Autoflower Seeds

Introduction to autoflower seeds

Autoflower (non-photoperiod) seeds became available in the early 2000s. Clever breeders realized they could mix regular strains with Ruderalis to make them autoflowering.

Autoflower seeds are made by mixing indica or sativa plants with Ruderalis, or ditch weed from places like Northern Europe or Russia. These seeds contain ruderalis genetics and do not need lots of sunlight to flower; they bloom based on age instead.

Initially, plants grown from autoflower seeds often lacked aroma, flavor, and potency, and resembled Ruderalis in terms of effect and look. However, modern breeding development changed how we grow cannabis seeds, blending the best traits from different types. Autoflowering weed seeds now stand shoulder to shoulder with photoperiod strains; sometimes even surpassing these varieties in potency and yield.

Auto seeds from The Seed Fair boast aromatic, terpene-rich profiles, high THC content, and bountiful yields.

Benefits and peculiarities of autoflowering seeds

Autoflowering strains flower based on age, not light hours, making them non-photoperiod. This variety of cannabis seeds has more than a few noticeable peculiarities:

• Autoflowering seeds automatically switch from the vegetative to the flowering stage, growing faster than most regular seeds.
• The average timeline from seed to harvest is 6 – 8 weeks.
• The plants grown from autoflower marijuana seeds are compact (up to 100 cm), making them suitable for small spaces and indoor growing.
• Autoflower seeds are great for beginners as they need less attention.
• At The Seed Fair, all autoflower seeds are feminized, so you don’t have to worry about male plants ruining your crops.
• While autoflowers are not suitable for cloning, they’re perfect for perpetual harvests.

How to grow autoflowering seeds

Important! You can maintain your autoflowers under an 18/6 (18 hours of light, 6 hours of darkness) or 24/0 light schedule from seed to harvest. You don’t need to switch to another light schedule between different grow stages.

Germination

The Seed Fair recommends the paper towel method for germinating autoflowering seeds:

• Place your seed (or seeds) between two layers of damp paper towels.
• Place your towels and seed in an airtight container (plastic bags or food storage containers work)
• Put the container in a dark, temperature-stable environment (between 65 – 72°F is ideal).
• Let this sit for 2 – 5 days. When you see tiny roots sprout, it’s time to plant.

Always germinate your autoflower seeds indoors, even if you plan to plant them outdoors. Plant your seed into a nutrient-rich soil mix in the container you’ll grow in. The shorter life span of autoflowers means the less they have to move, the better.

Seedling Stage

In an autoflower’s life cycle, the seedling stage lasts 2 to 3 weeks after germination. During this phase, the plant grows 2-4 true leaves. At this point, the seedling only needs the nutrients stored in the seed. Avoid adding extra nutrients during the first weeks, as it could harm your plant. Avoid overwatering, as too much moisture can cause damping off and a fungal disease.

Vegetative Stage

In 3 – 4 weeks, autoflowering cannabis plants keep getting taller and bushier. They grow more sets of leaves with jagged edges, and the spaces between stems become more obvious as new growth appears. You might want to low-stress train and ScrOG the plants by tying down branches to make sure they get enough light. Start giving your autoflowering plants more nutrients, but don’t overdo it. Use a balanced fertilizer made for the vegetative stage and follow the instructions.

Flowering Stage

Autoflower seeds will automatically enter the flowering stage after 6 – 8 weeks of growth. You don’t have to change the light cycle, but you should switch to a red light spectrum to encourage robust flowering. Look for developed trichomes, leaves yellowing, and browning pistols to know when it’s time to harvest an autoflower.

What yields to expect from auto seeds?

Despite their smaller size, autoflower seeds can produce impressively high yields with the proper cultivation techniques. Most autoflowering cannabis plants can produce average yields of 60 to 100 grams per square meter when grown indoors. Outdoors, a single plant can yield up to 200 grams on average.

To encourage maximum flowering, try low-stress training, topping, sea of green, or “screen of green” (also known as ScrOGing) methods.

With autoflower seeds, you can harvest multiple times in a growing season and utilize even the smallest spaces for cannabis cultivation. If you want to grow even more, shop our full selection of feminized seeds.

Why choose autoflower seeds from the Seed Fair?

We take your success seriously. Our seeds come with a germination guarantee so you can shop with confidence. We use stealth packaging to protect your privacy, offer multiple forms of payment including Venmo and Zelle, and give free shipping for orders over $99.

We also have live customer support, and you can earn free seeds as you shop. Shopping autoflower seeds from the Seed Fair takes the guesswork out of growing because we’ve got your back.