In recent years, auto-flowering cannabis seeds, which result in auto-flowering cannabis plants, have had a great development because they are easy-to-grow plants, suitable for both indoor and outdoor cultivation. They are generally smaller hemp plants than other species (although an auto-flowering cannabis plant can be over five feet tall). Most auto-flowering varieties guarantee a harvest from seed in around 60 days, with flowers appearing around the 30th day of the plant's life. Harvest time for some varieties is estimated at around 75 days.
We recommend these types of seeds, reminding you that hemp seeds and the plants themselves are sold in Italy exclusively for collecting purposes and that their cultivation is prohibited and punishable by law, as we have described in this blog article: Legal Cannabis: Sale, possession and regulation.
Autoflowering cannabis seeds: what they are
The concept of auto-flowering cannabis seeds is very simple: these seeds will always give rise to plants that will flower 'automatically', without having to schedule a specific cycle of light hours. In other words, once the seeds are planted, the plants will begin to flower on their own after a relatively short vegetative period of about 2-4 weeks. This is made possible on a large scale by the genetic crossing of varieties such as the ruderalis autofiorente with other cannabis strains such as indica and sativa to produce robust crosses that do not rely on photoperiods to flower, but grow and flower according to their own vegetative timing.
The advantages of autoflowering cannabis seeds
Autoflowering cannabis seeds therefore offer 'simplified' light management (you won't have to use a deprivation/integration system to get more yields during the season) and can receive more than 12 hours of sunlight per day. They can also produce larger buds in less time than many traditional cannabis plants, while being smaller in overall size. Their small size makes them ideal for growing in a wardrobe or small outdoor space.
- When grown outdoors, autoflowering plants will start producing buds regardless of how many hours of sunlight they receive, which means you don't have to worry about using a light deprivation system or supplementing the light if you're looking to get more yields during the season.
- When grown indoors, autoflowering varieties mature in about three months.
Since the introduction of the first original autoflowering cannabis seed-strains a few decades ago, significant genetic improvements have been made which today guarantee a choice of hundreds of types of autoflowering cannabis seeds. Thanks to these improvements in genetics, these seeds are recommended for all growers wishing to try something new!
The ideal growing climate
As it is not necessary to follow the light cycles of the photoperiod, there is no specific time of year for growing them and many enthusiasts start growing autoflowering plants at the beginning of the season (e.g. March) or at the end of the season (e.g. September). At these times of year, however, it is important to remember that the plants still need heat to grow (a constant temperature of around 20°) and, if grown outdoors, there may also be heavy rainfall which can cause the buds to rot. To solve this problem, consider growing your plants in a small greenhouse (Growbox) to provide them with the protection they need from outside weather conditions.
Useful accessories for indoor growing:
- Growbox and Growroom (partially or completely closed cultivation systems)
- LED lamps (some of the products in the catalogue)
- Humidifiers and dehumidifiers (ideal for maintaining the correct humidity)
Targeted fertilisation
Auto-flowering cannabis varieties, being more compact and containing ruderalis genetics that make them more robust, do not need the classic prefertilised soils that may be too aggressive. On the contrary, we can recommend an organic soil such as BioBizz Light Mix, ideal for creating a substrate suitable for subsequent liquid fertilisation. As the vegetative phase of plants is very short, use all NPH-based fertilisers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) in moderation, while among liquid fertilisers we recommend organic products Biobizz.
On our online shop you will of course find different varieties of autoflowering cannabis seeds and everything you need for perfect cultivation.
