown Cannabis Co come in. They have a large stock of seeds in all possible variations.
You get to buy a top-quality product by placing an order with Homegrown and can also join their community. The site has an open forum and a diary section to help gardeners share their experiences with diverse strains all over the USA.
Autoflowering seeds: The fine art of growing cannabis fast
You now have the basics required to grow autoflower seeds. They pose a bit of a challenge for newcomers, but experts can harvest various times a year.
Once you get the hang of them, you get to reap immense rewards. Don’t think about it too long—buy autoflower seeds now and get started with your garden. Bear witness to the incredible growth rate of these seeds and revel in your homegrown stash.
