What are autoflower plants? To understand Autoflower plant we need a quick (I promise) lesson in genetics. Photoperiod: Most of the cannabis varieties we are familiar with like varieties of Indica and Sativa require 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness daily to initiate and to continue flowering, these are called photoperiod plants. These plants grow around the world in many different climates and flower when night length is long enough to trigger flowering. The drawbacks are. Outdoors this means a fall harvest and long growing season. Indoors it means carefully controlling the dark period to maintain flowering. An advantage is when a desirable plant is found it can be kept growing indefinitely, making cuttings to use at will. Autoflower: At extreme northern latitudes there is a variety of cannabis called Ruderalis. It flowers regardless of the day night schedule and will even flower under 24 hours of light. The drawbacks are that these Ruderalis plants have a very short life cycle, usually about 60 days. And even under 24 hours of light often make tiny lollipop size plants with one central flower and little to no value in terms of odor or chemical composition. Additionally they cannot be kept growing or reproduced through cuttings. Modern Autoflower: The latest cutting edge breeders like Elevated llc have developed modern autoflower plants that have the desirable attributes of photoperiod plants and the ease of use of autoflower. Although autoflowering is a recessive trait, with careful crossing and selective breeding, it can be bred to be a stable expression. These modern autoflower plants can have high yields of quality flower often matching and sometimes surpassing their photoperiod Parents in quality. Because they cannot be kept in vegetative growth they can only be propagated from seed. So Why Autoflowers? The reasons for growing Autoflowers are many. The main one is their ease of use and approachability for the novice grower. Modern varieties ensure that even a poorly cared for plant will deliver at least a modicum of flower. And a well tended plant will yield a bountiful harvest of satisfying flower. Due to their harsh Ruderalis origins many Autoflowers are more hardy and mold and disease resistant. Because of their ability to tolerate any light schedule they can be put almost anywhere and are suitable for a sunny windowsill or a closet with a light. Because they need no darkness it is easy to care for them as you would many other garden or house plants. Because they flower automatically they produce a harvest much earlier than a photoperiod plant when grown outdoors often harvesting early summer when planted in the spring. This can even allow for two or three harvests in one season. Germination There are many ways to germinate seeds. If you have a technique that works for you, go with it. Here is a technique that I use that gives close to 100 percent success. Get a small clean plate and put two layers of paper towel on the plate with the seeds in between. Fill the plate with water so the seeds are submerged, let sit for 1 hour. Drain the excess water, hold the plate sideways to let the excess water drip off. After excess water has dripped off place in a sealed ziplock bag and put somewhere with a stable room temperature. You should have sprouts anywhere from one to 10 days later. When sprouts appear, put them into your growing medium with the growing tip aiming down into the soil and water with plain water the first watering. Growth. Due to the very rapid flowering of Autoflowers we need to handle them in unique ways. Most Autoflowers start to bloom between the 7th and 10th internode ( an internode is a set of opposed leaves growing out of the main stalk. When counting Internodes,count up the main stalk from ground level) regardless of its environmental conditions. This means we want to encourage rapid growth right from the outset. The breeders at Elevated llc start their seeds right into 5 gallon containers and leave them without transplanting for their entire life cycle. To get the best yield for your Autoflower seeds plant them directly into a large container after germination using the medium of your choice. Conversely if you want to keep your Autoflower small to fit on a windowsill or other small area, simply restrict its root space. Put it into a smaller pot at planting and do not give it a larger pot as it grows.When using this technique you will need to water more frequently and maintain feedings of fertilizer . The plant size and yield will be reduced but it will still produce flowers. FEEDING. Most autoflowers will tolerate a wide variety of soils and fertilizer types. That being said, they prefer a moist well drained growing medium. Water thoroughly when the top layer of soil starts to dry out. Whether using organic soil amendments or chemical fertilizers, always apply it at ½ the manufacturers recommended rate. It is better, maybe even beneficial to have the fertilizer a little low (less mildew), having fertilizer levels too high will burn and kill the plant. In general Autoflowers like fertilizer at 75% the dosage a similar sized photoperiod plant would take.Always start low and add more if deficiencies appear. Environment This is easy. If you are comfortable your plants will be too.Think 72% and a light breeze. That is ideal but the plants will tolerate a wide range of environments (remember their arctic tundra ancestors). The main things are: Light:Give as much as possible, daytime sunlight and a plant light at night are great. But the plants will also survive with just a plant light or a couple hours of direct sunlight on a windowsill. The more and better quality the light the higher the yield. When planting outdoors, plant in full sun. Air: like you plants need fresh air. If growing in a closet try and leave the door open or provide ventilation. A small fan or open area with a light breeze is ideal. If you are not comfortable in the grow area the plants won’t be either. Maturity harvesting The plants will let you know when they are ready. Autoflowers come in a wide range of varieties that mature anywhere from 60 to 120 days from sprouting with most taking about 80 to 90 days. When the plants are mature the flower bracts will swell and the flower density and odor will increase. The flowers may change color and the branches will be weighed down with the flowers. The mature stage can last for a couple weeks and the optimal time to harvest is a matter of personal preference based on chemo and pheno type. More to learn. There are many more aspects to growing that we haven’t covered here including pest control, harvesting and curing, organic vs chemical. Soil vs hydroponic, genotypes and phenotypes and chemotypes. There are many good resources online and we encourage you to learn and explore. This guide should get you off to a strong start…ENJOY!! “Don’t go through life. Grow through life”. Eric Butterworth