AUTOFLOWER SEEDS

Automatic Flowering for a Simpler Growing Schedule

Autoflower seeds are a simple, effective way to plan a small-scale cannabis grow. You can grow without light schedule adjustments. You won't have to wait for seasonal changes, light adjustments, or longer nights because, depending on the plants' age, the autoflowering plants will start to flower.

This single difference is the driving reason for their popularity. Autos are great for first time growers as they do not require a ton of scheduling, anyone with limited space, and experienced growers that want quick turnover.

SeedKeepers has autoflowering feminized seeds that come from indica dominant, sativa dominant, and hybrid strains/variations. The collection has a variety of THC levels, plant heights, aromas, difficulty, and yields. The best strain for you will start with your grow space and schedule, and not the most well-known name or highest THC count.

What are Autoflower Seeds?

Genetics from day-neutral flowering plants with traits from the Cannabis ruderalis species are incorporated into autoflower seeds. From there, breeders develop plants that are able to transition from vegetative growth into flowering without needing a change in the amount of light the plant receives.

Photoperiod cannabis plants bloom when the amount of light decreases, while autoflowering plants do not exhibit this behavior. This makes caring for them much easier indoors as you do not have to change the light cycle to 12 hours on/12 hours off. Indoors, those plants aren't relying as much on the decreasing light during summer to initiate bloom.

Modern autoflowers have come a long way from the small, low-potency plants that formed the basis of their initial reputation. Good genetics can provide rich, sticky resin that can produce potent THC levels that rival their photoperiod counterparts. However, performance can still vary by product, phenotype, and environment, so make sure you check the details in each strain page.

Why Growers Use Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds

Apart from simplicity, there are a host of other benefits. They tend to be smaller in stature and typically finish quicker than their photoperiod counterparts. This makes them ideal for use in smaller grow tents, patios, balconies, and discreet home gardens where legal.

Autoflower seeds may be a good option if you want:

• A shorter seed to harvest time
• Compact plants for limited vertical space
• No need to switch your light cycle to induce flowering
• Feminized genetics without the need to regularly check for males
• The option to grow indoors or outdoors
• Access to indica-dominant, sativa-dominant, hybrid, and high-THC varieties

The main tradeoff with autoflowers is time. The plant's internal timer keeps moving even if the plant is subjected to stress. A photoperiod plant will remain in the vegetative stage until the roots have time to recover or the canopy has developed. An autoflower usually cannot do this, which is why having a good stable seed is so valuable.

Autoflower vs. Photoperiod Seeds

If speed, an automatic bloom, and a small footprint are the main priorities, autoflower seeds are the way to go. If you prefer to have control over the vegetative stage, extensive plant training, cloning, or to choose the exact time to induce flowering, then photoperiod seeds are what you need.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing which seeds to use. They simply solve different problems.

An auto may be easier for a beginner who doesn't want to deal with a flowering schedule. Alternatively, a forgiving photoperiod cultivar may give more time to bounce back from things like overwatering, transplant stress, or slow early growth. When growing indoors, cultivators should consider the height of the plants as well as the lighting. For outdoor growing, one has to consider the length of the season, temperature, humidity, privacy, and local regulations as well.

Feminized Autoflower Seeds

In this SeedKeepers collection, every autoflower is also feminized. Feminization refers to the anticipated sex of the plant, autoflowering refers to the trigger for the bloom. A seed can possess both characteristics as these products do.

Feminizied genetics substantially (but not 100%) increase the chance of female plants. Therefore, growers can more accurately predict how they will be able to use containers, available light, and legal plant counts. However, there is not a biological guarantee to this phenomenon, and plants still need to be monitored throughout their life cycle.

Selecting The Right Autoflower Seeds for Your Setup

Start with your dimensions. Look at the height you have available as well as how the container and lighting equipment will cut into the usable space. An auto described as medium or tall will still overwhelm a short tent if you plan your setup with the anticipated plant height.

Next, look at the expected seed-to-harvest range. These figures should be seen more as a guideline rather than a definite promise. Grower technique, light, temperature, root health, and nutrition, among other things, will definitely affect time.

When looking at yield, consider it more for comparison rather than prediction. A cultivar with a published large number will most likely be under performing if there isn’t good light, healthy roots, ideal sized container, and a stable environment.

Don't pick solely by THC. More important than that may be the genetic background, aroma, terpene profile, dominant type, difficulty, structure, and intended experience. Picking a cultivar that is manageable and has a preferred flavor can be a better choice than a stronger plant that normally does not suit the room or consumer.

At SeedKeepers, you can use our filters to narrow down our collection by THC, expected height, yield potential, preferred genetics, and pack size.

Popular Autoflower Genetics at SeedKeepers

Our live catalog should offer you some familiar products, including Blue Dream Auto, GG#4 Original Glue F1 Auto, Durban Poison Auto, Purple Gelato Auto, Keep Frosted Guava Auto, and Keepers OG Auto. These products will generally appeal to you with their classic lineage or excellent potency, flavor, resin, or compact structure.

Germination, growth and harvesting of the plants in your order may occur in the time frame that the current product grid shows, as these processes are influenced by ever-changing factors. Before purchasing, please check the individual strain page for other pertinent details such as height, level of growing difficulty, ranges of THC and CBD, genetic dominance and yield.

Planning an Autoflower Grow

An auto flower grow is very rewarding and can be very smooth if prepared for properly. Take time beforehand to prepare your container, soil, light set up, and the environment so that the plants can grow rapidly after germination. It can be best to start the container/pot plant in its final, large pot, in order to reduce the stress associated with transplanting.

Using a loose soil that drains well will be beneficial for the plant as well, as the root zone should not be allowed to stay constantly wet. Gentle low stress training which is a technique used to train the position of the canopy, may be beneficial. However, aggressive pruning/budding and repeated topping could cause the plant to use limited recovery time, so be careful.

As your plants progress into the budding cycle, density of the flowers increases and proper control of air flow and humidity becomes crucial to the health of the plants . When growing outdoors, be sure to check your plants after a rain, and avoid still air pockets where the plants may be growing. When growing indoors, get ready to manage the plant's odor, and ensure your grow lights are set up safely below the top of the plant so the plant has the ability to grow to its full height.

Autoflower Seeds FAQ

How long do autoflowers take from seed to harvest?

There are many factors that might affect the answer to this question, such as the variety and conditions, but for planning purposes, each individual product will have an estimate based on these factors.

Are autoflower seeds good for beginners?

They can be. Automatic flowering takes away one of the schedule steps; and many autos stay at a manageable height. Their short vegetative stage means that early mistakes will have an increased effect.

Are autoflowers always small?

Not at all. Many autoflowering plants will be compact, however a good range of their heights may also be

Can autoflower seeds be high in THC?

Yes. New autoflowers have newly developed low, medium, high, and very-high THC selections. Actual THC numbers differ based on several factors: genetics, phenotype, growing conditions, timing of harvest, and testing.

Do autoflowers need 12 hours of darkness?

No. Autoflowers will start flowering based on their age, and they don't need a light cycle change. However, they do need a proper and stable growing environment.

Can autoflowers be cloned?

No. Since autoflowers continue their life cycle regardless of whether they have rooted, they are not good candidates for cloning. Photoperiod plants are more suitable for keeping mother plants and producing clones.

At SeedKeepers you can shop autoflower seeds and compare feminized seeds by genetics, THC, height, growing difficulty, and yield. Seed laws are different in each state within the United States. You may only purchase, possess, germinate, and grow seeds if you are of legal age and it is allowed where you live.