Autoflowering cannabis seeds is a result of the cross between the Indica and Sativa species, and Ruderalis. Cannabis Ruderalis contains the autoflowering trait inherited from the Ruderalis species that originated in Canada, Russia, Central Asia, and Central Europe, and developed this characteristic throughout years and years of growing in harsh climates. This means that unlike photoperiodic cannabis that needs a different amount of light/darkness to trigger flowering, autoflowering cannabis strains will start flowering automatically, based on age.

When compared to photoperiodic strains, autoflowering cannabis takes up to 30% less time from seed to harvest due to the autoflowering trait, this allows growers to have extra growing cycles outdoors per year when compared to other genetics. This can vary depending on the specific strain you’re growing, if it’s Indica-dominant it can take a bit less and if it’s Sativa-dominant it can take a bit more but in general, autos take less time to be ready for harvest.

As said above, autoflowers don’t depend on a light cycle to start flowering, this means you can successfully grow and flower autos under the same light cycle from seed. Autoflowering strains can be grown under a 12/12, 18/6, 20/4, and 24/0 light cycle without having to worry about changing it at the right time to trigger flowering. Obviously, the amount of light you provide will affect the quality and quantity of your harvest but they will grow and mature well under any of the light cycles specified.

Because autoflowers grow under the same light cycle throughout their whole life, you can easily maintain a perpetual harvest, meaning that if done correctly you’ll never run out of weed! Perpetual harvest consists of always having your growing tent full and when the time to harvest comes, have more ready to substitute them. By doing this, you’ll have several plants in different growth stages, allowing you to harvest every week or couple of weeks without wasting time.

Cannabis Ruderalis originated from places with harsh climates, this allowed them to not only develop the autoflowering trait but also allowed them to become more resistant to colder and hotter conditions and more resilient to mold and pests. These characteristics enable outdoor growers to cultivate automatic cannabis outdoors all year long and in almost all types of climates without too much worry about bugs or fungi and without needing much maintenance.

Due to the shorter life cycle, autos usually grow shorter and more compact making them perfect for those who grow in a balcony or want to camouflage their plants in their backyard. Have in mind that not all autos grow short, even though they grow shorter than other cannabis genetics, there are autoflowers than can grow more than 1.5m so you should choose the auto strain that better suits your growing space. 

Even though autoflowers weren’t popular for a long time, they’ve been developed for years and have come a long way, nowadays being up to par with photoperiodic cannabis in quality and yields. Have in mind that because you will be investing time and money, you should buy good-quality genetics from reputable breeders such as Fast Buds, who select their genetics by hand to have all the traits listed above stabilized. Make sure you take a look at their wide variety of autoflowering strains suited for all types of growing spaces and all types of growers.