What is autoflower marijuana? – The fresh toast

Autoflowering marijuana is a cannabis strain that does not rely on changing light cycles to begin flowering. Instead, it will flower automatically after a certain amount of time has passed since it was germinated.

For growers, this means you can get two harvests in one year, making autoflower marijuana a huge business opportunity. For consumers, this means you can get high-quality cannabis with less waiting time.

But that’s not all autoflowers are good for, as some strains are resistant to pests and mold, making them an ideal choice for growers living in humid climates.

What does autoflowering mean?

Centuries ago, due to the harsh environment and limited sunlight, a species of cannabis often referred to as Cannabis ruderalis emerged in very cold northern areas. We say “often mentioned” because there is genetic evidence to suggest that these taxonomic classifications are inaccurate. (Want to know more? Check out Cannabis sativa vs. “Sativa”.) Cannabis in this region started flowering after a period of time, hence the name “autoflower”.

So what does the autoflowering feature actually do?

Essentially, this type of cannabis flowers automatically under virtually any light condition, meaning they don’t have to follow the 12-hour day/night cycle to flower, as they can go from seedling to harvest in 24 hours of light. In contrast, this process is not the same with traditional strains that rely on a consistent pattern of dark and light.

Cannabis plants enter the flowering phase when they are fully mature.

When growing outdoors, marijuana plants from traditional seeds begin to flower or bud as fall approaches and the sun sets earlier and earlier. As a result of this light reduction, cannabis plants initiate their flowering phase and produce buds. When plants are grown indoors, the flowering cycle can be controlled by reducing the amount of light they receive from 18 hours a day to 12 hours.

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The evolution of autoflowering cannabis plants

The autoflowers that originally hit the market in the early 2000s weren’t that impressive. They lacked potency, the aroma was weak, and yields were disappointing.

While wild cannabis plants tend to be low in THC, breeders worldwide have created some spectacular autoflowering strains by crossing them with popular commercial strains. These breeders perfected the process, resulting in an explosion in the number of autoflowering seeds. These strains are ready to harvest within 60 days from seed, stay between 30 and 100 cm tall, and produce between 20 and 30% THC.

What are the pros and cons of autoflowering?

Autoflowers have a number of distinctive features:

• Flowering occurs naturally between two and four weeks after planting.
• It usually takes ten weeks from planting to harvest.
• Autoflowering seeds are usually feminized. This means that there are typically few male plants.
• Plants remain short (30–100 cm).

Many popular strains are available in autoflower form. For example, “Blue Dream Auto” combines characteristics of both Blue Dream and autoflowering strains, so the plant retains many Blue Dream attributes but grows faster.

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The main benefit of autoflowering is that you don’t have to worry about the changing seasons, which is great for beginners. Additionally, autoflowers grow quickly, so you can typically get two harvests in the same amount of time it would take you to harvest one.

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What are autoflower seeds?

For beginners, autoflowering cannabis seeds are the most suitable seeds due to their small size and ability to grow in small spaces. They are also very resilient and strong, so beginner mistakes cannot harm them.

Grow autoflower seeds

Choose an indoor or outdoor environment for growing autoflower seeds. Provided the seeds have at least 18 hours of direct sunlight per day indoors, you can cultivate the seeds at any time of the year. However, the ideal time to grow seeds outdoors is spring when there is ample daylight.

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In any growing environment, autoflowering seeds do not require high nutrient levels as they work independently. Autoflower seeds also have the benefit of being able to survive extreme weather conditions, including freezing temperatures.

Plants grown indoors in pots must have drainage holes to ensure adequate oxygen flow. In addition, it’s a good idea to give your seeds plenty of room to flower, as some autoflowering strains can grow up to 1.20 m tall.

Where to buy autoflower seeds?

Autoflower seeds are available online from cannabis seed retailers.

Start your cannabis wellness journey

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