Veteran cannabis cultivators will always have a go-to autoflower vs regular that they can recommend novice growers. Oftentimes, they will give advises on where to buy autoflowering cannabis seeds, feminized and even the regular ones. But not all types of seeds will work for a certain grower because there will be factors to be considered in growing cannabis plant.
If you’re a small grower who wants to produce the world’s best cannabis, capitalize on the billion-dollar industry and help a lot of people in the process then examining each and every step will be beneficial for you. A good step to start on is knowing what type of seed you will use.
Seed banks from all around the world offer different kinds of seeds, any cannabis strain you can possibly think of might be available in the market. Pot seeds are classified under regular, feminized and autoflower. For this article, we will give you the comparison for autoflower vs regular, the advantages and possible disadvantages of using them.
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Comparison Between Autoflower vs Regular
What are Regular Cannabis Seeds?
Just like the name implies, regular cannabis seeds are non-autoflowering and non-feminized seeds. They are the standard, run-of-the-mill seeds. These seeds did not undergo any genetic engineering that may affect their yield produce or any stages of development.
You can expect that if you plant using regular cannabis seeds, half of your plants will be males. While for pollinated female plants, lower quality buds full of seeds can be expected during harvest time.
Also, if you use regular seeds, you need to keep in mind that each stage of the plant development will need a different light schedule. During the vegetation stage, the cannabis plant will require an 18-hour light exposure and followed by 6-hour darkness. Once it hits the flowering stage, light and darkness exposure will switch to a 12-12 ratio and this cycle will be kept up until harvest time.
Know the Advantages and Disadvantages of autoflower vs regular
Advantages of Regular Cannabis Seeds
- Regular Cannabis Seeds are Cheap
If you are working on a marijuana garden and you’ve decided to go with regular seeds, that may be the start of a good investment for you. Regular Cannabis seeds are known to be cheap since they are the simple seeds harvested from the plants and no genetic science has been used on them.
This makes regular seeds ideal for new growers, they can make any mistake they can while on the first steps without having to worry about the money they have spent on the seeds. Regular cannabis seeds are also good for trial and error experiments.
- Gives the grower a full idea on the plant’s development
Since regular cannabis seeds are not genetically modified, these seeds will undergo the normal stages of development until it grows into a full plant. The growers will have an idea on the timeframe on how long it will take until harvest time.
For regular seeds, growers will have to make certain adjustments such as light and darkness schedule, an estimated amount of nutrients to be given and factors such as humidity, temperature, and the water level will always be on the lookout list.
- Used for creating new strains and hybrids
As simple as regular cannabis seeds may seem, they are actually a critical feature in making new cannabis strains. Cannabis growers will always go for regular seeds to experiment with. They can get unique strains and hybrids by using different regular seeds or regular seeds mixed with other types of seeds.
Disadvantages of Regular Cannabis Seeds
- May produce male plants at a higher percentage
Regular cannabis seeds will result in either a male or a female plant, but there might be instances that the plants they will produce are more of male plants. Not that male plants are totally undesirable, but if you are a cultivator wanting to have a stable and sustainable cannabis business, you will want to have a female plant.
Female plants are an assurance that it will have another offspring, will produce buds and increase cannabis yield. A bigger and higher income is anticipated with having female plants. And this cycle will continue if the plants are kept female, by using a regular seed this opportunity is not clear as crystal.
What are Autoflower Cannabis Seeds?
The giveaway word is “auto”, for this type of seed, the plant will automatically grow flowers by the third week after you have started cultivating. This is known as the easiest to use and the most popular seed type among novice growers.
Why do People Buy Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds?
Let me tell you first that when you buy autoflowering cannabis seeds, you might need to pay a hefty amount for it. But regardless of the price, growers seem to be fond of using it in their garden. Here are some reasons why:
- No need to switch light schedule
Remember that for regular seeds, light-darkness schedule varies depending on the stage of development the plant is on, that is not the case for autoflowering cannabis seeds. Since the plant will automatically enter the flowering stage, there is no need to keep the time of how long it has been exposed to sunlight. This is helpful for growers attending to different plants in his garden.
- Low maintenance
By automatically entering the flowering stage, the grower will need less time for taking care of the plant. The cultivators can just plant the seed and wait for it to develop a sprout. No more unnecessary checking even in the middle of the night to change the light schedule.
- Increase in yield production
Cultivators have mentioned that they can have up to two harvests in one summer all thanks to autoflowering cannabis seeds. Autoflowering plants are known to enter the flowering stage in just 3 weeks making it quicker to reach harvest time and the plant will automatically flower again after a few weeks after harvest.
- Shorter and smaller compared to other cannabis plants
Autoflowering plants can only produce short and small plants that can be easily stashed away. These plants can also be planted outdoors and with their size, they can easily blend in with other plants. This is beneficial if you are very discreet in your cannabis garden and doesn’t want any unwanted attention on them.
Disadvantages of Using Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds
- They can be expensive
Most of these autoflowering cannabis seeds are hybrids and they underwent special researches and experiments, meaning the seeds banks or cultivators have to spend money on them. So, when you buy them in the market, they will not come cheap. But if you are looking for a good investment, autoflowering seeds are actually a good one.
- They are often used by online scammers
Most growers will buy their seeds online, unfortunately, there are a lot of fake websites that offer autoflowering seeds as scammers know that they have great market value. Once the seeds have been shipped out, veteran growers will know that they are just regular seeds. If you are a beginner grower, we suggest that you do your research to avoid being scammed.
- The availability may vary
If you happen to purchase an autoflowering cannabis seeds and you found out that it is actually a good quality seed, obviously, your next step is to purchase some more. The thing with autoflowering seeds is that the specific strain you’re looking for may not always be available in the market.
A good practice is to look for reliable seed banks. By reliable, we mean seed banks who have a stable supply of the seeds that they are selling and who can decently quote an estimated time of when they will have a restock. Some seed banks will proactively tell you that the seed they are selling is a best seller and that itself is a sign that either they restock always or they easily ran out. So, make sure to do your research before your purchase.
Autoflower vs Regular Which is better to Grow?
The answer to this question is actually a tricky one and will depend on your preference. May we suggest that if you are a novice cultivator wanting to learn more about the marijuana plant and how it grows part, then you may opt to use the regular seeds. Regular seeds will allow you to have full experience of what it really takes to grow and take care of the plant.
If you are still a novice cultivator and you believe you can grow your own plant without having to go through the traditional planting and you think you’re a fast learner, then go for autoflowering seeds. They may not seem as complicated as the regular type of seeds but they need their own special care and focus as well.
The autoflower vs regular types of seeds are actually great to use regardless if you are a master of cannabis cultivation or an apprentice trying to start. What matters is that once you start cultivating autoflower vs regular, it will not just be your hands doing the work, you will have to bring your mind with it to fully understand the cultivation process.
