Autosauto-flowing cannabis; or cultivars that will flower on thei... More have gained a great deal of popularity as breeders have gotten better and better at producing quality cultivars. I wrote a bit about how autos came to be in another article, so we’ll skip that part and get right to the meat of the topic today.
Advantages of growing auto-flowering cannabis:
- No transplanting
- Use less nutrients
- Light leaks aren’t an issue
- Simple lighting schedule
- Great for small spaces
- No need to top or trim
- Fast growth and quick harvest
Disadvantages:
- No propagation (cloning)
- Lower yields
Auto-flowers are always grown from seed. While it’s possible to take a cutting of an Auto the stress of doing so will greatly interrupt to its life cycle and the plant will be severely stunted and is likely to become sick. However, if you’re good at starting seeds then growing Autosauto-flowing cannabis; or cultivars that will flower on thei... More is for you.
Auto seeds should be started directly in a 3-5 gallon pot and should never be transplanted. Transplanting always produces some level of shock to the plant and, for an Auto, the results can severely reduce the already low yield of these plants. Further, you will not be able to ‘tinker’ with the plant’s nutrition much. These plants do NOT like to be fiddled with. One over-fertilization event and, once again, your plant will be stunted. They are not very forgiving.
Autosauto-flowing cannabis; or cultivars that will flower on thei... More require 18/6 (on/off) light cycle. Technically, they’ll do fine as long as you provide them with more than 16 hours of light, but growers seem to agree that 18 hours is the sweet spot. It is also reported that providing less than 16 hours of light will greatly reduce yields.
During the life-cycle of an auto-flowering cannabis plant they can grow from 2-6 feet in height and take anywhere from 60-120 days, depending on variety. The most common varieties take 60-75 days. The below summary assumes a cultivarA cultivated variety, often mistakenly called a 'strain.' More that should take 60 days from sprout to harvest and is an approximation.
- Day 0: Seed germination
- Days 1-7: Seedling stage
- Days 8-20: Vegetative stage
- Days 21+: Flowering stage
How simple is that? Best of all, it just happens – with no input from the grower! I think Autosauto-flowing cannabis; or cultivars that will flower on thei... More have great potential for new growers with small personal grows.
I’m working on researching and experimenting with auto-flowering cannabis in living soil. When I’ve proven a recipe and strategy I’ll be sure to publish it. In the mean time, if you want to look into the topic more I recommend The Autoflower Network. A great resource and good people. Seeds are readily available as well.
I’d love to hear from the experienced auto-flower grower and would be glad to publish your process and/or nutrient schedules for the benefit of the new growers out there.
Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —