One of the joys of growing autoflowering feminized cannabis that you can harvest and consume what you have worked hard on. Usually, it takes up to nine weeks for a cannabis plant to flower and another few weeks for the flowers to be ready for harvest. Because of this very long, natural process, you might be limited to only one growing period per year considering that you start sowing your seeds when the cold air is behind you. So how do you increase your yields and increase your harvest exponentially? The answer is using autoflowering feminized seeds.
As the name suggests, autoflowering feminized cannabis seeds are seeds that flower automatically and are all female seeds. Why use this kind of seed? Here are good reasons why
Shorter flowering stages
Autoflowering feminized marijuana seeds are “programmed” to flower in just three to four weeks compared to regular cannabis seeds that flower from seven, eight or even up to ten weeks. Because these flower in just a few weeks, you can actually harvest up to two crops per year given the right growing conditions. Autos will flower no matter what conditions you may have which makes it a good type of cannabis seeds to grow if you are new to growing weed.
Can be grown indoors in any lighting environment
You can grow autoflowering feminized cannabis seeds in any lighting condition. Regular cannabis seeds need a strict lighting schedule to be able to start flowering. Most regular cannabis strains need full 20/4 or a 24/0 (day/night) schedule to develop strong stems and more leaves. This may be applied outdoors but the ideal setting is an indoor growing area where lighting can be regulated. But as regular plants become mature, these are ready to flower. A schedule that gives plants 12/12 (day/night) lighting is enough to stimulate the growth of flowers.
For autoflowering seeds, there is no required, specific lighting schedule. These will automatically flower in just a matter of 3 to 4 weeks. You can start with the usual 24/0 or 20/4 schedule and then this will simply flower without hesitation.
Save your electricity costs
Because you don’t need to use a specific lighting schedule, from the developmental to the flowering stages, you save a lot of money from growing this kind of cannabis strain. Also consider that these strains will grow faster than other strains, therefore, you won’t have to use lighting, fans, ventilators, humidifiers, and filters for months. You will literally save money from growing these strains even twice in a year.
Will reduce the need to sex your cannabis plants
When growing regular seeds, you are uncertain if the seeds you are growing are males and females and of course, you need only female plants. Usually, you need to waste a lot of resources in growing male plants. Expert growers say that in ten seeds, you might get 50/50 males to females or possibly 30/70 or even no females at all. And once your plants have fully grown and are ready to flower, you will finally be able to find out what is your plant’s gender. Once you are able to identify female plants from male plants, usually male plants are discarded, thrown away or even burned.
On the other hand, autoflowering feminized cannabis seeds eliminate the need to grow male plants. You won’t need to waste resources and waste money and time on male plants. You will simply have to germinate your seeds, grow these like regular cannabis plants and then cultivate it so that these can develop and grow flowers. Every plant you will get to grow is female, guaranteed.
Will let you grow up to two crops per year
Because of the speedy growth and flowering stages, you will be able to grow at least two crops in a year. Imagine, if you are growing cannabis for medical reasons, you will be able to stock up on your medication all year round. If you are growing cannabis for recreational reasons, you will be able to have enough cannabis for yourself and even to share with friends.
If you are able to get the hand of growing autoflowering feminized cannabis strains, you can take this chance to grow and cultivate weed to sell.
Will let you grow more plants in a growing area
Most autoflowering feminized marijuana seeds are small plants which may give only a small to moderate amount of yield. Therefore, most growers and breeders choose to grow more plants inside a growing area. With autoflowering plants, you can grow more plants indoors and have more yields as well.
A Few Disadvantages of Growing Autoflowering Feminized Cannabis Seeds
Autoflowering feminized cannabis seeds are indeed a blessing for most growers and breeders because of its many advantages. But just like most plants species, these also have some downsides. Check out the following before growing your own autoflowering feminized plants.
- Autoflowering feminized seeds are very expensive
Autoflowering feminized seeds are among the most expensive types of marijuana seeds. You can purchase this type of seeds online or from local seed banks but make sure that you inquire about this type of cannabis seed first. If you are unsure about the type of cannabis seed and the quality of the auto feminized seeds you want to purchase consult your budtender or the seed bank shop owner for help.
- Increases the chances of growing hermies if you are not careful
Hermaphrodite cannabis plants have female and male sexual organs. This happens usually when a female plant has developed flowers and these flowers remain unharvested after the designated harvesting time. The female plant detects that the nights are getting longer and still it’s unable to bear seeds.
In the last minute effort, it develops male parts and these are already exposed and ready to pollinate the flowers. The result is plants that have flowers with seeds in them and of course, this is not what you want to harvest at all.
To reduce the possibility of your auto feminized cannabis plants from developing hermies, you must know the right time to harvest your plants. Never exceed the allowable harvest window or else you might get a mouthful of seeds instead of delicious weed.
- Usually grown indoors
Autoflowering feminized seeds are mostly grown indoors to control its growing environment. Therefore, you need to spend time, money and effort in creating an ideal growing environment inside your home. You will end up spending money on equipment and tools for indoor growing like lights, humidifiers, exhaust fans, a hydroponics system and even the grow box or growing room itself.
- You need to find a reputable seed bank
It is easy to buy regular cannabis seeds because these are the most common however finding a reliable grower, breeder or dealer for autoflowering feminized seeds may be a little difficult. Aside from not being very common, usually it is impossible to tell by just looking if the seeds you have are regular, autos, feminized or autoflowering feminized. Usually, you will leave this to chance.
And once you have managed to find a good marijuana seed bank or supplier for your seeds, develop a good working relationship. Buy more to establish a good relationship. It is likely you will be getting top quality seeds for every order if you do this on a regular basis.
How To Start Growing Autoflowering Feminized Cannabis
So how do you actually grow autoflowering feminized cannabis seeds? Just like any other cannabis seed, you will first have to germinate these. Germination starts by removing the bad seeds and growing only the good and viable seeds. How do you do this?
First, inspect your seeds closely. Look for seeds with dark colors and seeds with spots, stripes or other markings. These mean that your seeds are viable and will surely germinate without hesitation. Never germinate green or white seeds because these are not ready; if these do germinate, these will only grow weak and sickly plants.
Aside from visually inspecting your auto feminized seeds, hold them to feel their form. Viable seeds are hard. Cannabis seeds may even need a little coaxing by filing just a small portion of the seed cover to expose the inside. Press the seed using your thumb and forefinger. If the seed gives way, then this is not viable.
Place your seeds inside a glass with water. Viable seeds will sink because the viable insides are heavy causing the seeds to sink to the bottom of the glass. Any floating seeds should be discarded because these are non-viable.
Let the sunken seeds remain in water for at least a day to soften the seed cover. Once it has opened, the young plant will soon follow. You may choose from growing your seeds in a small plastic cup with soil or in a large final planter. Most auto feminized plants are grown in small containers first and then transplanted to a large container.
Since you have all female plants, there is no need to worry about males. But be careful about other cannabis plants inside your growing area because these may accidentally germinate your plants as well.
